Vertebrates - Animals With Backbones

Science, Grade 4

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Reptiles Amphibians Fish Birds Mammals Animals can be classified, or grouped together, by the things they have in common, how they act, where they live, or how they look. Scientists divide animals into two main groups: animals that have a backbone and those that do not have a backbone. These two groups are called vertebrates and invertebrates. Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone. Scientists sort vertebrates into five main groups: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Fish are vertebrates that live their whole life in water. Most fish have bodies that are covered with scales. Some are very colorful. Fish get oxygen through their gills. Most fish lay eggs. Some fish live in salt water, some live in fresh water. Birds use their lungs to breathe. All birds have wings and feathers, but not all of them can fly. Birds lay eggs and are warm-blooded. Birds have adapted to live in many different environments, including the Antarctic! Mammals are vertebrates that have hair or fur. Mammals breathe through their lungs. They have live births and produce milk to feed their young. When mammals are born they already look a lot like their parents. Reptiles have tough, dry skin covered in scales. The majority of reptiles live on land. Reptiles use their lungs to breathe. Most reptiles lay eggs. Examples of reptiles include alligators, turtles and snakes. Amphibians spend part of their lives in water and part of their lives on land, therefore, they breathe with both gills and lungs during their lifetime. Amphibians are covered with smooth skin. Most lay eggs instead of having live births. Frogs, newts, and salamanders are examples of amphibians. Some animals are warm-blooded while others are cold-blooded. Warm-blooded animals control their own body temperature and try to keep their insides at a constant temperature no matter what the temperature is around them. The internal temperature of cold-blooded animals depends on the outside temperature around them. Cold-blooded Animals Warm-blooded Animals scales gills Vertebrates - Animals with Backbones © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4403 www.newpathlearning.com Animal Kingdom Phylum Chordata Subphylum Vertebrates Classes Fish Reptiles Amphibians Birds Mammals
Reptiles Amphibians Birds Mammals Warm-blooded Animals Fish What are vertebrate animals? ___________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Describe fish: ________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Describe birds: _____________ ________________________________ _____________________________________ __________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Describe mammals: ____________________________ _____________________________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Describe reptiles: ____________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Describe amphibians: _______________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ What is the difference between warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals? _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Cold-blooded Animals amphibian lungs backbone mammal bird reptile body temperature scales cold-blooded vertebrate fish warm-blooded gills Key Vocabulary Terms © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4403 www.newpathlearning.com Vertebrates - Animals with Backbones \|xiBAHBDy01724qzZ