Unusual Mammals

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Unusual Mammals

• Wildlife Conservation

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Opossums

• Marsupial most are found in Australia
• Lacks placenta gives birth to offspring before
  they are fully developed and finish growing in
  the pouch
• Prehensile tails

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Opossums

• Nocturnal
• Can bear more than 20 young but only 11-13 will
  survive
• Survive in a wide range of habitats
• Omnivores

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Moles and Shrews

• Insectivores
• Dig underground
• Ferocious predators can kill animals larger than
  themselves
• Active both night and day
• Very short life spans 1 ½ - 3 years

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Mole

• Tunnels underground
• Rarely surfaces
• Strong, muscular body
• Hand-like feet and claws for digging

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Shrews

• Short-tailed shrew is deadly poisonous bite
• Give birth to up to 10 young
• Wide range of habitats

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Bats

• Only known mammals that can fly under own power
• Wings are skin stretched over arm and finger
  bones
• Hibernate
• Emit high frequency sound to locate objects and
  navigate them
• Very high survival rate

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Mexican freetail bat

• Guano bat
• Long tail
• Hang upside down from cave roof
• Emerge at dusk to search for insect food

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Brown Bat

• Big brown and little brown bat
• Insectivores
• Some migrate
• Pale to dark brown body and black membranes

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Armadillo

• Found only in North and South America
• Related to anteaters and sloths
• Covered by carapace except on belly
• Nocturnal, omnivorous
• Only animal of its kind found in North America
  lives in the South central and Southeastern
  regions

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Armadillo

• Bands are telescoping joints that help the animal
  move freely
• Digs
• Name means little armored thing
• Quadruplets are common

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Questions for Review

• Which is the only American marsupial?
• What defines a nocturnal animal?
• What is the hard outer covering on an armadillo
  called?
• Which sense allows bats to navigate during flight?