Catalog Number:
67936
Object/Specimen Description:

Antler(s)

Specimen Count:
1
Upper Level Taxonomy:
Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Tetrapoda, Mammalia, Eutheria, Artiodactyla, Cervidae, Cervinae

Mammals are able to make enough internal body heat to keep their bodies at a relatively constant, high temperature. Endothermy (endo= inside; thermic= heat) makes mammals less dependent on outside temperatures, freeing them to be active in a wide range of conditions. Mammals may be active at night (nocturnal) or in the day (diurnal), in climates as extreme as the cold poles or the hot tropics. Adaptations to warm up or cool off, such as shivering and sweating, allow mammals to maintain their preferred body temperatures in the face of these extremes. Mammals also regulate body temperature with behavior: elephants flapping ears to cool off, humans wearing coats to warm up, dogs panting to cool down. The hairs making up mammal fur are raised or lowered to provide more or less insulation as needed.