Animal Characteristics Animals can be grouped together by the ways they are similar to each other; what features they share. What are some of the ways that animals are alike?

Over many years zoologists (scientists that study animals) have developed a system to classify animals according to characteristics they share.

Animal Characteristics Vertebrates are animals with backbones. Invertebrates are animals without backbones.

Having a backbone is a very important feature because this separates highly developed animals from those which are less so.

Vertebrates Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians Fish

Characteristics of Mammals Breathe air with lungs. Warm-blooded. Body covered with fur or hair. Develop inside mother’s body. Produce milk to feed their young.

Characteristics of Birds Live on land. Breathe air with lungs. Body covered with feathers. Have hollow, lightweight bones. Lay eggs.

Characteristics of Reptiles Live mainly on land. Breathe air with lungs. Cold-blooded. Body covered with hard plates or scales. Most lay soft-shelled eggs.

Characteristics of Fish Live entirely in water. Obtain dissolved oxygen from water with gills. Cold-blooded. Most are covered with scales. Most lay eggs.

Animals can be classified in many ways Animals can be classified in many ways. Make a table grouping these animals according to their body covering: scales, skin, fur and hair, feathers, shell. rabbit whale turtle snake owl fish zebra salamander lion frog butterfly crocodile bird snail cat Answers next

Butterflies have scales? Body coverings shell skin fur/hair feathers scales snail frog lion owl snake turtle whale rabbit bird fish salamander zebra crocodile cat butterfly Butterflies have scales?

their colors seem to fade. Did you know that butterfly wings are covered with tiny colored scales? These scales give butterflies their beautiful patterns. When butterflies get older, they lose these scales and their colors seem to fade. Let’s classify the animals another way………………..

Animal Characteristics can be Physical or Behavioral

A Cheetah’s spots help to hide it from prey.

A cheetah will patiently stalk its prey.

Movement Some animals hop. Some animals slither. Some animals swim. Some animals fly. Some animals walk. Some animals crawl. Some animals ski.

This time make a table grouping these animals according to movement: swim, fly, crawl, hop, walk, slither. Keep in mind that some animals move several ways. rabbit whale turtle snake owl fish zebra salamander lion frog butterfly crocodile bird snail cat Answers next

Movement swim fly crawl hop walk slither fish butterfly salamander frog zebra snail whale bird crocodile rabbit cat salamander crocodile owl turtle bird lion snake turtle Can you think of another way to classify them?

Quantities/Qualities Lab Quantity: Is the number of something. Qualities: Are characteristics that can be either physical or behavioral.

Qualities: Long trunk/nose. Large ear flaps. Tusks. Large body. Quantities: One trunk. Two tusks. Two ears. Four legs

Qualities/Quantities Lab Instructions 10 Stations Each Station will have a different Specimen. At your assigned station, you will write the name of the specimen. You will list 5 Qualities and 5 Quantities of the specimen.

Do You Have Any Questions? Actually, I do have a question.

Let’s Go to Lab