Animal Classification: 12.01 A-V

Animal Classification: 12.01 A-V

The scientific name for the bones in the back is "vertebrae." So, animals with backbones are called vertebrates. 

Animals without backbones are called invertebrates.

Multiple Choice

What are vertebrates?

• animals with a backbone

• animals with no spine

• animals with gills

• animals with scales

Multiple Select

Identify the animals that are vertebrates...

Multiple Select

Which animals are invertebrates?

Multiple Select

Sometimes we have different words for the same thing.

Can you think of another word for backbone?

• spine

• vertebra

• vertebrae

• spiral

5 Major Vertebrate Groups

Scientists use characteristics to sort animals into groups. Sorting or arranging things into groups is called classifying. 

To classify animals, scientists start with major characteristics like if the animal has a backbone or not.

Then, they can sort the animals into even smaller groups using other physical characteristics and behaviors.

Mammals

- Vertebrates

- Have hair or fur

- Nurse their young with milk

- Give live birth

- Are warm-blooded

Birds

- Vertebrates

- Have feathers

- Lay eggs

- Are warm-blooded

Reptiles

- Vertebrates

- Have tough skin with scales or plates

- Lay eggs

- Are cold-blooded

Fish

- Vertebrates

- Have scales and fins

- Lay eggs

- Are cold-blooded

- Have gills

Amphibians

- Vertebrates

- Have moist skin that they can breathe through

- Lay eggs

- Are cold-blooded

- Most young have gills but grow lungs as adults

Invertebrates - Arthropods

- Invertebrates

- Have hard outer body with segments and pairs of legs

- Lay eggs

- Examples are insects, crabs, lobsters, spiders, centipedes, and millipedes

Multiple Select

Did you know that some animals lay eggs, while others give birth to live offspring?

Which animal lays eggs?

The gorilla is a mammal. Most mammals live on land but some, like whales and seals, live in the water. Most mammals give live birth and care for their young.

The salmon is a fish. Fish live in the water. Most fish lay eggs. When young fish hatch, they can swim and take care of themselves.

The woodpecker is a bird. Birds live on land and lay eggs. When baby birds hatch, the parents usually take care of them until they are big enough to walk or fly.

Multiple Select

Which animals lay eggs?

The tortoise is a reptile. Some reptiles can live on land or in the water. Reptiles lay eggs. Most baby reptiles can take care of themselves quickly after hatching, but some stay with their parents for a while.

The spider is an arthropod. There are many kinds of arthropods, and some live on land and some live in the water. Arthropods lay eggs, and when the young hatch, they can usually take care of themselves.

The frog is an amphibian. Amphibians can live on land or water. They lay eggs. Most hatch in the water and can take care of themselves. Many amphibians have gills when they are born, then grow lungs as adults. Amphibians can also breathe through their skin.

Multiple Select

Which animals are vertebrates?

• human

• butterfly

• snake

• shark

Multiple Select

Which animals are invertebrates?

• cricket

• turkey

• mosquito

• snail

Multiple Select

Identify the characteristics and behaviors of birds...

• This group of animals are vertebrates

• This group of animals live on land

• This group of animals lay eggs

• This group of animals has fur

Multiple Select

Identify the characteristics and behaviors of Fish...

• This group of animals are vertebrates

• This group of animals live on land

• This group of animals have gills and scales

Multiple Select

Identify the characteristics and behaviors of reptiles...

• This group of animals are vertebrates

• This group of animals has feathers

• This group of animals can live on land or in water

Multiple Select

Identify the characteristics and behaviors of amphibians...

• This group of animals are vertebrates

• This group of animals live on land or in water

• This group of animals have live births

• This group of animals are born with gills but grow lungs

Multiple Select

Identify the characteristics and behaviors of Mammals...

• This group of animals are vertebrates

• This group of animals can live on land or in water

• This group of animals lays eggs

• This group of animals has hair

Multiple Select

Identify the characteristics and behaviors of arthropods...

• This group of animals are invertebrates

• This group of animals have gills and fins

• This group of animals includes spiders, flies, and worms

What Makes Us One of a Kind

All living things have physical characteristics, called traits. Similar living things have some traits in common, like all mammals have hair or fur. But traits also have small differences, called variation. 

For example, some people have brown hair, while others have blond hair. What are some unique traits you have?

Jaguars have yellow eyes. This is a trait that all adult jaguars have.

Jaguars have brown fur with black circles on it. There are smaller black spots within the black circles. This fur pattern is a trait all jaguars have.

All jaguars have long, thin whiskers. This is a shared trait among all jaguars.

Jaguars have is small, pointed ears.

These are four different dart frogs. They are all the same species but have variations in their skin color and patterns.

Butterflies are great examples of organisms with variation in their traits. 

They can have different colors, patterns, shapes, and size of wings. Some even have long or short antennae like their parents.

Multiple Choice

What is it called when a group of the same organisms have different traits such as their color, size, or shape.

• classifying

• exoskeletons

• variations

Multiple Choice

Which sentence best explains how a group of organisms will have a variation of traits?

• Organisms will have a difference in traits because of the way they smell.

• Organisms will have a difference in traits because of the way they make sounds.

• Organisms will have a variation of traits because of the difference in traits passed on from their parents

All About Your Traits

Some traits can help animals survive. Certain traits can help animals get water or food more easily. The environment can affect what kinds of traits are helpful.

Variation in the height of giraffes is affected by the availability of food in the savanna. There are leaves in the tall branches of the trees to eat.

Variation in the color of moths was affected when the first factories were built. There was a lot of smoke, and the pollution turned the trees nearby almost black.

Multiple Select

What is a physical characteristic that describes a flamingo?

• has rough, dry skin

• has feathers

• has gills

• has scales

Multiple Choice

Why do you think the puppy has the same color and appears the same as its parent?

• The puppy and the parent are both mammals

• The puppy inherited traits from its parent

• The puppy has the same owner as its parent

Multiple Choice

Where do traits come from?

• Offspring pass their traits to their parents.

• Offspring get traits from the father

• Parent pass their traits to their offspring.