Mammals

Mammals belong to the vertebrates group.  They are characterised by their bodies being covered in fur, being born from their mothers’ wombs, (viviparous) and by their babies being fed with milk from their mothers’ mammary glands.  Mammals are warm blooded animals, that is to say, they are capable of regulating their body temperature so that it remains constant irrespective of whether the weather is hot or cold.  They breathe through their lungs.

Mammals are classified according to the type of food they eat. Some are herbivores, i.e. they eat plants e.g. horses, sheep and elephants. Some are carnivores, and eat animal meat, examples being lions, wolves and bears. Others are omnivores.  These eat both vegetables and animal meat. Humans and some primates are examples of omnivores.

There are 5,500 different mammal species in the world.

Do you want to know about some of the mammals that live in the zoo? Select an animal from the right hand menu or the menu at the bottom of the screen and you will be able to learn more in greater depth. 

These are some of the most notable mammals in the zoo:

Hippopotamus

Western lowland gorilla

Giant anteater

White-naped mangabey

Barbary macaque

Bornean orangutan

Spanish wolf

Saharan dorcas gazelle