Description of vertebrate animals

1. Classification of Animals

2. Animals With Backbones
AMPHIBIAN
FISH
MAMMAL
BIRD
REPTILE

3. Animals With Backbones
• Animals with backbones are called
vertebrates.
• Vertebrates include many different kinds
of animals. They can be found just about
everywhere – in oceans, rivers, forests,
mountains, and deserts.
• Animals with backbones can be broken up
into smaller groups by characteristics.
• They are:

4. Fish

5. Fish Characteristics
• They are the largest group of vertebrates.
• Fish have a head, an elongated body and a tail.
Many fish are covered with scales that protect
them.
• They have fins that help them to steer and
balance in the water.
• Their body temperatures vary in the water.
• They breathe through gills which enable them to
breathe underwater. They can extract dissolved
oxygen from water
• Fish are oviparous. Female fish lay their eggs in
the water. Baby fish, called fry, hatch from eggs.

6. Fish parts

7. Fish Groups
Fish can be classified into 2 groups:
• Cartilaginous fish: their skeleton is made of
cartilage. Most are marine, like shark and
rays.
• Bony fish: the skeleton is made of bones.
Some live in the sea and some others in
lakes and rivers, like sardines, carps,
salmon

8. Amphibians

9. Amphibian Characteristics
• When they are born they are aquatic
larvae or tadpoles. They breath
through gills and move with the tail.
• As the larvae grow, their appearance
changes. They lose their gills and
develop lungs to breath. They lose
their fins and develop 4 legs to move
on land. This is the metamorphosis

10. Amphibian Characteristics
• Amphibians’ skin has no protective
covering. They live on land but they stay in
or near water to keep their skin moist. If
their skin dries out, they die.
• Amphibians are oviparous. The female lays
eggs in water, but they don’t take care of
them.
• Most amphibians are carnivorous. They
feed on insects and invertebrates.

11. METAMORPHOSIS

12. Amphibian Groups
Amphibians can be classified into 2 groups:
1. Amphibians without tail: they have a short
body and long, strong legs which are good
for jumping. They catch their prey with
their tongue: it is long and extends rapidly,
like in frogs and toads

13. Amphibian Groups
2. Amphibians with tail: they have a long body
and 4 limbs. All four limbs are
approximately the same length. Typical
examples are salamanders and tritons

14. Reptiles

15. Reptile Characteristics
• Reptiles have a head, a trunk, limbs and a tail.
Their bodies are covered with hard scales.
• Most reptiles are terrestrial, but a few are
aquatic.
• They need external heat, like heat from the Sun,
to maintain their body temperature. That’s why
they are called cold- blooded animals
• All reptiles breath though lungs. They come to the
surface to breath from time to time.
• Reptiles are oviparous.
• Most reptiles are carnivorous and capture live
prey.

16. Reptile Groups
Reptiles can be classified into 4 main groups:
1. Snakes have long bodies with no limbs. To move,
they slither. Most are terrestrial. Some produce
venom which they inject into their prey.
2. Lizards are small reptiles. They have long bodies
and 4 very short legs. They crawl, like lizards and
iguanas.

17. Reptile Groups
3. Crocodiles: are very large reptiles. They have 4 legs
and a long body covered with hard scales. They use
their teeth to capture prey.
4. Turtles: have a shell to protect their body. They can
extend their head, legs and tail through openings in
the shell. Many turtles are aquatic, but they breath
air, and lay eggs on land

18. Birds

19. Bird Characteristics
• Birds are vertebrates that have wings and they
are covered with feathers. Birds breath though
lungs
• Birds can maintain their body temperature
constant. They are called warm blooded animals
• Female birds lay eggs on land. Male and female
birds maintain the temperature of the eggs with
their own body heat. This is incubation
• All birds are terrestrials. Their mouth is covered

20. Mammals

21. Mammal Characteristics
• All mammals have a head, a trunk and
limbs. They breath through lungs and
are warm-blooded.
• Mammals are the only animals that
have a body covered with hair and
fur.
• Mammals are terrestrials and
viviparous because the young develop
inside the female’s body.

22. Groups of mammals
1. Marsupials: they are very special: when
their young are born, they are not very well
developed. As a result, they remain in the
mother’s pouch until they are more
developed. Examples are kangaroos and
koalas.

23. Groups of mammals
2. Primates: human beings belong to this
group. Primates have hands with 5 fingers
to hold things. Their eyes are located on
the front of the head, not at the sides.
Examples: monkeys and gorillas.

24. Groups of mammals
3. Other groups of mammals:
3.1. Rumiants: are herbivores and have feet with
hooves. Zebra
3.2. Carnivores: hunt for food. They have sharp
teeth. Lions
3.3. Bats: the only mammals which fly. Their front
limbs are wings.

25. Groups of mammals
3.4. Cetaceans: are marine mammals. They have
fins, like whales and dolphins.
3.5. Rodents: feed on hard plants., so their teeth
are constantly wearing down and growing. Squirrels
and rats.
3.6.Insect
eaters:
feed
on
insects
and
invertebrates. They have many small, sharp teeth
and use them to catch the prey. Hedgehogs.