Animal Groups

Study Notes

Animals

Animals are multicellular organisms that form a group separate from plants. They can move voluntarily and are classified based on their evolutionary relationships. They have complex behaviors and respond to stimuli driven by their nervous systems. In this article, we will discuss various animal groups such as mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish.

Mammals (Ssavci)

Mammals, also known as ssavci, are warm-blooded vertebrates with mammary glands that produce milk. They are found all over the world, including Antarctica. Mammals include humans, other primates, bats, rodents, whales, and many others. Most mammals give live birth, although monotremes lay eggs. Mammalian reproduction is internal, meaning that developing embryos are protected inside the mother's body until they are born.

There are several characteristics of mammals:

Hair or fur cover the entire body except for some aquatic species like dolphins.
A four-chambered heart pumps blood throughout the body.
Sweat gland production maintains the body temperature between 97°F and 100°F.
Mammary glands produce milk to feed their young.
Reproduction occurs within the body itself.

Birds (Ptahi)

Birds, or ptahi, are flying animals and have been around for more than 150 million years. They are important parts of ecosystems because they help control insect populations through predation. There are approximately 10,000 different bird species worldwide.

Some unique features of birds include:

Wings made of feathers, which allow them to fly.
Beaks instead of teeth, making it easier for them to eat seeds and nuts.
Laying hard-shelled eggs, which protect developing embryos.
Having a crevice near the beak called a cloaca, where waste products exit the body.
Featherless areas are used for communication, such as a comb on roosters or fleshy tubercles on parrots.

Amphibians (Zemnovalodni)

Amphibians, or zemnovalodni, are a class of animals that bridge the gap between water and land environments. Their life cycle involves living both in water and on land. There are three major types of amphibians: frogs, salamanders, and caecilians.

Common characteristics of amphibians include:

Smooth skin with no scales or hair.
Beginning their lives as tadpoles in water before transforming into adult forms.
Eggs develop outside of the parent's bodies in moist environments.
Must breathe air and absorb moisture through their skin.
Have lungs to breathe air but can also obtain oxygen through their skin.

Fish (Ryby)

Fish, or ryby, are cold-blooded animals that live in water. They come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from tiny microscopic organisms to large sharks measuring up to 20 feet long. There are thousands of fish species worldwide.

Unique features of fish include: