Download Characteristics of Vertebrates

Characteristics of Vertebrates
Group 1: FISH
• Facts:
– Fish are the largest class of vertebrates
– There are three classes of fish:
• Jawless- boneless mouths
• Cartilaginous- skeletons made of cartilage
• Bony- skeletons are made of bones and are
covered in scales
Fish: Characteristics
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Have a backbone
Cold-blooded
Breathe through gills
Live in the water
Mostly have scales
Have fins
Mostly lay eggs, some give birth to live young
Examples: sharks, salmon, tuna, rays,
Group 2: REPTILES
• Facts:
– 4 main groups of reptiles: turtles and tortoises,
lizards and snakes, crocodiles and alligators, and
the tuatara
– Spend most of their time on land, but some spend
most of their time in the water
– Reptiles can be found in all types of habitats
except for polar
Reptiles: Characteristics
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Have a backbone
Cold-blooded
Dry scaly skin
Breathe with lungs
Most lay leathery eggs, some give live birth
Most have 4 legs with clawed toes, but some
don’t have any legs
• Examples: turtle, snakes, alligators, lizards
Group 3: AMPHIBIANS
• Facts:
– Live part of their lives in water and part on land
– Live in moist places or near water to keep from
drying out
– Start off as tadpoles with gills and grow into adults
with lungs
Amphibians: Characteristics
• Has a backbone
• Cold-blooded: which means it can’t maintain a
constant body temperature on its own
• Breathe through gills (as babies), and lungs and their
skin (as adults)
• Go through metamorphosis: don’t look like their
parents when they are born
• Lay eggs
• Soft, moist skin protected by a slimy layer of mucus
• Examples: frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts
Group 4: BIRDS
• Facts:
– Only animal with feathers
– Some bones in a bird are hollow, which allows
them to be light enough to fly
– There are more than 9,800 known types of birds
– Parent birds incubate their eggs until they hatch
– They care for their young
Birds: Characteristics
• Have a backbone
• Warm-blooded- allowing them to live on every
climate on earth
• Have feathers and wings
• Lay eggs with hard, waterproof shells
• Take care of their young
• Walk on 2 legs
• Breathe with lungs
• Have beaks or bills
• Hollow or partly hollow bones
• Examples: ducks, penguins, warblers, toucan,
hawks
Group 5: MAMMALS
• Facts:
– More than 4,000 different species of mammals
– Live on land or in water
– Smallest Mammal= Hog-nosed bat
– Biggest Mammal= Blue Whale
– Can live in almost any climate on the Earth
– Care for their young
Mammals: Characteristics
• Have a backbone
• Warm Blooded- this means that they have a constant
body temperature and can live anywhere on Earth
• Have hair or fur on their bodies
• Most give live birth
• Produce milk to feed their babies
• Breathe through lungs
• Have different types of teeth depending on what they
eat
• Large well developed brains
• Examples: deer, kangaroos, humans, dolphins, camels