Classification

Classification? Animals are separated into groups or categories so that they are more easily studied and discussed by scientists and others.

Animal Classification Mammals Fish Birds Reptiles Amphibians

Mammals Characteristics: Have teeth Have hair Are warm blooded Have a single jaw bone Have inner ear bones Produce milk for their young

Mammals Mammals have larger brains and seem to be the most capable learners.  All mammalian mothers nourish  their babies with milk.

Fish Characteristics: Are cold-blooded vertebrate (backbone) Live in water Usually have paired fins, gills, and scales

Fish Most fish lay large numbers of eggs, but some have live birth. Most fish breathe by drawing water over four or five pairs of gills.

Amphibians Characteristics: Are cold-blooded vertebrate (backbone) Lay their eggs in water Lack any skin coverings such as fur, scales or feathers

Amphibians Young amphibians tend to resemble small fish. Amphibian means "two lives," a reference to the change that frogs go through as they move from egg to tadpole to frog.  Even as adults, most frogs and other amphibians must stay close to water. 

Birds Characteristics: Have feathers Lay eggs Have bodies specially adapted for flight Have a beak rather than teeth

Birds Their nearly hollow bones provide lightweight strength. Birds now live almost everywhere on Earth.

Reptiles Characteristics: Have scales Lay leathery eggs on land Are often called cold-blooded because they can't regulate their own body temperature

Reptiles Reptiles do not use energy to fuel internal "furnaces" Although reptiles breathe through lungs, some reptiles can also absorb oxygen in water through their mouth.

Resources Quia Classification Quiz Charts: Animal classification, Fish, Bird, Amphibian, Animals, The Animal Kingdom

Resources http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/ http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/vertebrates.htm http://www.edhelper.com/AnimalReadingComprehension_1_1.html http://www.edhelper.com/animals.htm http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html http://anthro.palomar.edu/animal/links.htm http://www.dowslane.org/reptile.html http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/index.htm http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/critters/critters.html http://www.quia.com/servlets/quia.activities.common.ActivityPlayer?AP_rand=785616651&AP_activityType=14&AP_urlId=1130&AP_continuePlay=true&id=1130

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