Vertebrates

Life Science - Middle School

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Vertebrates are animals with a backbone. The Animal Kingdom is broken down into many groups called Phyla, but only the animals in the Phylum Chordata are vertebrates. The vertebrates make up many groups or Classes that may be familiar to you: 1) mammals, 2) birds, 3) reptiles, 4) amphibians, 5) fish, and 6) sharks and rays. Vertebrates Mammals (1) are a diverse group of animals from tiny shrews to great whales, and from marsupials with pouches, like kangaroos, to bats with flight and echolocation. Mammals have live young (except for the platypus) that they feed milk and teach to survive on their own. They are warm-blooded and covered with hair or fur (except whales and dolphins). Humans are mammals. Birds (2) share some traits with mammals. They are warm-blooded and care for their young. However, they lay eggs and do not nurse their hatchlings. They are covered with feathers and most can fly. Reptiles (3) are cold-blooded and lay leathery eggs on land. Most do not care for their young, though some, like the American alligator, will guard young hatchlings for awhile. Reptiles have tough, dry skin and protective scales or plates. Alligators, crocodiles, turtles, tortoises, lizards and snakes are reptiles. Amphibians (4) are also cold-blooded, but lay their eggs in water. Some spend much of their adult lives in the water and some on land, but all must come back to the water to breed. Amphibians go through a metamorphosis from a hatchling tadpole to an adult. They include frogs, toads, salamanders and newts. The common fish you may know are in a group (Class) called the Ray-Finned Fishes (5). They are cold- blooded, have scales and fins, and are flattened from side to side. This is actually the largest group of vertebrates on Earth and includes fish like bass, perch, trout, salmon, and catfish. Sharks and rays are in yet another group, called Cartilaginous Fishes (6) for their soft skeletons. They are cold-blooded, with tough protective skin, sharp teeth and a keen sense of smell. 4 1 3 2 6 5 1 2 3 4 5 6
94-4032 Vertebrates are animals with a _________________________. The Animal Kingdom is broken down into many groups called Phyla but only the animals in the Phylum _________________________ are vertebrates. The vertebrates make up many groups or Classes that may be familiar to you: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and sharks and rays. Mammals (1) are a diverse group of animals from tiny shrews to great whales, and from marsupials with pouches, like kangaroos, to bats with flight and echolocation. Mammals have live young (except for the platypus) that they feed ___________________ and teach to survive on their own. They are ______________ -blooded and covered with _______________ or fur (except whales and dolphins). Humans are mammals. Birds (2) share some traits with mammals. They are warm-blooded and care for their young. However, they lay _______________ and do not nurse their hatchlings. They are covered with __________________________ and most can _______________. Reptiles (3) are ___________________ -blooded and lay leathery eggs on land. Most do not care for their young, though some, like the American alligator will guard young hatchlings for awhile. Reptiles have with tough, dry skin and protective _____________________ or plates. Alligators, crocodiles, snakes, __________________________, tortoises, and lizards are reptiles. Amphibians (4) are also _______________ -blooded, but lay their eggs in _________________________. Some spend much of their adult lives in the water and some on land, but all must come back to the water to breed. Amphibians go through a __________________________________ from a hatchling tadpole to an adult. They include _______________________, toads, salamanders and newts. The common fish you may know are in a group (Class) called the Ray-Finned Fishes (5). They are cold- blooded, have scales and _________________ and are flattened from side to side. This is actually the largest group of vertebrates on Earth and includes fish like bass, perch, trout, salmon and catfish. Sharks and rays are in yet another group, called Cartilaginous Fishes (6) for their ________________ skeletons. They are cold- blooded, with tough protective skin, sharp _____________________ and a keen sense of smell. Vertebrates 4 1 3 2 6 5