Objective Materials Given pictures of various animals, the student will be able to determine which ones are whales. They will be able to give reasons for their decisions. They share five characteristics with other mammals. Mammals are warm-blooded. That is, they maintain a high and constant body temperature independent of the surroundings.
Mammals give live birth.
Baby whales, called calves, are born in the water. Mammals nurse their young. A mother whale's milk is rich in fat, so the calves develop a thick layer of blubber. Mammals breathe air. Whales breathe air through nostrils called a blowhole, located on top of the whale's head.