The document provides information on several different mammal species, including lions, tigers, bears, elephants, deer, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, giraffes, foxes, wolves, and gray wolves. It describes key characteristics of each species such as physical features, habitat, diet, behaviors, population status, and taxonomy. The document also contains brief summaries of the taxonomic classifications and evolutionary histories of different mammal groups.

3. The lion (Panthera Leo) is one of the five big cats in
the genus Panthera and a member of the family Felidae. The commonly
used term African lion collectively denotes the several subspecies found in
Africa. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight, it is the
second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in sub-
Saharan Africa and in Asia (where an endangered remnant population
resides in Gir Forest National Park in India) while other types of lions
have disappeared from North Africa and Southwest Asia in historic times.
Until the late Pleistocene, about 10,000 years ago, the lion was the most
widespread large land mammal after humans. They were found in most of
Africa, across Eurasia from western Europe to India, and in the Americas
from the Yukon to Peru. The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a
major population decline in its African range of 30–50% per two decades
during the second half of the 20th century. Lion populations are
untenable outside designated reserves and national parks. Although the
cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with
humans are currently the greatest causes of concern. Within Africa,
the West African lion population is particularly endangered.

4. The tiger (Panthera Tigris) is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to 3.38 m
(11.1 ft) over curves and exceptionally weighing up to 388.7 kg (857 lb) in the wild. Its most
recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with a lighter
underside. The species is classified in the genus Panthera with the lion, leopard, jaguar and snow
leopard. Tigers are apex predators, primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and bovid. They
are territorial and generally solitary but social animals, often requiring large contiguous areas of
habitat that support their prey requirements. This, coupled with the fact that they are indigenous
to some of the more densely populated places on Earth, has caused significant conflicts with
humans. There are 10 recognized tiger subspecies

5. Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike
carnivores, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although only eight species of
bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout
the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bears are found on
the continents of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
Common characteristics of modern bears include large bodies with stocky legs, long snouts,
shaggy hair, plant grade paws with five no retractile claws, and short tails. While the polar
bear is mostly carnivorous, and the giant panda
feeds almost entirely on bamboo, the remaining
six species are omnivorous with varied diets

6. Elephants are large mammals of the
family Elephantidae and the order Proboscides. Two
species are traditionally recognized, the African
elephant (Loxodonta Africana) and the Asian
elephant (Elephas maximus), although some evidence
suggests that African bush elephants and African forest
elephants are separate species
(L. Africana and L. cyclotis respectively). Elephants are
scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia,
and Southeast Asia. Male African elephants are the
largest extant terrestrial animals and can reach a height
of 4 m (13 ft) and weigh 7,000 kg (15,000 lb). All
elephants have several distinctive features the most
notable of which is a long trunk or proboscis, used for
many purposes, particularly breathing, lifting water and
grasping objects. Their incisors grow into tusks, which
can serve as weapons and as tools for moving objects
and digging. Elephants' large ear flaps help to control
their body temperature. Their pillar-like legs can carry
their great weight. African elephants have larger ears and
concave backs while Asian elephants have smaller ears
and convex or level backs.

7. Deer (singular and plural) are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae.
Species in the family include the white-tailed deer, mule deer (such as the black-
tailed deer), elk, moose, red deer, reindeer (caribou), fallow deer, roe
deer, pudú and chital. Male deer of all species (except the Chinese water deer) and
female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year. In this they differ from
permanently horned animals, such as antelope, which are in the same order as
deer and may bear a superficial resemblance to them.
The musk deer of Asia and water
chevrotain (or mouse deer) of tropical
African and Asian forests are not usually
regarded as true deer and form their own
families: Moschidae and Tragulidae,
respectively.

8. The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus
amphibius), or hippo, is a large,
mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa,
and one of only two extant species in
the family Hippopotamidae, the other being
the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or
Hexaprotodon liberiensis). The name comes from
the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος).
After the elephant and rhinoceros, the common
hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land
mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyls.
Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and
other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest
living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are
cetaceans (whales, porpoises, etc.) from which
they diverged about 55 million years ago. The
common ancestor of whales and hippos split
from other even-toed ungulates
around 60 million years ago. The earliest known
hippopotamus fossils, belonging to the genus
Kenyapotamus in Africa, date to
around 16 million years ago.

9. Rhinoceros , often abbreviated as rhino, is a
group of five extant species of odd-toed
ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae.
Two of these species are native
to Africa and three to Southern Asia.
Members of the rhinoceros family are
characterized by their large size (they are
some of the largest remaining mega fauna,
with all of the species able to reach
one tonne or more in weight); as well as by
an herbivorous diet; a thick protective skin,
1.5–5 cm thick, formed from layers
of collagen positioned in a lattice structure;
relatively small brains for mammals this size
(400–600 g); and a large horn. They
generally eat leafy material, although their
ability to ferment food in
their hindgut allows them to subsist on
more fibrous plant matter, if necessary.

10. The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal,
the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its species name refers to
its camel-like shape and its leopard-like colouring. Its chief distinguishing characteristics are
its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It is
classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. The nine
subspecies are distinguished by their coat patterns.
The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar
appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by
the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Least Concern, but has
been extirpated from many parts of its former range, and some subspecies are classified
as Endangered. Nevertheless, giraffes are still found in numerous national parks and game
reserves.

11. Foxes are small to medium sized
omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of
the Canidae family. Foxes are slightly smaller than a medium-
size domestic dog, with a flattened skull, upright triangular
ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long
bushy tail (or brush).
The word fox comes from Old English, which derived
from Proto-Germanic *fuhsaz. This in turn derives from Proto-
Indo-European *puḱ- ‘thick-haired; tail’. Male foxes are known
as dogs, tods or reynards, females as vixens, and young as
cubs, pups, or kits. A group of foxes is referred to as a skulk,
leash, or earth.

12. The gray wolf or grey wolf (Canis lupus)
also known as the timber wolf or western
wolf, is a canid native to the wilderness and
remote areas of North
America and Eurasia. It is the
largest extant member of its family, with
males averaging 43–45 kg (95–99 lb), and
females 36–38.5 kg (79–85 lb). Like the red
wolf, it is distinguished from
other Canis species by its larger size and
less pointed features, particularly on the
ears and muzzle. Its winter fur is long and
bushy, and predominantly a mottled gray in
color, although nearly pure white, red, or
brown to black also occur. As of
2005, 37 subspecies of C. lupus are
recognized by MSW3. The nominate
subspecies is the Eurasian wolf (Canis
lupus), also known as the common wolf.

13. The basic fundamental features such as level of
organization, symmetry, cell organization, coelom,
segmentation, notochord, etc., have enabled us to
broadly classify the animal kingdom. Besides the
fundamental features, there are many other distinctive
characters which are specific for each phyla or class.
A small part is explained here. The rest will be discussed some other time.
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