Mammals fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are mammals?

Mammals are vertebrate animals, which means they have a backbone. They belong to a group of animals called Mammalia and are related to other vertebrates such as birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Mammals have fur or hair at some stage of their lives. Female mammals produce milk to feed their young. Most mammals give birth to live young, although monotremes such as echidnas and platypuses lay eggs.

Mammals can be found in many places around Sydney, including bushland, wetlands, parks, gardens, creeks, rivers and school grounds. Around Field of Mars Reserve and nearby Lane Cove National Park, students may see mammals such as swamp wallabies, brushtail possums, ringtail possums, grey-headed flying foxes, microbats, rakali and short-beaked echidnas.

Short-beaked echidnas are egg-laying mammals that use strong claws and a long sticky tongue to feed on ants and termites.

Common ringtail possums are nocturnal marsupials that climb through trees in gardens, parks and bushland.

How do you know it is a mammal?

Mammals have fur or hair at some stage of their lives. Fur helps many mammals stay warm, protect their skin or blend into their environment.

Female mammals produce milk for their young. Young mammals may be born live, hatch from eggs or continue growing in a pouch, depending on the group they belong to.

Most mammals are warm-blooded, breathe air with lungs and care for their young. Bats are mammals even though they have wings. Whales and dolphins are mammals even though they live in water.

Different mammals have different body parts for survival. Echidnas have strong claws for digging. Possums have gripping feet for climbing. Flying foxes have wings for flight. Rakali have partly webbed feet for swimming.

Swamp wallabies use strong back legs and a long tail to move through dense bushland.

Mammal groups

Monotremes

Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs. Echidnas and platypuses are the only living monotremes.

Short-beaked echidnas may be found in bushland, parks and reserves around Sydney. They use their strong claws to dig into soil, logs and termite nests. Their long sticky tongue helps them collect ants and termites.

Echidnas are monotremes, which means they are mammals that lay eggs.

Marsupials

Marsupials give birth to tiny young that continue growing while attached to a teat. Many marsupials carry their young in a pouch.

Swamp wallabies, brushtail possums, ringtail possums, sugar gliders and antechinuses are marsupials that may live in or near Sydney bushland. Many are nocturnal and use trees, hollows, shrubs, logs or dense vegetation for shelter.

Swamp wallabies are marsupials. Their young continue growing while feeding on milk from their mother.

Flying mammals

Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly. Their wings are made of skin stretched between long finger bones.

Grey-headed flying foxes are large fruit bats that feed on nectar, pollen and fruit. Microbats are much smaller and often hunt insects at night using echolocation. Both groups are important parts of Sydney ecosystems.

Grey-headed flying foxes feed on nectar, pollen and fruit and help pollinate native trees.

Aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals

Some mammals live in or near water. Rakali, also called water rats, are native Australian mammals that live around creeks, rivers, wetlands and estuaries.

Rakali are strong swimmers. They have partly webbed feet, dense fur and sharp teeth for catching prey such as fish, insects, crustaceans and other small animals.

Rakali are native mammals that swim, dive and hunt in creeks, rivers, wetlands and estuaries.

What is the life cycle of mammals?

Most mammals give birth to live young. Young mammals feed on milk from their mother while they grow.

Marsupials such as wallabies and possums give birth to very small young. The young crawl to the pouch or teat and continue growing while drinking milk. Monotremes such as echidnas hatch from eggs, then drink milk from their mother.

As young mammals grow, they learn to move, feed, find shelter and avoid danger. Some mammals stay with their parents for a long time, while others become independent more quickly.

Marsupial young, such as wallaby joeys, continue growing while feeding on milk from their mother.

What adaptations do mammals have to help them survive?

Mammals have many adaptations. Fur helps with warmth, protection and camouflage. Teeth help mammals cut, grind, tear or crush different kinds of food. Claws help mammals climb, dig, grip or catch prey.

Different mammals have different senses and behaviours. Microbats use echolocation to hunt insects in the dark. Possums use strong feet and tails to climb through trees. Echidnas use their snout and tongue to find ants and termites. Rakali use partly webbed feet and dense fur to hunt in water.

Many Australian mammals are nocturnal. Being active at night can help them avoid heat, find food and reduce the chance of being seen by predators.

Kangaroos and wallabies have fur for warmth and camouflage, and strong legs for moving through open and bushland habitats.

Why are mammals important?

Mammals help ecosystems by pollinating flowers, spreading seeds, digging soil and controlling animal populations.

They are also food for other animals, including reptiles, birds and larger mammals. Without mammals, many food webs would not work properly.

Mammals can also tell us about the health of an environment. Changes in mammal numbers or diversity may show that habitat, food supply or shelter is changing.

Flying foxes help pollinate native plants as they feed on nectar and move between trees.

How can you help mammals?

You can help mammals by protecting habitat. Leave trees, shrubs, grasses, leaf litter, logs and hollows where it is safe to do so. These places provide food, shelter and nesting sites for many species.

Plant local native plants to provide nectar, fruit, seeds, insects and shelter across the year. A mix of trees, shrubs, grasses and groundcovers supports more mammals than a simple lawn.

Keep cats contained, especially at night. Dogs should be kept on leads in bushland and away from wildlife.

Avoid feeding wild mammals. Human food can make animals sick and can change their natural behaviour.

Place rubbish in bins, reduce pesticide use and drive carefully near bushland, especially at dawn, dusk and night when many mammals are active.

Protecting trees, hollows, native plants and night-time habitat helps support mammals in reserves and urban areas.

Explore more

Use the fact sheet links on this page to learn more about mammals and other animals found in bushland, gardens, wetlands and school grounds.

You can also compare mammals with other vertebrate groups such as birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Learn with us