Animal Classification Flashcards

Study Notes

Animal Classification

Species: A group of animals that share common characteristics and resemble each other more than they do other groups.
Classification: The systematic process of organizing living things into categories based on similarities and common ancestry.

Temperature Regulation

Warm-blooded: Animals that maintain their own body heat regardless of external temperatures (e.g., mammals, birds like elephants and eagles).
Cold-blooded: Animals whose body temperature varies with the environment (e.g., reptiles, amphibians, fish).

Animal Groups

Invertebrates: Animals lacking a backbone, including molluscs, sponges, arthropods, worms, and jellyfish.
Vertebrates: Animals with a backbone, divided into categories such as mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

Mammals

Definition: Warm-blooded vertebrates that nourish young with milk from mammary glands; usually have hair and give birth to live young.
Characteristics:
- Have four limbs (except whales)
- Possess seven neck bones (except sea cows and sloths)
- Breathe using lungs
- Can sweat or pant to release heat
- Young mammals learn from their mothers
Mammal Examples: Dolphins, whales, humans, dogs, cats, horses, kangaroos, lions, tigers, giraffes, elephants, bats, and polar bears.

Birds

Definition: Warm-blooded vertebrates that lay eggs with hard shells, covered in feathers, typically with the ability to fly.
Characteristics:
- Two limbs adapted for flight, beaks, vertebrae, and hollow bones.
Bird Examples: Ravens, eagles, hawks, owls, ducks, geese, swans, penguins, and ostriches.

Fish

Definition: Cold-blooded vertebrates living in water, characterized by gills for breathing, fins for movement, and scaly bodies.
Characteristics:
- Usually lay eggs with soft shells
- Have no limbs, only fins
- Some have cartilage-based skeletons
Fish Examples: Piranhas, seahorses, sharks, whale sharks, lion fish. Notable non-fish include whales and dolphins (which are mammals).

Reptiles

Definition: Cold-blooded, air-breathing vertebrates that typically lay eggs with leathery shells, have skin covered with scales.
Characteristics:
- Can have no legs or four legs with claws
- Breathe using lungs
Reptile Examples: Snakes, lizards, crocodiles, alligators, turtles.

Arthropods

Definition: Invertebrates with segmented bodies, hard exoskeletons, jointed limbs, and usually cold-blooded.
Characteristics:
- Show diversity with many classes (11 in total)
- Most have the ability to fly
- Breathe through tubes
Arthropod Examples: Spiders, millipedes, ants, bumblebees, crabs, centipedes, mites, ticks, shrimp, krill, scorpions, barnacles.

Amphibians

Definition: Cold-blooded vertebrates capable of living both in water and on land, often seen as a transition between fish and reptiles.
Characteristics:
- Lay unshelled eggs
- Typically include frogs and salamanders.

Description

Test your knowledge of animal classification with these flashcards. Learn the key terms such as 'Species' and 'Classification' and understand how animals are grouped based on their similarities. Perfect for students studying biology or anyone interested in zoology.