Select the one animal that has all of the mammal traits listed above.
Peregrine falcons are the fastest animals in the world! They use their wings to fly quickly and hunt prey. Peregrine falcons also have a beak and feathers. They hatch from eggs with speckled or spotted shells. Western gorillas have black, gray, or brown fur. Adult males are sometimes called silverbacks because they have often have gray fur on their backs. Female western gorillas feed their offspring milk.
Mammals are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify mammals:
They feed their offspring milk.
They have fur or hair. Observe the animals and read the descriptions.
Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group.
To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Mammals have the following traits:
They feed their offspring milk.
They have fur or hair.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A peregrine falcon has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
A peregrine falcon does not have all of the traits of a mammal. A peregrine falcon is a bird.
A western gorilla has the following traits:
It feeds its offspring milk.
It has fur.
A western gorilla has the traits of a mammal. A western gorilla is a mammal.