ADVENTURE CORPS RANGERS
Emblem Helps: Mammals
Mammals are one of the six main classes of animals. Animal classes are groups of animals that scientists
consider to be alike in some important ways. Mammals is the animal class that people belong to.
There are only about 4,000 kinds of mammals. This sounds like a lot, but when you consider there are
21,000 kinds of fish and a whopping 800,000 kinds of insects you’ll realize mammals are a pretty small
class!
How are mammals alike? Print and cut out the options below, split your Rangers into groups and have
each group come up with the nine characteristics all mammals possess. (The three that don’t qualify are:
Give Birth to Live Young, Walk on Four Legs, and Teeth are replaced only once.)
Neocortex
Warm
Blooded
Have Fur
or Hair
Give Birth
to live
young
All walking
mammals
walk with four
appendages
Single Lower
Jaw Bone
(dentary) that
attaches to the
skull
Diaphragm
Backbone
The Middle
Ear contains
three bones
Teeth are
replaced
only once
Four
Chambered
Heart
Babies Drink
Milk that
comes from
their Mother
(area of the brain
which allows for
conscious thought
and spatial
reasoning.)
Almost all mammals give birth to live young except two. Do you know which ones? Platypus and the
Echidna (Spiny Anteaters), they lay eggs.
Almost all mammals are diphyodonts (teeth are only replaced once in their lifetime) except two. Do you
know which ones? Manatees and Elephants
Almost all walking mammals walk on four appendages except one. Do you know which one? Human
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Mammal Match Up: Match the Mammals with the Facts Listed
Play a game to match the facts with the correct mammals (these are the correct answers).
Blue Whale
Largest Mammal
Bull African Elephant
Largest Land Animal
Giraffe
Tallest Animal
Kitli’s Hog-nosed Bat
Smallest Mammal
Cheetah
Fastest Land Animal
Killer Whale
Fastest Marine Mammal
Big Brown Bat
Fastest Air Mammal
Bowhead Whale
Longest Lived Mammal
List Mammals which are common household pets:
Mice, Rats, Cats, Dogs, Rabbits, and Guinea Pigs
Learn about Endangered, Threatened and Extinct Mammals
No one is sure how many different species of mammals there are. Most experts believe the number is
somewhere between 4,000 – 5,500. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Facts lists the
following about mammals. Split your Rangers into groups and have each group research one animal from
at least one of the categories listed below.
• Extinct: 77 mammals are listed on the Extinct List
• Extinct in the Wild: 2 mammals (under captive management)
• Critically Endangered: 196 mammals are listed, including the Florida Bonneted Bat, Red Wolf,
Hawaiian Monk Seal, and Island Fox, all of which are located in the United States
• Endangered: 446 mammals, nineteen (19) of which are located in the United States including:
Blue Whale, San Joaquin Antelope Ground Squirrel, Utah Prairie Dog, Black Footed Ferret, and
the Robust Cottontail
• Vulnerable: 497 mammals, thirteen (13) of which are located in the United States including: Texas
Kangaroo Rat, Florida Deermouse, New England Cottontail and the West Indian Manatee
• Near Threatened: 325 mammals, fifteen (15) of which are located in the United States including:
American Bison, Desert Pocket Gopher, White-sided Jackrabbit and the Jaguar.
DEVOTIONAL: 1 Kings 19:1-8
Have you ever had a new pet that you have had to learn to take care of? How about a new puppy or
kitten? Can you name some ways you have to take care of a new pet? You have to feed them, give them
water, make sure they are warm, teach them where to go to the bathroom, keep their area clean, etc.
It’s a lot of work. Do you know that in the same way you care for a new animal, God cares for you?
Open your Bible to a story is found in 1 Kings 19:1-8. It’s a story about a prophet named Elijah who
lived long ago.
● What is a prophet? In those days, many people believed there was a god named Baal. Baal had
“prophets,” too. But they didn’t listen to the real God. They hurt many people. Finally God
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●
helped Elijah kill all of Baal’s evil prophets. Let’s see what King Ahab and Queen Jezebel thought
of that. Have boys follow along as someone reads 1 Kings 19:1-2.
What did Queen Jezebel’s message to Elijah mean? (She was going to kill him.)
Here’s the rest of the story. The king and queen weren’t happy that the evil prophets were gone. They
believed Baal was real. They were really angry. When Elijah got the queen’s message, he got scared. He
grabbed his servant and ran for his life. Elijah traveled a long, long way away. He walked and walked and
walked. He got really tired. Finally he flopped down under a bush in the desert. “Lord, I can’t stand it
anymore,” he prayed. “Please let me die.” Elijah was so tired that he fell asleep under the bush. God
cared about how tired and scared Elijah was. He knew what Elijah needed. He let Elijah sleep awhile.
Then he sent an angel with bread and water. “Get up, Elijah,” said the angel. “You need something to
eat.” Elijah ate the bread and drank the water—and fell back to sleep. A little while later, God sent the
angel back. “You need more to eat,” the angel said. “Otherwise traveling will be too hard for you.” The
sleep and the food made Elijah strong enough to walk 40 days and nights to get away from Queen
Jezebel.
●
●
•
What made the difference between Elijah at the beginning of the story and Elijah at the end?
Think silently about this question: How important do you think Elijah’s needs were to God?
(Allow a moment.)Now when I say go, give one thumbs-up for “important,” two thumbs-up for
“very important,” or a thumbs-down for “not important.” (Show each sign as you mention it
Repeat the question. Say, “Go,” and let the boys respond.)
What things in the story helped you decide that Elijah’s needs were very important to God?
(God figured out what Elijah really needed, sent an angel to take care of him, etc.)
Read Nahum 1:7 and Job 10:12, one at a time. After each verse ask:
• What things does this verse tell you about God?
• When you think about these two verses, how important do you think your needs are to God?
God sends people to take care of each one of us. Who are people that God sends to take care of you?
Let’s all say this prayer together and then you fill in the blank with a name. “Dear God, thank you for
giving me __________ to take care of my needs.”
Submitted by:
Kim Herivel – Walter, Divisional Character Building Director
Western Division
USA Central Territory
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