Mammals, Mammals, Mammals? Trivia Quiz

Answer:

There are a number of qualities that define mammals, though you might be surprised at how varied they are. All mammals have backbones, for example, and all mammals are warm-blooded. All female mammals are capable of producing milk, and only a very small amount of mammals (called monotremes, like platypuses and echidnas) lay eggs.

With this in mind, most furry critters you'd find in the home, like cats and dogs, are mammals. Most farm animals are mammals as well, but birds are not mammals as they are egg-laying creatures, so something like a chicken, while a farm animal, would not count.

Interestingly reptiles, like snakes and lizards, and amphibians, like frogs and toads, are not mammals; they're cold-blooded and often egg-laying creatures. They're not alone-- insects and arachnids aren't mammals either.

And neither are fish! Dolphins and whales, while aquatic creatures, are technically mammals as well because they give birth to live young instead of eggs, and they produce milk to nourish them. While jellyfish do the same, they are NOT mammals because they have no backbones.

When it comes down to it, even humans are mammals! All primates are mammals; all felines and canines and rodents and bats are mammals.