Mammal
/ˈmæm.əl/
nounB1
Definition
A mammal is an animal that usually has hair or fur on its body. Mammals give birth to live babies (not eggs) and feed their babies with milk made by the mother’s body. Most mammals breathe air and warm their bodies inside.
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See It in Action
Biological group of animals with hair/fur and milk feeding
- •Humans, dogs, and whales are all mammals.
- •The elephant is the largest land mammal.
- •Bats are the only mammals that can fly.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "mammal" like "animal," but with special features: hair/fur and milk for babies.
- ✓Picture a dog or a cat with soft fur and a mother feeding her puppies with milk.
- ✓It’s the feeling of caring and warmth when a mother animal feeds her baby.
- ✓Sounds like "MAM-mul" → imagine a "mom" taking care of her babies, feeding them milk.
- ✓Think of famous mammals like lions, elephants, or humans—all warm and furry or hairy.
- ✓NOT like "bird" (has feathers and lays eggs), mammals have hair and live babies.
- ✓NOT like "fish" (lives in water and lays eggs), mammals mostly live on land and breathe air.
- ✓NOT like "reptile" (cold blooded and scaly), mammals are warm-blooded and have fur or hair.
Try Other Words
- •Creature: a living being (Use when you want a very general word, not specific to mammals)
- •Beast: a large or wild animal (Use in stories or when talking about strong animals, less scientific)
- •Vertebrate: an animal with a backbone (Use in biology when you want to include mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "mam-" relates to "mamma" meaning breast, "-al" is a suffix meaning "related to"
- •Etymology: From Latin "mammalis," meaning "of the breast," because mammals feed babies with milk
- •Historical development: The word appeared in English in the 18th century to describe animals with mammary glands (milk-producing parts)
- •Modern usage: Used in science and everyday language to describe animals like humans, dogs, cats, whales, and others with these features
Reflect & Connect
•Why do you think feeding babies with milk is an important feature for mammals?
•How are mammals different from other animals you know, like birds or fish?
Fill in the blanks
1.A mammal usually has ___ or fur on its body to keep warm.
2.Mammals feed their babies with ___ made by the mother’s body.
3.Unlike birds, mammals give birth to ___ babies, not eggs.
4.Whales are mammals because they breathe ___ and feed their babies milk.
5.Humans are mammals because they have hair and ___ milk to their babies.
6.A bat is a special mammal because it can ___ like a bird.
7.If an animal lays eggs and has feathers, it is not a mammal but a ___.