The animal kingdom is full of weird and wonderful animals. They all look so different. Some have wings. Some can swim. Some live in freezing temperatures. How do we organize all these animals?
We can study animal taxonomy. Taxonomy splits animals into different groups. Below are some groups of animals.
Some animals are mammals. There are certain characteristics that make an animal a mammal. First, mammals produce milk. They feed their young milk to help them grow. Second, they are warm-blooded. That means their bodies stay warm even if the outside temperature is cold. They do this by regulating their own temperature. Third, mammals have fur or hair. Fourth, mammals are vertebrates. That means they have backbones. They also have an endoskeleton. That means that the skeletal structure is inside the body.
There are many mammals in the animal kingdom. Humans are mammals. Dogs are mammals. Bats are mammals. They are the only mammals that can fly.
Mammals can live in water, too. Mammals that live in water are called cetaceans. Some examples are whales and dolphins. It may not seem like humans, bats, and whales are similar, but they are!
Another group of animals is reptiles. Most reptiles lay eggs. Instead of live birth, they must look after their eggs until they hatch.
Reptiles are cold-blooded animals. That means that they cannot regulate their own temperature. They rely on the outside world to keep them warm. When it is warm outside, their bodies are warmer. When it is cold outside, their bodies are colder.
There are many types of reptiles. The main categories are snakes, crocodiles and alligators, turtles, and lizards. Snakes are legless reptiles. Their muscles in their bodies help them move quickly. Crocodiles and alligators look slow, but they can run very fast! Turtles have a big shell to protect them. Some can live for over 100 years. Lizards are like snakes, but they have legs.
Some animals are amphibians. They live the first half of their lives in water. Then, they live the rest out of water. Amphibians have gills to help them breathe underwater. They also have fins to swim.
Slowly, their bodies start to change. They grow legs to walk on land. They grow lungs to breathe on land. They have two lives: one in water, and one on land!
Frogs are amphibians. They have webbed feet to help them swim. They have strong legs. They can jump very far. They can often be found near water.
Another group of animals is crustaceans. Crustaceans are invertebrates. That means that they do not have a backbone. They also have an exoskeleton. That means that their skeletal structure is on the outside of their bodies. Crabs are crustaceans. They live in every ocean in the world .
Some animals are predators. That means that they hunt and eat other animals. Others are prey. That means that they are hunted and eaten by other animals. Life sounds stressful as a prey animal!
There are many interesting animals in the animal kingdom. They all look so different. Do you have a favourite animal?