Unit 2: Remarkable Living Things Theme 3: So Many Kinds of Animals

variety- an assortment of more than one kind If you have a variety of fruits, you have several different kinds of fruit.

species- describes a group of plants or animals Some plants and animals are on the endangered species list for fear of becoming extinct.

researchers- people who investigate certain topics by studying facts There is a controversy between researchers who disagree about the cloning of Dolly, the sheep.

abandon- to leave it alone People and animals may abandon their homes if they are scared.

definite- certain or exact It is definite that a liquid can take the shape of its container.

characteristic- something that is typical of an animal or a group of animals The giraffe’s neck is an unmistakable characteristic of its species.

identify- to recognize what something is The officer was able to identify the car by the dent in the driver’s side door.

categorize- to put items in groups of similar things Solitaire is a game where a player has to categorize the cards according to the correct suite.

invertebrate- an animal that does not have a backbone, or spine Of the million or more animal species in the world, more than 98% are invertebrates. if

vertebrate- an animal that has a backbone Vertebrates include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, primates, and rodents.