What Makes a Mammal?
Mammals are distinguished from other animal groups by the following characteristics:
1. Mammals breathe air with lungs.
2. Mammals are warm-blooded (a characteristic shared only with birds).
3. Mammals have true fur. Mammals give birth to live young (only a few mammals lay leathery eggs).
4. Mammals produce milk for their young from mammary glands.
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Whose Home Is in Our Area
Monterey County is home to about 95 species of terrestrial and marine mammals, ranging from some very common species to some exceptionally rare ones. Eighty-eight species are native mammals- mammals which occur naturally in our area and have been present for thousands of years. Seven species have been introduced to the county in historic times, either as unwanted pests or as furbearers. Five species have been extirpated (completely eliminated) from the county in historic times. While none of these species is extinct, their loss from our natural biota is unfortunate, We hope this loss will not be duplicated by any of the remaining native mammals.
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