Mammals, like other animals, are specially adapted for survival with body parts that are helpful for things such as escaping predators, eating food, keeping warm, or staying cool. Marine mammals such as whales or sea lions have flippers to help them swim and thick layers of blubber to keep warm. Desert dwelling mammals need to be able to survive in spite of hot temperatures and dry weather. They may have large ears to help release body heat or long claws to dig a burrow. Mammals like the bighorn sheep that live in the mountains have specially shaped hooves that help them to climb slippery rocks. A mammal’s adaptations are what make it able to survive and raise offspring. What mammals do you know of that have some of the following adaptations?

Antlers and Horns

Antlers and horns have similar uses in mammals. In males, they are used in battles for territory, control of mates, and other social interactions. Males may lunge headfirst at each other, knocking antlers or horns together with a loud noise. This fighting style prevents serious head injury, while still showing which animal is stronger than the other. In mammals with horns, males and females can use them in defense against predators and in social behaviors. While uses of antlers and horns may be similar, the structure of each is quite different. Antlers are made completely from bone and are usually shed each year. Horns have a bony core that is a permanent part of the skull with a keratin covering. Generally, horns are not shed.

Antlers

Antlers are bony outgrowths of the skull and have more than one branch, or tine. Antlers are shed every year. They bud or begin growing in April or May because of extra hormones brought. Mammals can have adaptations such as specialized body parts or unique behaviors that help them to survive in their environment. on by longer daylight hours. As they develop, they are covered by velvety skin that provides blood to nourish the growing bone. This velvet is shed around fall and can be seen peeling off the bone. In the winter, shorter days cause another hormone change. This weakens the connection between the antler and the skull and the mature antlers fall off in late winter. Antlers are found only on males with the exception of the caribou or reindeer. These animals have a shovel shaped lower tine on one antler that helps them plow the snow aside to find plants to eat. Because of this important function, i t ’s necessary for both males and females to have antlers.

Horns

Horns have a bony core that is a permanent part of the mammal’s skull. This bony core is covered with keratin, much like what our fingernails are made of. Horns get larger as the animal matures, and are not shed yearly. Horns can often be found on both the male and female of a species, though in some species they are only on the male. When comparing horns of males and females, male horns are usually larger. This makes them better adapted for battles over territory or mates. Horns can be straight or curved. Most horns have a single point , not the branching pattern of antlers.

"Nature's Work of Art"

Blubber

Blubber, an especially thick layer of fat, is an adaptation found in most marine mammals. It serves as an insulator much like fur does. Fur is not as effective an insulator for these water dwelling animals because it loses its ability to insulate when it gets wet. Blubber can sometimes keep an animal too warm, however, especially during times of extreme activity so marine mammals need special ways to release this heat. Seals and sea lions will usually allow it to radiate off their blubberless flippers.

In addition to providing insulation, blubber can also nourish mammals that go for long periods without feeding. Whales that migrate are just one example of a mammal that would rely on stores of blubber for fuel during a long journey. Polar bears, who may feed sporadically and in great amounts will also rely on their fat stores to sustain them through periods with little food.

Claws

Claws are made of keratin, like the covering on horns, and are found in most groups of mammals. The cat family is one group of mammals that can retract their claws, or pull them inside the foot. Most mammals have claws that are not retractable, like a dog. Claws are useful to mammals in a number of ways. They can be used for both defense as well as in capturing prey. Sharp claws can help a predator hold on to its prey as well as deter other animals from taking its meal. Mammals also rely on claws to help with climbing and burrowing. Claws can help an animal scurry up a tree away from a predator. They can also help a mammal to dig deep below the earth in order to create a burrow for young, or an elaborate tunnel system for an entire family group, as in prairie dogs.

Hooves

Like claws, hooves are also made of keratin and are found on mammals such as pigs, deer, antelope, and horses. Hooves are usually found on herbivores or prey animals. They serve a very special purpose for most members of this group by offering protection from the impact of their feet striking the ground when running. Hoofed animals rely on being able to flee rapidly to avoid predators. Because more force is put on front hooves when the animal runs, they are often larger and can withstand greater force than the back hooves. Many mammals have hooves that are cloven with two parts. This structure allows the animal to walk easily in all sorts of habitats, from hard ground to soft, sandy soil . Hooves are also used for grooming, to dig for food, and for defense.