MAMMALS

Mammals come in all shapes and sizes, and can be found all over the earth and come in all shapes and sizes. There are around 5500 species of mammals in all. You are a mammal, all of your friends are mammals and so is your dog. All mammals are warm-blooded and have either hair or fur on their bodies. The majority of all mammals give birth to live young, but there are a few species of mammals that lay eggs. The Triassic period, 220 million years ago, was the age that the first mammals can be found.

During the Triassic period, about 220 million years ago, the first Mammal species were roaming the Earth. These mammal ancestors were preceded by a group called the 'synapsids'. There were three distinct groups of creatures prior to the Triassic period, of which 'synapsid' is one. The others are 'diapsids' and 'anapsids'. The terminology makes reference to the holes on their skulls where the jaw muscles attach. 'Synapsids' (mammals) have one hole on either side, 'diapsids' (dinosaurs, reptiles, birds) have two holes on either side, and 'anapsids' (turtles) have none.

Mammal Classification list

- Subclass/Order Monotremata: egg-laying mammals
- Order Monotremata: echidnas and platypus
- Subclass Marsupialia: marsupials
- Order Didelphimorphia: New World opossums
- Order Paucituberculata: shrew opossums
- Order Microbiotheria: Monito del Monte
- Order Dasyuromorphia: marsupial carnivores
- Order Notoryctemorphia: marsupial mole
- Order Peramelemorphia: bandicoots and bilbies
- Order Diprotodontia: koalas, wombats, kangaroos
- Subclass Placentalia
- Order Xenarthra: sloths, anteaters, armadillos
- Superorder Glires
- Order Rodentia: rodents
- Order Lagomorpha: rabbits, hares
- Superorder Euarchonta:
- Order Primates: primates
- Order Scandentia: treeshrews
- Order Dermoptera: colugos
- Order Insectivora: shrews, tenrecs, moles
- Order Chiroptera: bats
- Order Carnivora: dogs, cats, weasels, seals
- Order Pholidota: pangolins
- Superorder Ungulata: ungulates
- Order Tubulidentata: aardvark
- Order Macroscelidea: elephant shrews
- Order Hyracoidea: hyraxes
- Order Proboscidea: elephants
- Order Sirenia: manatees, dugong
- Order Perissodactyla: horses, rhinos
- Order Artiodactyla: even-toed ungul
- Order Cetacea: whales

From Learn Animals! http://www.learnanimals.com/mammals.php

WORLD THROUGH A LENS

ALPILLES

CLAM STEW: THE FOSSILS OF SOOKE

Sunshine, salt air, the bark of seals and fossils await for those lucky enough to beach comb the sandstones of Sooke on Vancouver Islands' southwestern edge.

Friends had the chance to collect there recently and found a number these lovely marine fossils near the exposure at Muir Creek.

Here you can see a budding paleontologist, holding some of his finds - blocks of late Oligocene, 20-25 million year old, sandstone full of small gastropods, bivalves and barnacle bits of the Sooke Formation.

By the late Oligocene ocean temperatures had cooled to near modern levels and the taxa preserved as fossils bear a strong resemblance to those found living beneath the Strait of Juan de Fuca today. Mammal material, echinoids, coral, chitin and limpets are also found here.

The largely intertidal assemblage of fossil species tell us that the formation was layed down near shore and the thickly strewn layers we see as blocks and in the nearby cliffs suggest that they may have been deposited along a strand line.

TY COLLWYN WATERFRONT RETREAT

If you are looking for a great place to stay, try the Ty Collwyn Waterfront Retreat, a fabulous B&B nestled on Sooke Harbour.

Ty Collwyn Waterfront Retreat offers private, oceanfront, two bedroom cottages within walking distance from the heart of Sooke, on Vancouver Island. We are located just forty minutes west of Victoria; the capital city of British Columbia, Canada.

Each cottage has an ocean view of Sooke Harbour and the Juan de Fuca Strait, private deck and hot tub. Yes, something like heaven!

The grounds include a heated indoor pool, coin-operated laundry facilities, private dock, and waterfront with a fire pit, all surrounded by lush trees and an acre of grass area.

When you are not relaxing and enjoying your oceanfront view, take advantage of all that Sooke has to offer. Enjoy a scenic drive to our beautiful West Coast beaches, visit the Sooke Potholes, catch a wave surfing, go ocean kayaking, try a fishing charter, check out the Sooke Museum, walk along the wonderful Whiffin Spit, or travel any of the region's hiking trails on foot, rollerblade, or bicycle.

Later, you can dine at the world renowned Sooke Harbour House Restaurant, famous Mom's Café, or create your own barbeque feast right on your deck.

Visit www.stayinsooke.com or email: info@sayinsooke.com