PHYSICAL APPEARANCE CONSERVATION all mammals have hair (at some point during their development) least concern lose hair near threatened insulation vulnerable sensory function endangered vibrissa /vaibrisə/ critically endangered innervate extinct in the wild deffensive mechanism extinct provide protection vary in size LIFE DEVELOPMENT and REPRODUCTION PARENTAL INVESTMENT juvenile ontogeny juvenile learning viviparous Mammalian behavior varies substantially among species. oviparous endotherm /´ɛn də,θɜrm/ warm-blooded animal placental mammals endothermy marsupials endothermic lay eggs ectotherm /´ɛk tə,θɜrm/ cold-blooded animal give birth to live young (offspring) ectothermic short gestation period uterus nursing sexual dimorphism alike female large male more colorful polygynous = one male mates with multiple females promiscuous = both males and females have multiple mates in a given reproductive season monogamous provide care to their offspring often mating systems may vary within species display cooperative breeding share the care assist in the care of her offspring produce offspring a mating season intense male-male competition seaosanal breeders eggs are fertilized copulation bout = období born in a relatively underdeveloped state reach maturity relatively quickly mortality average lifespan give birth to precocial /prɪ´koʊ ʃəl/ = (of an animal species) active and able to move freely from birth or hatching and requiring little parental care altricial young = helpless at birth or hatching and requiring parental care for a period of time invest energy highly developed offspring extended care estrus cycle = hárání hatch = to bring forth (young) from the egg. feed their newborn young with milk invest some or a great deal of care to their offspring be able to locomote on their own mammary gland lactation BEHAVIOUR/BEHAVIOR (AE) locomotion locomotion style to locomote efficiently: fly, glide, swim, run, burrow, jump ECOSYSTEM ROLES disperses seeds pollinates creates habitat biodegradation soil aeration keystone species = A keystone species is a species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community and whose impact on the community is greater than would be expected based on its relative abundance or total biomass. niche /nɪtʃ/ diurnal /daɪ´ɜr nl/ nocturnal /nɒk´tɜr nl/ crepuscular /krɪ´pʌs kyə lər/ = appearing or active in the twilight arboreal = Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing. fossorial = Referring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing. solitary territorial =defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement social = associates with others of its species; forms social groups. dominance hierarchies = ranking system or pecking order among members of a long-term social group, where dominance status affects access to resources or mates COMMUNICATION AND PERCEPTION olfaction /ɒl´fæk ʃən, oʊl-/ = the sense of smell hearing tactile perception vision night vision sensory sensory receptor use pheromones scent-marking is comonly used to communicate among mammals well-developed hearing echolocation foraging /´fɔr ɪ dʒɪŋ, ´fɒr-/ = the acquisition of food by hunting, fishing, or the gathering of plant matter navigation many mammals are vocal vocalizations are used in communication between potential mates tactile sensation predator /´prɛd ə tər; -,tɔr/ any organism that exists by preying upon other organisms. prey on prey prey of beast Vocalizations can communicate individual or group identity, alarm at the presence of a predator, aggression in dominance interactions, territorial defense, and reproductive state. Mammals also perceive their environment through tactile input to the hair and skin Touch also serves many communication functions social behavior Specialized hairs (whiskers or "vibrissae") have a sensory function, Vision is well-developed well-developed eyes. FOOD HABITS carnivores herbivores omnivores primary diet folivore frugivore top predators mammals are preyed upon by many other organisms cope with predation through avoidance strategies cryptic coloration restricting foraging to times when predators may not be abundant sociality defensive chemicals physical defense