432 



THE MAMMALS 



Courtesy New York Zoological Society 



Fig. 28.6. The koala bear of Australia, a marsupial. As the young get too large to 

 get in their mother's pouch they often ride on her back. 



Order — Insectivora 



These little animals that derive their name from their insect-eating 

 habits have a placenta and the true viviparous reproduction as do all the 

 rest of the orders of mammals. Their teeth have an outgrowth near the 

 base which protect the gums from the hard parts of insect bodies. 



The little mole shows how animals may be adapted to their living 

 conditions. Moles spend most of their waking hours burrowing along 

 under the ground in search of insects that may be there. They especially 





