There are more than 5000 species of mammals on Earth. The platypus has two ovaries but only one of the two is functional i.e. the left one. An elephant’s feet can weigh more than five tons which means they have big heavy feet. But they have big, soft, spongy feet that spread their weight out so well they barely even leave footprints. The sweat glands of a tree squirrel are located on their feet. Mammals are able to maintain a constant body temperature naturally, irrespective of the temperature of their surroundings. An average body temperature of mammals ranges from 90-104F. Natural predators of a squirrel include the owl, fox, wildcat, hawk, raccoon and opossum.
Did you know that a female Pacific Grey Whale gestates and delivers a 2000 pound baby, migrates over 10,000 miles, and produces 6 tons of breast-milk without eating a bite of food, using just her blubber for fuel? The lower jaw in mammals is made from a single bone. Gray squirrels are considered to be living fossils. The reason for this is that they haven’t changed much in 37 million years. Shrews have so little body fat they cannot go more than a couple of hours without food. They will die if they skip a meal. The gerbil rubs its abdomen on cage accessories to mark his territory. Humans also fall in the category of mammals. The middle ear of mammals contains 3 bones. A polar bear’s skin is black beneath its hair which look white but in fact are colorless and hollow. Sugar gliders are able to glide over 150 feet. Golden hamsters are also called “Syrian” hamsters, because they originated in Syria. A female hippopotamus give birth and breastfeed under water – even though almost all their predators live in the water.