Mammals

mother feeding her baby

warm-blooded < warm = moderately hot + blooded < blood = red fluid in veins ALL ABOUT MAMMALS What is a mammal? Mammals are animals that have hair, are warm-blooded, and nourish their young with milk. Some modern-day mammals include people, apes, cats, bats, dogs, tigers, mice, moose, aardvarks, beavers, elephants, gorillas, sloths, pandas, hamsters, horses, whales, and dolphins. blood nourish = give food to

Types of Mammals

Monotremes: The monotremes are primitive egg-laying mammals. Modern-day monotremes include the echidnas (spiny ant-eaters) and the duck-billed platypus. Marsupials: Marsupials are another group of mammals; their young are born in an extremely immature state; most female marsupials have pouches. Some marsupials include the koala, kangaroo, and the numbat. Placental mammals: Placental mammals are mammals whose young are born at a relatively advanced stage (more advanced than the young of other mammals, the monotremes and marsupials). Before birth, the young are nourished through a placenta. The placenta is a specialized embryonic organ that is attached the mother's uterus and delivers oxygen and nutrients to the young. Most mammals are placental mammals, like cats, dogs, horses, and people.

egg-laying mammal = animal which reproduces with eggs. immature< in-mature

pouch attach = be connected with

placenta

Diet Mammals have to eat a lot to maintain their high body temperature. Diets vary from genus to genus. As with most animal groups, there are more herbivores (plant-eaters) than there are carnivores (meat-eaters).

uterus

genus = group

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Types of Mammalian Diets: Herbivores (plant eaters) - including beavers, cows, horses, pandas, sloths, and others Carnivores (meat eaters) - including whales and dolphins, dogs, tigers, lions, and others Omnivores (eat plants and meat) - people, some bears, pigs, dingos and others Insectivores (eat insects) - aardvarks, anteaters, pangolins, and others venomous = poisonous

Venomous Mammals: Only a few mammals are venomous, including the duckbilled platypus (males only), several species of shrews, and the Solenodon (a small insectivore). Mammal Extremes Fastest mammal (also the fastest land animal): the cheetah (60-70 mph = 97-110 kph) Slowest mammal - the sloth (less than 1 mph, or 2 kph) Biggest mammal, biggest animal that ever lived on Earth - the blue whale Biggest land mammal- the African Elephant Tallest mammal - the giraffe Smallest mammals - the pygmy shrew (weighing 1.2-2.7 gm) and the bumblebee bat (weighing about 2 gm) Loudest mammal - the Blue Whale. The second loudest is the Howler Monkey. Smallest newborns - marsupials (pouched mammals, like the kangaroo) Smelliest mammal - the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) Fat - The blue whale has the thickest layer of fat Most dangerous - the polar bear and the hippopotamus are the most dangerous mammals for the human being. Source: www.allaboutmammals.com/subjects/mammals

poisonous fastest < fast mph = miles per hour slowest < slow biggest < big tallest < tall smallest < small loudest < loud = noisy newborn<new-born = animal which has just been born smelliest < smelly = with strong smell thickest<thick thin

Questions:
1. What are the main characteristics of a mammal? 2. Name five modern-day mammals 3. Which mammals lay eggs? Feature= characteristic 4. What is the distinctive feature of marsupials?

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5. What is the placenta function? 6. Why do mammals have to eat a lot? 7. Name three plant-eaters 8. Name three carnivores 9. What are omnivores? 10. Which are the only venomous mammals?

THE SUPERLATIVE OF ADJECTIVES We use the superlative when we want to express the highest degree or quality of an adjective: The cheetah is the fastest mammal in the world One-syllable adjectives form their superlative by adding est to the positive form. Fast fastest Slow slowest adjectives ending in e add st Large largest Adjectives ending in one vowel and a consonant t, -d, -g, -m, -n double the last consonant. Big biggest Fat fattest Adjectives of two syllables ending in y drop the y and add iest Smelly smelliest Adjectives of three or more syllables form their superlative by putting most before the positive Dangerous most dangerous Beautiful most beautiful Irregular adjectives Good best Bad worst Far farthest/furthest large = big

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EXERCISES THE SUPERLATIVE 1. WRITE THE SUPERLATIVE FORM OF THE ADJECTIVES Interesting Big Easy Good dangerous fast large intelligent FOLLOWING

sad bad wide slow

2. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES a) b) c) d) e) f) The sloth is the. mammal The blue whale is the mammal The African elephant is the.. mammal The bumblebee bat is the . mammal The giraffe is the . mammal The striped skunk is the . mammal

THE COMPARATIVE (REVISION) 1. WTITE THE COMPARATIVE FORM OF THE FOLLOWING ADJECTIVES long small high thin fat slim busy boring beautiul old strange dirty

2. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES a) The mouse is than the elephant b) The horse is .. than the pig c) The lion is .. than the cat d) The cow is than the dog e) The sloth is . Than the cheetah