Chordata: Mammalia (mammals)

Mammalia
Scientists have organized mammals into orders based on their characteristics and their structures. Scientists are still trying to figure out how some mammals are related.

All mammals share three characteristics not seen in other animals. They have three middle ear bones, they have hair, and they produce milk for their young. There are about 5,000 species of mammals. Scientists have organized mammals into about 26 orders based on characteristics and structure.

Mammal Orders

Metatheria
Dasyuromorphia (quolls, dunnarts)
Didelphimorphia (opossums)
Diprotodontia (kangaroos, koalas)
Microbiotheria (Monito del Monte)
Notoryctemorphia (marsupial moles)
Paucituberculata (shrew opossums)
Peramelemorphia (bandicoots)

Mammal Resources
Lesson Plans
Games/Interactives
Video 

North American Mammals
Learn more about North American Mammals with this searchable database You can search by map, species, and conservation status. Source: Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Mammals at the National Zoo, from A to Z
Take a virtual trip to the National Zoo! You can learn about the mammals at the zoo, send e-cards, view live webcams, meet biologists, and lots more!
Intended Audience:General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Welcome to the Mammal Family Reunion
See how mammals evolved, find out what makes a mammal, and see where mammals live at this interactive online exhibit from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No

Life of Mammals
You can watch video, play interactive games, take quizzes, and get close-up profiles of mammals at this companion site to the BBC series Life of Mammals.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Animals Bytes: Mammals
Learn more about mammals around the world at this site from the San Diego Zoo. you'll find species profiles, video, distribution maps, fun facts and more.
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

Mammals
How much do you really know about mammals? Learn more at this site from National Geographic.
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Zoom Mammals
This site from Enchanted Learning has mammal fact sheets and printouts, classroom activities, and information about mammal classification.
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No

eNature Mammals Field Guide
You can look for North American mammals by type in this online field guide. You'll get a species overview, images, and track images and information.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

African Mammals Databank
The African Mammals Databank is a GIS-based databank on the distribution and conservation of all the big and medium-sized mammals over the whole African continent. You can learn more about African mammals at this site from Department of Animal and Human Biology - University of Rome. Click on "List of Species" to locate mammals by order. You can also search by common name.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Southeast Asia Mammal Databank
This site from the European Commission and the Istitutuo di Ecologia Applicata features a GIS-based databank of mammals in Southeast Asia. You can download data and search for species by order or conservation status. You'll get basic information about the species along with distribution maps.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Natural History Notebooks
This site from the Canadian Museum of Nature has profiles of lots of species of mammals found around the world.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Mammals
You'll find information about mammals at this site from NHPTV's Wildlife Journal Junior.
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No

Mammals
You'll find images, descriptions, and specimens of mammals at this site form Animal Diversity Web.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: Yes

Mammalia
This site from the Tree of Life has detailed information about mammals from around the world.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No

Hall of Mammals
You can learn more about mammals at this site from the University of California Museum of Paleontology.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

The National Marine Mammal Laboratory
If you are looking for information about seals, whales, dolphins or other marine mammals, this is a great place to start. You'll find an image database, species information, data, and lots more.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

Marine Mammals
Learn more about the marine life found in the Gulf of Maine at this site from the Gulf of Maine Aquarium. You can get profiles of marine mammals, learn about the research going on at the Gulf of Maine Aquarium, and explore the natural history of marine mammals.
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No

Mammals
Learn more about mammals at this site from the Oakland Zoo. You'll find species profiles and video.
Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No

The Marine Mammal Center
You'll find lots of information about marine mammals, careers in marine biology,and marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes

Mammal Species of the World
You'll find a checklist of mammals of the world available for download in various formats at this site from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. You'll also find a link to the same information available as a searchable database from Bucknell University. You get limited information about most species including distribution, common name, and synonyms.
Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Life of Mammals Interactive Challenges
Can you develop the social skills to survive in a troop of chimps? Do you think you could make a mammal? Do you have the memory skills to survive in the forest? Find out at this site from the BBC series Life of Mammals.
Source: BBC

Build a Beast
Try your hand a building a savannah or woodlands mammal!
Source: San Diego Zoo

Where is the Animal?
How sharp is your eyesight? See if you can locate the animals!!
Source: San Diego Zoo

Fish and Games
See if you can tell the difference between shark myths and fact, check out you knowledge of shark facts, or try your hand at an interactive shark word search puzzle.
Source: San Diego Natural History Museum

NatureWorks
This 16-part natural science series for grades 3-6 looks at connections in the wild. The episodes listed below feature profiles of mammals. Source: NHPTV

Dragonfly TV Scientist Profiles
Aimee Hurt - Biologist
John Beckmann - Wildlife Biologist
Lisa McCartney - Marine Biologist
Liz Stryjewski - Biologist
Michelle Jeffries - Marine Biologist

Last Extinction
NOVA explores a radical new idea of what killed off mammoths and other large animals at the end of the Ice Age. Source: PBS

Smart Sealions and Talking Walruses
This segment of NOVA scienceNow investigates marine mammal intelligence. Source: PBS

Animal Videos
Click on the Mammal category and you'll find videos of mammals from apes to zebras! Source: National Geographic

Arkive Videos and Images
Threatened Mammals

Atlanta Zoo
Mammal Video and Photos

Dare to Care for a Grizzly Bear- Grades 9-12
In this video-enhanced lesson from Nature, students learn how human beings have interacted with and impacted the lives of grizzly bears in Yellowstone Park.
Source: PBS

Grizzly: Back from the Brink - Grades 6-8
In this lesson from Nature, students will study the history of the grizzly bear, its decline in population, and the effort made to bring it back from near extinction.
Source: PBS

Cheetah Challenges - Grades 9-12
In this lesson from Nature, students observe how a team of people from the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy assisted one of the orphans after he had been injured in a fight. Source: PBS

What Do You Do with and Orphaned Cheetah? - Grades 3-5
In this lesson from Nature, students engage their critical thinking skills as they work in teams to brainstorm possible techniques for teaching baby cheetahs what they need to learn to survive. Source: PBS