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Common Features
Skeletons made from bone and vertebral columns are also common to all mammals. Common internal features include lungs which are used to take in oxygen from the air. Aquatic mammals have adaptations that require them to inhale air less often; they can hold their breath to remain underwater for periods of time while they hunt for food. On land, large mammals have a much slower breathing rate than small mammals. All mammals have hair, although some have a great deal of hair and others have very little. Other common features include being warm-blooded and having the ability to produce milk to feed their young.
Feeding Habits
Different species of mammals survive on a wide range of diets. Some mammals, such as anteaters, are insectivores that live on a diet of insects. Herbivorous mammals, such as elephants, consume vegetation alone. Tigers are an example of carnivorous mammals that eat other animals. Other animals are omnivorous and have diets that are made up of plants and other animals. Over time, different mammal species have developed adaptations that help them forage and consume specialized diets. For example, carnivores often move quickly and have sharp claws to help them catch their prey. Herbivores often have large, flat teeth that help them grind and break down fibrous vegetation before swallowing it.
Reproduction
All mammals have milk-producing glands that allow them to feed their young with milk while they are very young. However, mammals reproduce in a number of ways and can be categorized according to the way that they carry and give birth to their young. Placental mammals, such as humans, develop inside their mother's placenta which provides them with a constant supply of nutrients. Placental mammals give birth to live young that are highly developed. Monotremes such as the duck-billed platypus lay eggs that hatch after a short incubation period. Young monotremes then feed from their mother's milk as other mammals do. Marsupials give birth to undeveloped young that complete their development while feeding from their mother's milk inside a pouch before becoming independent. The kangaroo is an example of a marsupial mammal.
Temperature Control
Mammals are able to survive in a number of climates due to the fact that they are warm-blooded and have adaptations that allow them to maintain their body temperatures. For example, mammals that live in very cold climates have a thick layer of fur that helps them keep warm. Many mammals that live in hot climates can cool themselves down by perspiring. Other methods that some species of mammals use to protect themselves from extreme temperatures include hibernation.