Animals are separated into groups or categories so that they are more easily studied and discussed by scientists and others.

Classification?Classification?

Mammals Fish Birds Reptiles Amphibians

MammalsMammals

Characteristics: Have teeth Have hair Are warm blooded Have a single jaw bone Have inner ear bones Produce milk for their young

MammalsMammals

Mammals have larger brains and seem to be the most capable learners. 

All mammalian mothers nourish  their babies with milk.

FishFishCharacteristics: Are cold-blooded vertebrate

(backbone) Live in water Usually have paired fins, gills, and

scales

FishFishMost fish lay large numbers of

eggs, but some have live birth.

Most fish breathe by drawing water over four or five pairs of gills.

AmphibiansAmphibiansCharacteristics: Are cold-blooded vertebrate

(backbone) Lay their eggs in water Lack any skin coverings such as

fur, scales or feathers

AmphibiansAmphibians Young amphibians tend to resemble sm

all fish. Amphibian means "two lives," a referenc

e to the change that frogs go through as they move from egg to tadpole to frog. 

Even as adults, most frogs and other amphibians must stay close to water. 

BirdsBirds

Characteristics: Have feathers Lay eggs Have bodies specially adapted for

flight Have a beak rather than teeth

BirdsBirdsTheir nearly hollow bones

provide lightweight strength. Birds now live almost

everywhere on Earth.

Characteristics: Have scales Lay leathery eggs on land Are often called cold-blooded

because they can't regulate their own body temperature

ReptilesReptiles

Reptiles do not use energy to fuel internal "furnaces"

Although reptiles breathe through lungs, some reptiles can also absorb oxygen in water through their mouth.

ReptilesReptiles

ResourcesResourcesQuia Classification Quiz Charts: Animal classification,

Fish, Bird, Amphibian, Animals,

The Animal Kingdom

ResourcesResourceshttp://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/vertebrates.htm

http://www.edhelper.com/AnimalReadingComprehension_1_1.html

http://www.edhelper.com/animals.htm

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html

http://anthro.palomar.edu/animal/links.htm

http://www.dowslane.org/reptile.html

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/index.htm

http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/critters/critters.html

http://www.quia.com/servlets/quia.activities.common.ActivityPlayer?AP_rand=785616651&AP_activityType=14&AP_urlId=1130&AP_continuePlay=true&id=1130