Mammals Are Interesting (1953)

[Music] of all animals the most highly developed is a group called the mammals animals like the hippopotamus the bear and the chipmunk in order to understand the mammals let's look first at some of the simpler animals these protozoa so small they can be seen only with a microscope are the simplest form of animal life they are made up of only one cell these sea anemones are made up of many cells although they can be seen with the unaided eye they are also a very simple form of animal life these are crayfish they are members of a group of animals with jointed legs animals like insects spiders crabs and lobsters the crayfish shall like the protozoa and sea anemones in one respect they do not have backbones this fish has a backbone although more highly developed than the animals without backbones it is one of the simplest of backboned animals fish breathed with gills and they are cold blooded that is the temperature of their bodies changes with the temperature or around them this lizard belongs to a group of animals called reptiles a group that includes turtles and snakes light fish reptiles have backbones and are cold-blooded but they differ from fish in that they breathe with lungs birds like this Pelican have backbones like the reptiles they breathe with lungs but birds are warm-blooded regardless of the temperature around them their body temperature stays the same here's another animal with a backbone he's a giraffe a member of a group of animals called mammals mammals may differ as much as this giraffe differs from these polar bears but all mammals are alike in many ways all mammals of course have backbones run your hand down the middle of your back that bone you feel is a backbone as this boy takes a deep breath he can feel his lungs fill up with air all mammals have lungs and breathe air all mammals are warm-blooded although this beaver is swimming in icy water the temperature inside his body is the same as it would be on a summer day two things make mammals different from all other animals first mammals have hair on their bodies in fact if an animal has hair you can be certain it's a mammal this cat and her kittens are mammals second all mammals like this sheep feed their young milk a food which is made by glands within the mother's body this cow is feeding or nursing her calf all mammals nurse their young this baby monkey is hungry he's looking for his mother she will give him some milk only mammals of all the different kinds of animals in the world are able to give milk to their young and only mammals of all the different kinds of animals in the world have hair on their bodies these two things make mammals different from all other animals here's an animal called a sea lion sea lions nurse their young sea lions have hair on their bodies they are warm-blooded they breathe air with lungs and they have backbones although they spend most of their lives in water and although they swim like fish sea lions aren't fish they are mammals there are many different kinds of mammals and they may be divided into several large groups one group the hoofed mammals like these buffalo or American bison are plant eaters the host mammals like these European fallow deer have large flat teeth with which to grind their plant food and they chew it thoroughly before swallowing it many of the hoofed mammals like this mule deer have long thin legs long legs and hard hooves are well fitted for running on hard ground in open places as you would expect many hoofed mammals will be found in open places we're like these American or pronghorn antelope they use their speed to escape their enemies [Music] man has domesticated or tamed many of the hoofed mammals like these sheep in order to raise them for his own use this sheep is a domesticated hoofed mammal the hoofed mammals provide us with many of the things we eat and we're another group of mammals called the carnivores or meat eaters is made up of mammals that eat meat this Puma or mountain lion a member of the cat family has long sharp teeth with which he tears his food since he has no flat teeth he cannot chew his food before swallowing it all carnivores use their teeth to catch and kill their prey many carnivores also have sharp claws a house cat is a carnivore or meat-eater - since a carnivore eats other animals he must be quiet and quick if he has to catch them a carnivore has pads on his feet to help him move quietly other members of the cat family are the tiger notice his teeth and the lion these teeth belong to a coyote the coyote is a member of the dog family another group of carnivores like all carnivores the coyote has sharp pointed teeth with which he tears his food the coyote like the dog you have at home is a meat-eater perhaps you've wondered why your dog doesn't chew his food well because his teeth are pointed he couldn't even if he wanted to this is a familiar mammal he's a rat of course one of the gnawing mammals or rodents the largest of all the mammal groups many of the mammals most familiar to you are rodents by looking closely at a rodent like this squirrel you can usually tell something about his way of life notice his long bushy balancing tail and his short hand like front paws well fitted for climbing perhaps you've noticed a fresh mound of Earth right in the middle of your lawn here's the fellow who's probably responsible he's a gopher and he too is a rodent his long chisel like front teeth are just right for cutting up fruits and stalks with his large flat back teeth he grinds his food before swallowing it he lives in tunnels which he digs underneath the ground notice how he pushes the dirt with his front paws [Music] when he's finished his tunnel he plugs up the entrance with dirt perhaps the most interesting of all mammals is the group called the primates a group that includes men the primates like this chimpanzee are the most intelligent of the mammals like man they have flat nails instead of claws and hands which they use for grasping their teeth are like ours fitted for both tearing and chewing though most primates prefer a diet of nuts and fruit they are able to eat both plant and animal food this Gibbon is a primate also like all mammals Gibbons have backbones lungs warm blood body hair and are able to nurse their young basically alike yet different in many respects mammals are interesting animal [Music]