Page 66 - Mammal (DK Eyewitness)

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AMAZING FACTS

Across the world, humans are the Bats are the only mammals that
most widely distributed mammals, can fly.
closely followed by the house mouse
(Mus musculus), which has accompanied
humans to all parts of the world. The most prolific breeder among
mammals is the North American
meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus),
On average, a newborn kangaroo is which can produce 17 litters in a single
only 1 in (2.5 cm) in length. year, at an average of six or seven babies
per litter.
The first mammals began to evolve
around 200 million years ago. Early The farthest distance migrated
mammals were small insect eaters, rather annually by any sea mammal is the
similar to the modern shrew. At the time, 12,427 miles (20,000 km) traveled by the A sperm whale can eat 1 ton of squid daily
dinosaurs dominated the Earth. Mammals gray whale. It makes the journey from its
were able to survive because their warm- breeding grounds in Mexico to its summer The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
blooded nature meant that they could be feeding grounds in the Bering Sea. is the largest of all mammals, in fact,
active at night when it was safer to hunt for all animals, that have ever lived. Measuring
food. up to 110 ft (33.5 m) long and weighing up
Among the 233 species of primate, to 147 tons (150 tonnes), its heart alone is
Common body size can vary greatly. An adult the size of a small car, and 50 humans could
shrew male gorilla can weigh as much as 452 lb stand on its tongue. The sperm whale has
(205 kg), while the tiny pygmy the biggest head of any living creature on
marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea) weighs land or in the sea. It is also the only animal
in at just 5 oz (140 g) for the with a gullet big enough to fit a human.
average male.
At night, dolphins rest just All pet hamsters are descended from a
below the surface of the single female wild golden hamster
water, but keep moving. found with a litter of 12 young in Syria
in 1930.
Tigers are the only big cats Domestic cats are the only species of
that are striped all over. cat able to hold their tails vertically
while walking. Wild cats carry their tales
either horizontally or tucked between their
A rat can last longer without water legs when on the move.
than a camel can.
The first-known zoo was created in
China by the emperor of the Chou The fastest land mammal is the
Dynasty in about 1100 . cheetah, which can run at speeds of up
to 62 mph (100 k / ph), but only in short
bursts. The pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra
The armadillo and the pangolin are americana) can maintain a speed of
the only mammals to have reptile-like 31 mph (50 k / ph) over a distance
scales instead of fur. of several miles.
Cheetah
An adult lion’s roar can be heard
up to 5 miles (8 km) away and
can either frighten off intruders or
reunite a pride of lions that has
been scattered.