Of all groups of animals (vertebrates in particular), mammals are perhaps the most familiar of all. This may be because we keep certain species of mammals (e.g., dogs and cats) as pets, while others are farmed for their meat, milk or fur (e.g., cattle, sheep and pigs). The fact that we humans are mammals makes the group even more relatable. There are over 6,000 species of mammals, ranging in size from the minuscule bumblebee bat to the gigantic blue whale (which is also possibly the largest animal of all time). Most mammals have a covering of hair and are warm-blooded, but all have mammary glands that produce milk for their young. Below is a list of some of the mammals I’ve seen at the zoos I have visited.
- African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana)
- African wild dog (Lycaon pictus)
- Andean (spectacled) bear (Tremarctos ornatus)
- Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
- Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)
- Bison (Bison species)
- Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
- Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
- Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
- Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
- Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)
- Common raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)
- Eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)
- Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
- Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
- Giraffes (Giraffa species)
- Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
- Goodfellow’s tree-kangaroo (Denrolagus goodfellowi)
- Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi)
- Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
- Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
- Lion (Panthera leo)
- Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus)
- Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)
- North Sulawesi babirusa (Babyrousa celebensis)
- Okapi (Okapia johnstoni)
- Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
- Przewalski’s wild horse (Equus ferus przewalskii)
- Pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)
- Red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus)
- Red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
- Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta)
- Snow leopard (Panthera uncia)
- Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)
- Tiger (Panthera tigris)
- West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)
- Western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
- White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
For information about mammals I have seen in the wild in Ireland, see my Wildlife page.