Animal Classification

The table lists characteristics of the duck-billed platypus, a special type of mammal.

What is the main way the platypus differs from nearly all other mammals?

• It lays eggs, while other mammals give live birth.

• It has fur, while other mammals have scales.

• It nurses its young, while other mammals do not.

• It is warm-blooded, while other mammals are cold-blooded.

Sam is hoping to classify an animal in the correct group. She knows that the animal has a backbone, is cold-blooded, and can live in the water. Which category below does the animal NOT belong to?

• birds

• fish

• reptiles

• amphibians

Which animals on the table would be classified as mammals?

• X and W

• Z and W

• Z and Y

• Z and X

What is true about birds and mammals that is NOT true about reptiles, fish, and amphibians?

• Both birds and mammals give live birth.

• Both birds and mammals have feathers.

• Both birds and mammals have backbones

• Both birds and mammals are warm-blooded.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What type of animal is described in the box?

• mammal

• fish

• amphibian

• reptile

Which box correctly identifies a mammal?

• 
• 
• 
• 

Sometimes animals may look very different but still possess a body structure that would enable scientists to group them together. What do fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals have in common?

• lungs

• legs

• backbones

• external skeletons

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which of the following correctly matches each vertebrate to its classification?

• 
• 
• 
• 

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which of the following correctly describes the organisms in the table?

• Organisms W and Z are vertebrates, and organisms X and Y are invertebrates.

• All organisms in the table are vertebrates.

• Organisms X and Y are vertebrates, and organisms W and Z are invertebrates.

• All organisms in the table are invertebrates.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which animals do X and Y MOST LIKELY represent?

• X is a reptile and Y is an amphibian

• X is an amphibian and Y is a reptile

• X is a mammal and Y is a fish

• X is a fish and Y is a mammal

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2