Living in Environments

Learning Objective: To be able to classify animals into specific groups according to their characteristics.

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Have a look at the animals on the next slides.

How many different ways can you think of to sort the animals

into groups?

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sparrow

grasshopper

hawk

eel deer

dormouse

lizard

goldfish

ferret

crab

snake

snail

ant

swan

toad

fish

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There are so many different animals in the world that it is important to be able to classify them. Animals can be grouped in lots of different ways. The labels below show some of the different words

that can be used to classify animals.

vertebrate invertebrate mammal

bird insect reptile

amphibian

Can you describe what any of these terms mean?

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vertebrate

A vertebrate is any animal that has a backbone. All animals with an internal

skeleton, including humans, are vertebrates.

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invertebrate

An invertebrate is any animal that does not have a backbone. Some invertebrates have

exoskeletons, which means they have an outer skeleton, like armour to protect them. Others

have an outer shell. Some, like worms, have no protection. There are lots of different types of

invertebrates, including insects, molluscs, annelids, arachnids and crustaceans.

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mammal bird

Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates. They have hair or fur. They

usually give birth to live young and the females feed their babies with

their own milk.

Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates with feathers and beaks. Most birds can fly. They lay eggs which then develop into

young.

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fish reptile

Fish are cold-blooded vertebrates that live entirely under water.

They have fins and gills which allow them to take in oxygen from

water.

Reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates that have dry, scaly skin. They

usually lay soft-shelled eggs on land.

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insectamphibian

Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates that can live both in water and on land. They begin their life in water with gills but develop lungs as

they grow.

Insects are invertebrates with six legs and

generally one or two pairs of wings. We tend to use the term ‘insect’ for any creepy-crawly but this is inaccurate.

If you’re not sure which group an

animal belongs to, you can use a classification key to help you.

Let’s have a look at one...

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Does it have fur?

Does it have feathers?

Can it live underwater?

Can it breathe on land?

N

mammal

bird

reptile

fish amphibian

YY

Y

NN

Y

YN

Does it have legs?

Does it have 6 legs?

insect

Does it have antennae?

crustacean

Does it have spiky skin?

echinoderm mollusc

arachnid

Does it have a backbone?

N

N

N

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Does it have a segmented body?

annelid

Y

Y

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Does it have fur?

Does it have feathers?

Can it live underwater?

Can it breathe on land?

N

mammal

bird

reptile

fish amphibian

YY

Y

NN

Y

YN

Does it have legs?

Does it have 6 legs?

insect

Does it have antennae?

crustacean

Does it have spiky skin?

echinoderm mollusc

arachnid

Does it have a backbone?

N

N

N

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Does it have a segmented body?

annelid

Y

Y

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Does it have fur?

Does it have feathers?

Can it live underwater?

Can it breathe on land?

N

mammal

bird

reptile

fish amphibian

YY

Y

NN

Y

YN

Does it have legs?

Does it have 6 legs?

insect

Does it have antennae?

crustacean

Does it have spiky skin?

echinoderm mollusc

arachnid

Does it have a backbone?

N

N

N

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Does it have a segmented body?

annelid

Y

Y

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Does it have fur?

Does it have feathers?

Can it live underwater?

Can it breathe on land?

N

mammal

bird

reptile

fish amphibian

YY

Y

NN

Y

YN

Does it have legs?

Does it have 6 legs?

insect

Does it have antennae?

crustacean

Does it have spiky skin?

echinoderm mollusc

arachnid

Does it have a backbone?

N

N

N

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Does it have a segmented body?

annelid

Y

Y

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Does it have fur?

Does it have feathers?

Can it live underwater?

Can it breathe on land?

N

mammal

bird

reptile

fish amphibian

YY

Y

NN

Y

YN

Does it have legs?

Does it have 6 legs?

insect

Does it have antennae?

crustacean

Does it have spiky skin?

echinoderm mollusc

arachnid

Does it have a backbone?

N

N

N

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Does it have a segmented body?

annelid

Y

Y