The New Childrens Encyclopedia

The blue whale is the

largest living animal

on Earth. Its voice carries

up to 500 miles (800 km)

through the ocean.

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

O

Length 4½ ft

(1.35 m)

Over short distances, a cheetah can sprint at up to 60 mph

(95 km/h) in pursuit of prey, making it the fastest mammal.

Three-toed sloth

Bradypus variegatus

O

Length 2 ft (60 cm)

Sloths are the slowest

mammals, averaging

0.1 mph (0.16 km/h)

when moving among

trees. They often remain

motionless for hours.

Bactrian camel

Camelus bactrianus

O

Height 7½ ft (2.3 m)

Camels are the

biggest drinkers.

Bactrians can drink

120 pints (57 liters)

in one session.

Striped skunk

Mephitis mephitis

O

Length

2¼ ft

(68 cm)

The stinking spray from a skunk

is used as a defense against

predators—and makes it the

smelliest mammal.

Sea otter
Enhydra lutris
O

Length 4¼ ft (1.3 m)

With 800,000 hairs per square inch (125,000
hairs per cm^2 ), sea otter fur is waterproof,
warm, and the densest fur of any mammal.

Scimitar-

horned oryx

Oryx dammah

O

Length 5½ ft

(1.7 m)

These antelope

have been hunted to

extinction in the wild,

making them among

the rarest mammals.

Gray whale
Eschrichtius robustus
O

Length Up to 50 ft (15 m)

Gray whales make the longest

migration: an annual round-trip

of 12,500 miles (20,000 km)

from the Arctic to breeding

grounds off Mexico.

Rhinos have the thickest

skin, which acts as armor.

In vulnerable places like

the shoulders it can be

almost 2 in (5 cm) thick.

White rhinoceros

Ceratotherium simum

O

Length 14 ft (4 m)

74 40

15

14

26 6 12

40

LIVING WORLD

MAMMAL RECORD BREAKERS

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