Aquatic mammals - Characteristics and examples

All living beings on the planet have their origin in the aquatic environment .Throughout evolutionary history, mammals have been changing and adapting to conditions on the surface of the earth until, several million years ago, some submerged themselves in the oceans and rivers, adapting to life under these conditions.

In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will talk about aquatic mammals, better known as marine mammals, since it is in the seas where a greater number of species of this type They inhabit.Discover the characteristics of these animals and some examples.

Characteristics of aquatic mammals

The life of mammals in water is very different from that of terrestrial mammals.In order to survive in this environment, they have had to acquire special characteristics during their evolution.

Water is a much denser environment than air and, in addition, offers greater resistance, so aquatic mammals have an extremely aerodynamic body that allows them to cope easily.Develop fins similar to those of fish has been a significant morphological change.It allows them to increase speed, direct swimming and communicate.

Water is a medium that absorbs much more heat than air, for This, the aquatic mammals have a thick layer of fat under a hard and robust skin , which keep them isolated from these heat losses.when they live in very cold areas of the planet.Some marine mammals have hair, because certain vital functions are carried out outside the water, such as reproduction.

Those marine mammals that, in certain periods of their lives, inhabit the great depths, have developed other organs to be able to live in the darkness, like the sonar .The sense of sight in these ecosystems is not subtle, because sunlight does not reach that depth.

Like all mammals, these aquatic animals have mammary glands that produce milk for their offspring, sweat glands and gestate on their progeny inside their body.

Breathing of aquatic mammals

Aquatic mammals need air to breathe .Therefore, they take large amounts of air and keep it inside their lungs for long periods of time, when they submerge after taking air, are able to redirect blood to the brain, heart and skeletal muscle.Their muscles have a large concentration of a protein called myoglobin , capable of accumulating large amounts of oxygen.

In this way, aquatic animals are able to remain considerable periods of time without taking air.The young and newborn babies do not have this capacity developed, so they will need to take air more times than the rest of the group.

Types of aquatic mammals

Most species of aquatic mammals live in the marine environment.There are three orders of aquatic mammals: cetacea, carnivora and sirenia.

Order cetacea

Inside of the cetacea order, the most representative species are whales, dolphins, sperm whales, killer whales and porpoises .The cetaceans evolved from a species of terrestrial carnivorous ungulate more than 50 million years ago.The cetacea order Divide into three suborders (one of them extinct):

Archaeoceti : predecessor terrestrial quadruped animals of the current (extinct) cetaceans.
Mysticeti : they are whales with beards.They are carnivorous animals without teeth that take large puffs of water, then filter it through their beards and with the tongue collect the trapped fish.
Odontoceti : Dolphins, killer whales, porpoises and zifios are included here.It is a very diverse group, although its main characteristic l is that they have teeth.In this group we can find the pink dolphin ( Inia geoffrensis ), a kind of mammal aquatic river.

Carnival order

In the carnival order, we include seals, sea lions and walruses , although they could also include to the sea otter and polar bears.This group of animals appeared about 15 million years ago and are believed to be closely related to mustelids and asses (bears).

Order sirenia

Elultimo order, sirenia, includes dugongs and manatees .These animals have evolved from the tetiteriums, animals very similar to the elephants that appeared about 66 million years ago.The dugongs inhabit Australia and, manatees, in Africa and America.

List of examples of aquatic mammals and their names

Cetacea order

Mysticeti:

Greenland Whale ( Balaena mysticetus )
Whale Southern right ( Eubalaena australis )
Glacial free whale ( Eubalaena glacialis )
Pacific free whale ( Eubalaena japonica )
Common Rorcual ( Balaenoptera physalus )
Rorcual sei or borealis (Balaenoptera borealis)
Rorcual de Bryde (Balaenoptera brydei)
Tropical whale (Balaenoptera edeni)
Great blue whale or blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Aliblanco, dwarf or common minke ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Rorcual austral or Antarctic minke (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)
Rorcual of Omura (Balaenoptera omurai)
Yubarta or humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae )
Gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus )
Pygmy whale ( Caperea marginata )

Odontoceti:

Tonina overa ( Cephalorhynchus commersonii )
Heaviside dolphin ( Cephalorhynchus heavisidii )
Coastal common dolphin ( Delphinus capensis )
Pygmy killer whale ( Feresa attenuata )
Calderon common ( Globicephala melas )
Risso's dolphin ( Grampus griseus )
Fraser dolphin ( Lagenodelphis hosei )
Atlantic dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus acutus )
Northern dolphin without fin ( Lissodelphis borealis )
Common killer whale ( Orcinus orca )
Hong Kong pink dolphin ( Sousa chinensis )
Delfin listed ( Stenella coeruleoalba )
Bottlenose or bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus )
Boto, Amazon dolphin, pink dolphin ( Inia geoffrensis )
Baiji, Chinese river dolphin ( Lipotes vexillifer )
Silver Dolphin ( Pontoporia blainvillei )
Beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas )
Narval ( Monodon monoceros )

Carnival order

Seal Mediterranean monk ( Monachus monachus )
Northern sea elephant ( Mirounga angustirostris )
Leopard seal ( Hydrurga leptonyx )
Common or harbor seal ( Phoca vitulina )
Australian and South African sea lion ( Arctocephalus pusillus )
Guadeloupe sea bear ( Arctophoca philippii townsendi )
Steller's sea lion ( Eumetopias jubatus )
California sea lion ( Zalophus californianus )
Sea otter ( Enhydra lutris )
Polar bear ( Ursus maritimus )

Sirenia order

Dugongo ( Dugong dugon )
Caribbean Manati ( Trichechus manatus )
Amazonian Manati ( Trichechus inunguis )
African Manati ( Trichechus senegalensis )

If you want to read more articles similar to Aquatic mammals-Features and examples , we recommend that you enter our Curiosity section It's from the animal world.

References

https://basicbiology.net/animal/mammals/marine

Bibliography

Irving, L.1973.Comparative Physiology of Thermoregulation.ACADEMIC PRESS, INC.2: 47-96.

Kramer, DL1988.The behavioral ecology of air breathing by aquatic animals.Canadian Journal of Zoology, 66 (1 ): 89-94.

Comments

My lovebird has diarrhea - Causes and treatment

Lovebird has become one of the most frequently birds they find in our homes.Their color, their beauty, and that nickname of "inseparable" that we like so much, makes them as appreciated as the canaries were once. But the arrival of any bird, exotic or not , puts us in front of new situations that sometimes we are not accustomed to face.Animals and Pets Online will try to help distinguish pathological situations from those that are not, and to handle us in the event that our lovebird has diarrhea , In the following article we explain the possible causes that cause it . It is not always diarrhea, even if it seems We may notice that there are more liquid stools than usual in our lovebird on the floor of the cage and identify it as diarrhea, even if it is not. Evacuations Sewers in birds are made up of a greenish part (they can vary in color if they take feed, they are real feces), a white part (urates, mineral salts), and a liquid part (urine).Everything goes out...

Frugivoros Animals - Characteristics and +20 Examples

Frugivorous animals are those that base their diet on the consumption of fruits , or much of what they consume is made up of this type of food.In the animal kingdom, many species are frugivorous, from insects to large mammals. The plants that produce fruits are the angiosperms .In this group, the flowers of the female plants or the female parts of a hermaphrodite plant have an ovary with several ovules that, when fertilized by a sperm, thickens and changes color, acquiring very attractive nutritional qualities for animals. 20% of the known species of Mammals are frugivorous animals, so this type of diet is very significant and important among animals. At first glance, frugivorous animals do not seem to possess distinctive features of animals not frugivoros, even less if they are omnivorous animals that, although they can be feed on many products, its main food is fruit. The main qualities appear along the digestive tract , starting with the mouth or beak.In mammals or o...

Malt for cats - Different uses and how often to offer it

Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours grooming.lick ingest a lot of hair.If you live with a cat, you've sure seen it seen coughing and even vomiting hairballs. That's when some people turn to cat malt , a very useful product of natural origin that improves digestion and intestinal transit of our cat. Discover in Animals and Pets Online everything related to malt for cats, including the necessary doses, at what age It should be offered or information about vomiting.All the benefits of this product below: What is malt? Cat malt is a paste of color similar to honey and denser texture .It consists of vegetable oils and fats, malt extract, fiber, dairy products and yeast mainly.It also often contains dyes, preservatives and vitamins. There are numerous brands in the market with different formats.The most frequent is in the form of a tube of toothpaste.The composition varies slightly according to the brand but the basis is malt extract.Some cats show a prefe...

Why do cats like the sun?

If the felines look for sources of heat in every corner of the house or outdoors, it will be for something, and if this action brings them something good, better than better, so we will explain what they are next the benefits of sunbathing for cats: Balances their body temperature Cats are domesticated felines that if they were wild, they would sleep and rest for the day and hunt their prey during the night.When having them as pets, this rhythm of life no longer corresponds to them but even so, they usually spend most of the daytime hours recovering their strength and sleeping in some warm place where, if possible, they directly hit the sun's rays.And why is this? As the body temperature of cats, like that of all mammals, decreases while sleeping because being still and relaxed, your body does not burn any energy and caloric expenditure decreases, so they seek to compensate for that temperature difference and prefer to sleep in hot areas or those that directly give them the ...

Why do black cats are associated with bad luck?

Cats are animals that have experienced a boom tremendous in terms of entering homes as a pet, more and more people are decided by this friendly feline that is gradually gaining our trust based on being an animal that needs little care and in return provide us with great times fun and even fascination. However, in the street things change, especially with black cats, who suffer from the historical stigma of being considered a symbol or augury that is accompanied by bad luck in case of to cross with him.For some time now the origin of this popular belief that in Animal Expert we will try to shed some light on the cause associated with this belief of because black cats are associated with bad luck and also for you to understand that it's just a mit or. Origins of the myth of bad luck caused by black cats It is necessary to go back enough to find the first town that began to put firewood to ignite the myth. In the Iberian Peninsula were the Celts the first that associated the ...

Is it normal for my kitty to cry a lot?

You can be calm, since in most cases it is normal for a cat puppy to cry frequently, however, if we have correctly prepared the arrival of the kitten home, it should not Being so traumatic for him and the emotional state of sadness should be sent soon. But how can it be normal for a kitten to show up like this? Although you know that you are going to offer him all the affection, food and affection, the main problem is that your cat still does not know any of your intentions , nor does he know his new environment nor is he able to understand what is happening. If you want to understand why your kitten cries you should be aware that he has been separated from his mother and his litter , and although he has waited long enough for that you can receive breast milk and primary education from your mother, your pet faces what is initially a completely strange situation . He is going through an experience very hard, practically traumatic, that if not managed correctly can lead to be...

Types of canaries and their names

How many races of canaries are there? At present, more than 30 types of canaries are known , this being the most abundant species of domestic bird in the world with parakeets, although there are many classifications possible, the canary breeds are usually divided into three large groups: Singing canaries : here, we find the most coveted breeds in canariculture, thanks to their incredible ability to learn and play melodies complex and a great variety of sounds.In the next sections we will see the main races of singing canaries. Canaries by color : this, perhaps, is the most basic classification of canaries, based on the color of their feathers.It is divided into subgroups according to the predominant pigments in its plumage, the lipochromic canaries (shades of dominant and recessive white, yellow and red) and the melancholic canaries (colors black, agate, green, bromine, isabela, brown and tona corrugated qualities). The position or position canaries : also called a design or...

5 homemade cat toys

Cats love the game and it's understandable.This is an essential activity for their well-being , since it inhibits acute and chronic stress.Cats begin to play around two weeks of age, first to hunt shadows, thus learning to coordinate. Behaviors of game are very important for a cat, especially if he lives alone (without the presence of other cats).The owner must stimulate this behavior so essential, always through toys, and avoiding hands. In this article of ExpertAnimal we have compiled several crafts from our YouTube channel: 5 jug Homemade toys for cats-Easy, cheap and recycled .If you are looking for cheap DIY options you have come to the right place! 1.Toy and DIY cat food dispenser The first toy we propose is a food dispenser, commercially known as kong.It is a toy that stimulates your intelligence and physical activity and is especially positive for cats with anxiety or stress.do it on our YouTube video about 3 toys for homemade cats or follow the instructions: ...

How are dogs born? - Explanation and Birth

One aspect of dog care that more doubts and expectations arouse is the one related to their birth.That is why in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain how dogs are born for information, both to know the reproduction of dogs and to know what to do in case of adopting a pregnant dog.Yes, it is important that, as caregivers, we have knowledge about pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, since they are especially sensitive situations in which it is important to know how to identify any alteration to consult to the veterinarian in time. And if you do not live with dogs but, equally, you are interested in knowing more about this animal species, then we talk about how dogs are born and we make a summary suitable for all audiences. Reproduction of the dogs Before stopping to explain how dogs are born, it is important to talk about the reproductive system of these animals.So, the reproduction of dogs is sexual, by copulation.To do this, bitches present two fertile ...

Feline urological syndrome or SUF

The cat's urinary system has a mission, the waste disposal , and those directly responsible for carrying it out are the kidneys, the bladder, the ureters and the urethra.In this way, we see how urine does not play a minor role for the survival of our feline, as in us It must expel the waste substances and toxic components that come from the metabolism and can be deposited in the bloodstream.Through the same urine the urea is eliminated, hence the origin of the name of this pathology, as well as creatinine, calcium and oxalate.Therefore, it regulates the amount of water and minerals excreted. When the functioning of the urinary system is not adequate, cats can suffer from different diseases.That is why, from Animals and Pets Online we want to talk about Symptoms and treatment of feline urological syndrome (SUF). What is the SUF? In Spanish-speaking countries it is known as SUF or feline urological syndrome , while the common name in English is FUS.We will define it primari...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog