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Many small mammals have a short livespan and high fertility rate, resulting in a comparatively high variability in genetic composition. Their size leads to a reduced energy need for movement, but a high energy requirement for maintaining body temperature. This results in a high rate of food intake, using a wide range food sources.
Various carnivorans, with feliforms to the left, and caniforms to the right. Carnivora is an order of placental mammals that have specialized in primarily eating flesh. Members of this order are called carnivorans, or colloquially carnivores, though the term more properly refers to any meat-eating organisms, and some carnivoran species are omnivores or herbivores.
Most mongooses are 30–60 cm (12–24 in) long, plus a 20–40 cm (8–16 in) tail, though the Ethiopian dwarf mongoose can be as small as 18 cm (7 in) plus a 12 cm (5 in) tail, and the white-tailed mongoose can be up to 104 cm (41 in) plus a 47 cm (14 in) tail.
Hyraxes (from Ancient Greek ὕραξ hýrax 'shrew-mouse'), also called dassies, [1] [2] are small, stout, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. [3] Modern hyraxes are typically between 30 and 70 cm (12 and 28 in) in length and weigh between 2 and 5 kg (4 and 11 lb).
Since small mammals have a high ratio of heat-losing surface area to heat-generating volume, they tend to have high energy requirements and a high metabolic rate. Mammals that weigh less than about 18 ounces (510 g; 1.1 lb) are mostly insectivorous because they cannot tolerate the slow, complex digestive process of an herbivore.
There are currently 1,258 genera, 161 families, 27 orders, and around 5,937 recognized living species of mammal. [1] Mammalian taxonomy is in constant flux as many new species are described and recategorized within their respective genera and families.
Diet: Small mammals and rodents, as well as birds and other small animals [77] LC ...
Six extant mustelid genera left-to-right, top-to-bottom: Martes, Meles, Lutra, Gulo, Mustela, and Mellivora Mustelidae is a family of mammals in the order Carnivora, which includes weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks, and wolverines, and many other extant and extinct genera.