Mammal Classification Table

Taxonomy Page and Mammals Chart

Taxonomy is the scientific method of naming every animal – but as you learn more and more about animals, you will see that taxonomy is more of an art than a science. There are pouched animals without pouches, insect eaters that eat meat, meat-eaters that eat insects and plants, and on and on. So it is necessary to understand that taxonomy is primarily just a method of singling out each animal so that when biologists talk to each other they know precisely which animal they are talking about.

It should also be noted that there isn’t even solid agreement on which species belong in which orders. You will notice as you read through the various pages of orders that the number of species making up an order may be separately listed as two quite different numbers. Since these numbers have come from separate sources, it seems proper to allow each number to be mentioned despite the confusion this may create. A little confusion is probably a good thing to learn to accept when it comes to classifying animals.

These taxonomical names are usually not the popular names that we are familiar with, because the biological names are always in Latin. Many newly discovered invertebrates are still being named daily – especially among the insects. Except for a new rodent or a new bat every year or so, however, virtually all the mammals have been identified and named. A species is defined as the natural grouping of animals of common ancestry, a reasonably close physical resemblance, and which in nature interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Among mammals a species may be confined to living in a single valley or on a single mountain; and then again a species may range throughout a continent or, indeed, over virtually the entire world.

The biological name given to each species is in Latin, because that was decided by scientists a long time ago when Latin was a more popular language, and it simply makes no sense to change that system now. No matter what language a biologist speaks, if he or she discovers a new animal, and therefore earns the right to name that animal, that name will be in Latin. Usually, the biologist names the animal after a physical trait or habit of the animal, but there are no rules to naming. Many animals are named after the scientist himself, or the scientist’s son, daughter or friend.

The name of a species consists of two words, almost like one’s surname plus the given name. The first name denotes the genus and is capitalized, and it organizes various similar species into a larger grouping. The second name denotes the particular species, and it is not capitalized.

The relationships among various species are shown by grouping them into genera (the plural form of the word “genus”), which are grouped into a family, and related families are grouped into an order, and the orders are grouped into a class. There are 20 orders of mammals recognized today (although that number may also change), each of which will have its own page.

Subdivisions are often used to further separate and/or group the relationships of animals. And geographical variants may cause a subspecies to be named, which may be commonly known as “breeds” or “races.” Below is an example of classification from “class” all the way down to “species” of a common animal we all know. The individual Latin words will be translated as far as possible so that you will be able to see how these names organize animals from the general to the specific.

As an example, the wolf is classified as:

Class: Mammalia
- Subclass: Theria
  Infraclass: Eutheria
  Order: Carnivora
  Family: Canidae
  Genus: Canis
  Species: lupus

Below you will find the 20 orders of mammals as well as a list of the animals that belong in each order. Each animal will have a link to the order page in which that animal is categorized.