Animals

Table of Contents Mammals Fish Amphibians Reptiles Insects Birds

Mammals warm-blooded vertebrates covered with hair or fur most mammals give birth to live young mammals live on land, at sea, in the air, and under the ground some examples of mammals are: bats, whales, dolphins, humans, apes, mice, dogs, bears, and many more!

Fish live in water and have fins have gills, which are used to get oxygen from water are as many as 20,000 species of fish cold-blooded vertebrates Fish come in an amazing variety of sizes and colors. Some examples of fish are: eels, sharks (the whale shark is the largest fish), seahorses, clown fish, and many more!

Amphibians cold-blooded vertebrates Amphibians live part of their life on land and part in water. Hundreds of millions of years ago, amphibians became the first vertebrates to live on land. most lay eggs, but some give birth to live young more than 5,500 species some examples of amphibians are: frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts

Reptiles Vertebrates Cold-blooded some lay eggs, others give birth to live young bodies are covered by scales spend much of their time on land there are 6,800 reptile species some examples of reptiles are: turtles, snakes, alligators, lizards and crocodiles

Insects Invertebrates; have an exoskeleton bodies are made up of three parts (a head, thorax, and abdomen) Insects have six jointed legs and two antennae Over one million species of insects have been discovered by scientists, who believe there are many more yet to be discovered. Insects hatch from eggs and usually go through four separate life stages: egg, larva or nymph, pupa, and adult. most insects have one or two pairs of wings some examples of insects are: ants, beetles, butterflies, crickets, bees, and many more Thorax Wings Head Abdomen Antennae Six legs

Birds Warm-blooded vertebrates all birds have feathers, wings and a beak Not all birds can fly, and not all flying animals are birds. An example of a bird that can not fly is the ostrich. many birds migrate during the cold winter months most birds are insectivores; some are carnivores, others omnivores, herbivores or fructivores there are more than 9,000 species of birds, including: eagles, penguins, peacocks, doves, robins and many more

Vertebrates Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone. The backbone consists of ring-like bones (vertebrae) that protect the soft spinal cord. Vertebrates can be warm-blooded, like humans, or cold-blooded, like fish. Vertebrates include amphibians, fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Invertebrates Invertebrates are animals that do not have a backbone. Invertebrates are cold-blooded; their body temperature depends on the temperature of their environment. Some major groups of invertebrates include: jellyfish, corals, insects, and crustaceans (crabs, lobsters). They often have an exoskeleton, which is a hard outer shell.

Cold-blooded Cold-blooded animals have a body temperature that changes with external conditions. Examples include reptiles, who need to sun themselves in the morning to warm up, and then protect themselves in the midday heat. They may also cool themselves down by resting in a shaded area or in cool water.

Warm-blooded Warm-blooded animals generate heat internally and maintain a relatively constant body temperature (higher than the average temperature of the environment). Examples include mammals (including people) and birds.

Exoskeleton An exoskeleton is a hard outer coat or shell that many invertebrates have to protect their soft insides. The exoskeleton is made up of a material that is very similar to our fingernails. Cicadidae shedding its exoskeleton

Example of life stages of an insect

Whales are mammals too! Whales are large, magnificent, intelligent, aquatic mammals. They breathe air through one or more blowholes into lungs (unlike fish who breathe using gills). Like all mammals: Whales breathe air into lungs Whales have hair (although they have a lot less than land mammals, and have almost none as adults) Whales are warm-blooded (they maintain a high body temperature) Whales have mammary glands with which they nourish their young Whales have a four-chambered heart The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever existed on Earth. It is larger than any of the dinosaurs were.

Animal diets Insectivores = insect-eaters Carnivores = meat-eaters Omnivores = plant and meat eaters Herbivores = plant-eaters Fructivores = fruit-eaters