Mammals

Remember practicing the stop, drop and roll drill in school? If you were an armadillo, rolling up into a tight little ball would be second nature. But how do these armored creatures tuck every last square inch of themselves into a sphere? And why?

By Cristen Conger

Whether you're sleeping on a water bed or napping during a rainstorm, water has a calming effect. Walruses also make use of soothing waves, but why don't they drown when catching submerged shut-eye?

By Jennifer Horton

Those of us who wear glasses will just stew in our own astigmatic juices if we're called "four eyes." Nearsighted rhinos, however, use their pointy horns for payback.

By Jennifer Horton

A hippo doesn't need to lumber to the local drug store and buy sunscreen; it can make its own. And the method is pretty ingenious.

By Jennifer Horton

Porcupines know nothing of bad hair days. These walking pin cushions use their prickly "hairs" to impale any animal that may pose a threat to their well-being.

By Cristen Conger

If your home has termites and the exterminator is booked, you might want to send in an anteater or aardvark. Though both these animals love insects, they're two totally different species.

By Cristen Conger

Perhaps just as puzzling as the Rubik's Cube (though not as colorful), the purpose of wombat scat's geometrical shape seems mysterious. So what's the scoop on wombat poop?

By Cristen Conger

Ever since word spread about the seven deadly sins, sloths have been getting a bad rap. These sluggish tree-dwellers conserve energy by stopping to smell (and eat) the roses.

By Cristen Conger

If you've been sprayed by a skunk, you probably ended up in a bathtub filled with tomato juice. But is there any truth to this treatment, or should we debunk the skunk?

By Jennifer Horton

As issues like drought make headlines, the topic of water conservation has become critical. Perhaps we should look to the camel for guidance as this desert-dweller saves every last drop.

By Cristen Conger

If Mother Nature has a sense of humor, surely the platypus is one of her punch lines. This mammal might look funny, but one of its offensive adaptations is no laughing matter.

By Cristen Conger

Storybook villains always seem to have warts. These unsightly growths may be indicators of wickedness in the fairy-tale world, but they're crucial features for some hogs living in the animal kingdom.

By Jennifer Horton

With their built-in masks and ability to snatch food, it seems raccoons were meant for a life of crime. But do these thieves wash away the evidence by rinsing food in water?

By Cristen Conger

Mammals are a ubiquitous and diverse class of animals. Learn all about mammals, including hippopotamuses, killer whales, sugar gliders and more, by viewing this mammal image gallery.

By Marie Bobel

If the animal world were school, otters would be those kids who never leave the playground. Always begging for five more minutes of recess, otters take playtime very seriously.

By Cristen Conger

Prairie dogs may look cute and cuddly, but are these rodents harbingers of deathly plague? Since there aren't any underground pharmacies in prairie dog towns, will disease wipe out these animals?

By Cristen Conger

Besides our genetic similarities, gorillas also share our love of getting a good night's sleep -- except that their alarm clocks come in the form of dangerous predators and poachers.

By Cristen Conger

If Bullwinkle had made the move up north, he would have felt right at home. Though moose in Alaska don't have squirrel sidekicks, they do take advantage of their urban surroundings.

By Jennifer Horton

Marsupials are mammals that commonly bear a pouch such as kangaroos and koalas. Did you know that two thirds of marsupial species are found in Australia? Find out more by viewing this marsupial image gallery.

By Marie Bobel

If you don't make it past that first "E" during your annual vision test, you might give bats a reprieve by calling yourself "blind as a manatee."

By Cristen Conger

Orangutans might be the most low-key of the world's apes, but that doesn't mean they don't like to socialize. So are these redheads miscast as loners, or are orangutans introverts?

By Jennifer Horton

If you come across a cougar, you might scream in fear. So if this predator could easily devour you, why might it harmonize your screech with its own tone-deaf shriek?

By Cristen Conger

Their genetic similarity to humans makes chimps great subjects for medical research. But some countries are banning this research because these apelike similarities are a little too close for comfort.

By Cristen Conger

With powerful jaws, massive paws and piercing claws, the leopard is built for hunting. But how can this cat possibly take down animals three times its size?

By Cristen Conger

Avoiding eye contact is a form of body language (and a sign you're probably lying). Gazelles might not use body language to lie, but they do rely on it to survive.

By Jennifer Horton