Mammals, PEN-SCH
Mammals are distinguished by their ability to produce milk. The class Mammalia boasts tremendous diversity in form and habit, and different types of mammals can be wildly different from one another in physical appearance. Living kinds of mammals range in size from a bat weighing less than a gram to the largest animal that has ever lived, the blue whale, which reaches a length or more than 30 metres (100 feet) and a weight of 180 metric tons (nearly 200 short [U.S.] tons).
Mammals Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Peninj mandible, an almost perfectly preserved fossil jaw of the hominin (of human lineage) species Paranthropus......
Percheron, heavy draft-horse breed that originated in the Perche region of France. The breed probably stems from......
perissodactyl, any member of the order Perissodactyla, a group of herbivorous mammals characterized by the possession......
Persian deer, fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica) of western Asia. The maral, an Asiatic red deer, also is often called......
phalanger, any of several species of Australasian marsupial mammals. They are called possums in Australia and Tasmania.......
Phenacodus, extinct genus of mammals known from fossils of the late Paleocene and early Eocene epochs of North......
Phoberomys, extinct rodent genus, the largest rodent ever to have lived, that belongs to the infraorder Caviomorpha,......
Phyllostomidae, family of approximately 150 species of tropical and subtropical bats known collectively as American......
pichi, South American species of armadillo...
pichiciago, species of armadillo...
pig, wild or domestic swine, a mammal of the Suidae family. In Britain the term pig refers to all domestic swine,......
pika, (genus Ochotona), small short-legged and virtually tailless egg-shaped mammal found in the mountains of western......
pilot whale, (genus Globicephala), either of two species of small, slender toothed whales of the dolphin family......
pinniped, (suborder Pinnipedia), any of a group of 34 species of aquatic fin-footed mammals comprising seals, sea......
Pinto, (Spanish: “Painted”), a spotted horse; the Pinto has also been called paint, particoloured, pied, piebald,......
pipistrelle, (genus Pipistrellus), any of about 68 species belonging to the vesper bat family (Vespertilionidae).......
pit bull, fighting dog developed in 19th-century England, Scotland, and Ireland from Bulldog and terrier ancestry......
Pithecanthropus, former genus name assigned to fossil hominids including Java man (q.v.) and Peking man (q.v.),......
placental mammal, (infraclass Eutheria), any member of the mammalian group characterized by the presence of a placenta,......
platypus, (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), a small amphibious Australian mammal noted for its odd combination of primitive......
Pliohippus, extinct genus of horses that inhabited North America during the Pliocene Epoch (5.3–2.6 million years......
pocket gopher, (family Geomyidae), any of 38 species of predominantly North and Central American rodents named......
pocket mouse, any of 36 species of American rodents having fur-lined external cheek pouches that open alongside......
pointer, highly regarded breed of sporting dog of hound, spaniel, and setter ancestry. The pointer derives its......
Poland China, breed of pig developed between 1835 and 1870 in Butler and Warren counties, Ohio, U.S., by a fusion......
polar bear, (Ursus maritimus), great white northern bear (family Ursidae) found throughout the Arctic region. The......
polecat, any of several weasellike carnivores of the family Mustelidae (which includes the weasel, skunk, mink,......
Pomeranian, breed of toy dog that can be traced back—like the related Keeshond, Samoyed, and Norwegian Elkhound—to......
pony, any of several breeds of small horses standing less than 14.2 hands (147 cm, or 58 inches) high and noted......
Poodle, breed of dog thought to have originated in Germany but widely associated with France, where it is hugely......
porcupine, any of several species of large, herbivorous, quill-bearing rodents active from early evening to dawn.......
porpoise, (family Phocoenidae), specifically, any of seven species of toothed whales distinguishable from dolphins......
potto, (Perodicticus potto), slow-moving tropical African primate. The potto is a nocturnal tree dweller found......
prairie dog, (genus Cynomys), any of five species of burrowing, colony-forming squirrels that inhabit plains, high......
primate, in zoology, any mammal of the group that includes the lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans.......
- Introduction
- Evolution, Behavior, Anatomy
- Social Behavior, Diet, Adaptations
- Socialization, Longevity, Adaptability
- Climbing, Leaping, Bipedalism
- Diet, Fruits, Leaves
- Evolution, Adaptation, Diversity
- Social Behavior, Diet, Adaptations
- Adaptations, Behavior, Evolution
- Hands, Feet, Adaptations
- Teeth, Diet, Evolution
- Snouts, Muzzles, Noses
- Vision, Hearing, Smell
- Reproduction, Social Behavior, Anatomy
- Evolution, Behavior, Taxonomy
- Evolution, Paleontology, Adaptations
- Evolution, Adaptations, Behavior
- Oligocene, Evolution, Adaptations
- Evolution, Social Behavior, Adaptations
- Evolution, Behavior, Adaptations
- Primates, Taxonomy, Evolution
proboscidean, (order Proboscidea), any of the group of mammals that includes elephants and their extinct relatives......
proboscis monkey, (Nasalis larvatus), long-tailed arboreal primate found along rivers and in swampy mangrove forests......
procyonid, (family Procyonidae), any of a group of tree-climbing mammals comprising raccoons, coatis, olingos,......
pronghorn, (Antilocapra americana), North American hoofed mammal, the sole living member of the old ruminant family......
Przewalski’s horse, (subspecies Equus caballus przewalskii or E. ferus przewalskii), last wild horse subspecies......
Ptilodus, extinct genus of mammals found as fossils in deposits dated to the Paleocene Epoch (65.5–55.8 million......
Pug, breed of toy dog that probably originated in China and was introduced to England near the end of the 17th......
puku, antelope species of the genus Kobus...
puli, small sheepdog breed introduced to Hungary about 1,000 years ago by the Magyars (early Hungarians). An agile......
puma, (Puma concolor), large brownish New World cat comparable in size to the jaguar—the only other large cat of......
Père David’s deer, (Elaphurus davidianus), large, rare Asian deer in the family Cervidae (order Artiodactyla).......
quagga, (subspecies Equus quagga quagga), subspecies of plains zebra (Equus quagga) formerly found in vast herds......
quokka, marsupial mammal, a species of wallaby...
rabbit, any of 29 species of long-eared mammals belonging to the family Leporidae, excluding hares (genus Lepus).......
raccoon, (genus Procyon), any of seven species of nocturnal mammals characterized by bushy ringed tails. The most......
raccoon dog, (Nyctereutes procyonoides), member of the dog family (Canidae) native to eastern Asia and introduced......
Ramapithecus, fossil primate dating from the Middle and Late Miocene epochs (about 16.6 million to 5.3 million......
Rambouillet, breed of sheep, developed from selections of a few hundred of the best Merino sheep of Spain in 1786......
rasse, small Asiatic mammal, a species of civet...
rat, (genus Rattus), the term generally and indiscriminately applied to numerous members of several rodent families......
rat kangaroo, any of the 11 living species of Australian and Tasmanian marsupials constituting the families Potoroidae......
rat opossum, (family Caenolestidae), any of six species of South American marsupials in the order Paucituberculata.......
ratel, (Mellivora capensis), badgerlike member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) noted for its fondness for honey.......
red bat, (Lasiurus borealis), migratory vesper bat (family Vespertilionidae) found in wooded areas of North America.......
red deer, (Cervus elaphus), well-known deer, in the family Cervidae (order Artiodactyla), that is native to North......
red flyer, one of the largest species of kangaroo...
red fox, (Vulpes vulpes), species of fox (family Canidae) found throughout Europe, temperate Asia, northern Africa,......
red panda, (Ailurus fulgens), reddish brown, long-tailed, raccoonlike mammal, about the size of a large domestic......
red river hog, African hoofed mammal, a subspecies of bush pig...
reedbuck, (genus Redunca), any of three medium-sized antelopes (family Bovidae) that inhabit the grasslands and......
reindeer, (Rangifer tarandus), species of deer (family Cervidae) found in the Arctic tundra and adjacent boreal......
retriever, any of several sporting dogs bred and trained to retrieve game. Retrievers are characterized by water-resistant......
Rex cat, curly-coated breed of domestic cat that has a dense, soft coat lacking any projecting guard hairs, or......
rhesus monkey, (Macaca mulatta), sand-coloured primate native to forests but also found coexisting with humans......
rhinoceros, (family Rhinocerotidae), any of five or six species of giant horn-bearing herbivores that include some......
Rhodesian Ridgeback, South African hound dog breed characterized by a narrow band of hair that grows forward along......
ribbon seal, (Histriophoca fasciata), earless seal of the family Phocidae found in the North Pacific and the Bering......
rice rat, (genus Oryzomys), any of 36 nocturnal species of small rodents found from the United States southward......
right whale, (family Balaenidae), any of four species of stout-bodied whales having an enormous head measuring......
ringed seal, (Pusa, or Phoca, hispida), nonmigratory, earless seal (family Phocidae) of North Polar seas and a......
river dolphin, any of six species of small, usually freshwater aquatic mammals that are related to whales (order......
roan antelope, (Hippotragus equinus), one of the largest and most formidable African antelopes (family Bovidae)......
rodent, (order Rodentia), any of more than 2,050 living species of mammals characterized by upper and lower pairs......
roe deer, (genus Capreolus), small, graceful Eurasian deer of the family Cervidae (order Artiodactyla). There are......
rorqual, (genus Balaenoptera), any of five particular species of baleen whales—specifically the blue whale, fin......
Ross seal, (Ommatophoca rossi), Antarctic seal of the family Phocidae. It has a short face, very large eyes, and......
Rottweiler, breed of working dog that is thought to be descended from drover dogs (cattle-driving dogs) left by......
royal antelope, (Neotragus pygmaeus), a hare-sized denizen of West Africa’s lowland rainforest that is the world’s......
ruminant, (suborder Ruminantia), any mammal of the suborder Ruminantia (order Artiodactyla), which includes the......
Russian Blue, breed of domestic cat noted for the quality of its short, plushlike coat. Characteristically a quiet......
Saanen, popular breed of dairy goat originating in the Saanen Valley of Switzerland. The coat of the Saanen is......
sable, (Martes zibellina), graceful carnivore of the weasel family, Mustelidae, found in the forests of northern......
sable antelope, (Hippotragus niger), one of Africa’s most impressive antelopes and a member of the horse antelope......
sabre-toothed cat, any of the extinct catlike carnivores belonging to either the extinct family Nimravidae or the......
Saccopastore skulls, two Neanderthal fossils found in 1929 and 1935 in a river deposit on the bank of a small tributary......
saiga, (Saiga tatarica), medium-sized hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla) that lives in herds......
Saint Bernard, working dog credited with saving the lives of more than 2,000 people in 300 years of service as......
saki, any of 22 species of arboreal South American monkeys having long nonprehensile furred tails. The 16 species......
saluki, breed of hound whose ancestors may date to 7000 to 6000 bce. Sacred to the Egyptians, who called it the......
sambar, (Cervus unicolor), widely distributed deer, family Cervidae (order Artiodactyla), found from India and......
Samoyed, breed of working dog developed in Siberia, where its ancestors were kept by the Nenets (formerly Samoyed......
sand rat, either of two species of gerbils in the genus...
Santa Gertrudis, breed of beef cattle developed in the 20th century by the King Ranch in Texas. It originally resulted......
saro, rare South American species of otter...
schipperke, Belgian dog breed that originated in Flanders several centuries ago and was used for many years as......