Vertebrates

Animals with backbones Brains encased in a skull Closed circulatory systems Veins and arteries to transport blood

2 groups Ectotherms – organisms that use environment to regulate body temperature Endotherms – organisms that internally regulate body temperature

Reptiles Have lungs and scaly skin Shed outer skin all at once Scales form a waterproof barrier to prevent drying out Bone skeletons and teeth; hollow needlelike fangs Well developed organs Deaf Reproduce through internal fertilization Eggs hatch fully developed young

Major groups Turtles Lizards and Snakes Alligators and Crocodiles

Turtles Shell formed of plates of bone Toothless Beaklike structure for eating Legs or flippers Tortoises – turtles that live completely or almost completely on land

Lizards Slender bodies Long tails Eat insects with sticky tongue Largest – Komodo dragon Komodo Dragon

Snakes No limbs More than 400 vertebrae in backbone Scales used for gripping Don’t see or hear well Sense vibrations on the ground Swallow food whole About 400 poisonous snakes Constrictor – snake that squeezes its prey to death

Alligators Live in fresh water and salt water Found in SE USA and China Nostrils and eyes on top of head Broad, heavy head Teeth fit evenly in jaws when mouth closed

Crocodiles Narrow snouts Live in salt water Salt glands on tongue 4 th tooth on lower jaw show when mouth closed Crocodile attack

Alligator vs. Crocodile

Amphibians Double life 1 st part – under water 2 nd part – on land Breathe through skin and lungs Reproduce through external fertilization (female lays egg and male fertilize it) All, except salamander, lose tail and grow legs Moist, scale-less skin Small teeth for grasping prey Flexible sticky tongue

3 groups Caecilians Salamanders Toads and Frogs

Caecilians Live underground Burrowing animals Small or no eyes No legs Caecilian Facts

Salamanders Means “lives in fires” Bright colors Poisonous secretions

Toads and Frogs Plump bodies Rough skin Lives on land and near water Streamlined bodies Smooth skin Live in water Male – sounds of attraction Female - silent

Fish Smooth scale covered body Gill slits for underwater breathing Eyes can see color Detect vibrations in water Reproduce through internal and external fertilization

3 main groups Jawless fish Sharks, skates and rays Bony fish

Jawless Fish Round mouth like suction cup No scales

Sharks, Skates, and Rays Rough skin like sandpaper Largest ray – manta ray Largest shark and fish – whale shark Shark Attack

Bony Fish Skeletons of bone and scales Smallest – gobie 2 large eyes without eyelids Swim bladders – balloon-like organs that fill or empty of gases to allow rise and sink in water

Birds Have feathers made of Keratin (protein) Have hair, claws, horn made of Keratin Feathers give insulation and help fly Reproduce by laying eggs in nests Produce sounds = songs Sound an alarm Court mates Warn other birds Migrate – travel from one place to another in response to seasons or environmental conditions

Mammals Have hair or fur Mammary glands to feed young milk Breathe with lungs Highly developed senses Highly developed brain Reproduce through internal fertilization Egg laying – anteaters, platypus Marsupials – pouches for young (possum) Placental – inside mother’s womb

Orders of Mammals 1. Insect eaters 2. Flying mammals (bats) 3. Rodents 4. Rabbits and hares 5. Toothless mammals 6. Carnivores 7. Hoofed mammals 8. Sea mammals 9. Primates