Natural Life: Animals (Mammals - Part 1)

Author: Jiang Tao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: Natural Creatures—Animals exhibit a myriad of diverse appearances. Some are majestic and agile, while others are petite and delicate; some are endearingly clumsy, while others are clever and intelligent; some are graceful, while others are sturdy and robust. It is precisely because of the existence of natural creatures—animals that our planet is vibrant and colorful, thriving in their respective ecosystems. However, due to the intensification and expansion of human development activities, forests are being cut down, rivers are being blocked, wetlands are being drained, and grasslands are being cultivated. This destructive human intervention has led to abrupt environmental changes, causing many animals that rely on each other to lose their habitats—ecological environments. Additionally, many animals fall victim to human hunting for their "leather, fur, meat, and medicinal organs," posing a severe threat to the survival of natural creatures—animals. The primary purpose of compiling the China Rare Animals Series is to call on people to show love to natural creatures—animals, to jointly protect the Earth, nature, and our friends—animals, allowing every natural creature to thrive and multiply endlessly on Earth.
Mammals are animals that nurse their young with milk. They represent the most highly evolved and physiologically perfect group in the animal kingdom. Mammals generally have fur on their bodies, which helps them maintain body temperature under any environmental conditions. Therefore, they are also classified as homeothermic animals. The China Rare Animals Series introduces China's first- and second-class protected animals to young people in a vivid, (illustrated) format, based on the National Key Protected Wildlife List. This book covers a wide range of topics, contains rich and accurate information, and is convenient for readers to understand the distribution, characteristics, habits, and endangered reasons of these animals. These animals all belong to nationally endangered or critically endangered species. Some have rare wild populations, with declining survival and reproductive abilities, and severe population decline; others are on the brink of extinction. Regardless of what methods humans employ to save them, it is already too late—these animals will eventually bid farewell to the planet they have inhabited for hundreds of thousands of years— ( extinction). At that time, the only way for humans to encounter them will be to search for their appearances and postures in pictures.
Scientific research confirms that the extinction of wild species poses a greater threat to humans than any other disaster. Yet, wildlife resources are still disappearing at an alarming rate on Earth. "The wisest of all creatures"—humans—should not reflect on our actions of conquering nature and altering ecological environments? The primary purpose of compiling the China Rare Animals Series is to call on people to show love to natural creatures—animals, to jointly protect the Earth, nature, and our friends—animals, allowing every natural creature to thrive and multiply endlessly on Earth. This book is part of this series and covers various animals, including reptiles, amphibians, and fish.