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Gnawing Mammals

Gnawing Mammals. Mammal Characteristics. Warm – Blooded Usually have a protective coat of hair and a bony skeleton Babies are fed milk with mammary glands. Gnawing Mammals. Sometimes referred to as rodents Have 4 large incisor teeth in front of their mouth

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Gnawing Mammals

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  1. Gnawing Mammals

  2. Mammal Characteristics • Warm – Blooded • Usually have a protective coat of hair and a bony skeleton • Babies are fed milk with mammary glands

  3. Gnawing Mammals • Sometimes referred to as rodents • Have 4 large incisor teeth in front of their mouth • Teeth never stop growing • Must gnaw on something or teeth become overgrown • Most diverse group of mammals • Many different species that live in different environments • Most are herbivores

  4. House Mouse

  5. House Mouse • 6 – 8” in length • .5 to 1 oz in weight • Gray or brown in color • Long, hairless tails • Live in buildings during cold seasons • Live anywhere food and shelter can be found in same place

  6. House Mouse • Begins reproducing at 2 months of age, capable of having 8 litters a year • Litter sizes range from 3 to 11 young • Born naked, helpless, and blind • Important food source for predatory animals and birds

  7. Muskrat

  8. Muskrat • Grows to 24” from nose to tail at maturity • Nocturnal animal that inhabits the freshwater biomes of North America • Does not hibernate • Flat hairless tail that it uses as a rudder when it swims

  9. Muskrat • 7 or 8 offspring in each litter • Young muskrats swim when they are 3 weeks old • Often trapped or are preyed upon by eagles, otters, and minks • Seldom grow to be older than 4 yrs old

  10. Eastern Fox Squirrel

  11. Eastern Fox Squirrel • Largest squirrel in North America • 19 – 28” long • 1.5 – 3 lbs • Eats nuts, fruits, corn, roots, and insects • 2-4 are born in early spring and can live to 6 years old • Range in color from rusty yellow to black

  12. Woodchuck

  13. Woodchuck • A.K.A. Groundhog • 20-27” long from head to tail • Weighs 5-10 lbs. • Brown in color • Eats green plants during spring and summer • Hibernates from Sept. until spring • Prefers open woodlands and meadows • Causes problems for farmers • Eats crops and mounds up dirt

  14. Black-Tailed Prairie Dog

  15. Black-Tailed Prairie Dog • Yellowish brown in color with a black-tipped tail • Plains dweller that builds dams around the entrance to its burrow to prevent flooding • Range goes on narrow band from Texas to Canada

  16. Black-Tailed Prairie Dog • 14-17” long from nose to tail • Weigh 2-3 pounds • Young are born in litters of 3-5 in March and April • Very social animals • Greet and graze peacefully together

  17. Cottontail Rabbit

  18. Cottontail Rabbit • Live in different environments in North America ranging from deserts to wooded areas • Diets revolve around grass and other vegetation • Short legs (cannot run well) • Brown to gray in color • 14-17” in length • Prefer bushy habitats

  19. Cottontail Rabbit • Hide from prey by sitting very still • 4 to 7 young in litter • 3 to 4 litters / yr

  20. Porcupines

  21. Porcupines • Known for its sharp quills • Cause damage to trees and shrubs as they gnaw the buds and bark for food • Often kills the trees if bark is gone • Chews on anything that is salty, including human property

  22. Beaver

  23. Beaver • Hard-working animal • Dam-building skills prevent soil erosion and stores water • Webbed hind feet • Long, flat tail which helps in swimming • When dangers approach, beavers slap their tails on the surface to signal to other members of the colony

  24. Beaver • Long, flat tail which helps in swimming • When dangers approach, beavers slap their tails on the surface to signal to other members of the colony • 3-4 feet in length and up to 70 pounds • Young are not mature until 2 years old • Fur is reddish brown in color

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