UNIT 3. THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. Vertebrates

UNIT 3. THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

THE VERTEBRATES

The main characteristic is that they have a spine or backbone. 

There are five groups of vertebrates: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Here you can learn about all of them and play some games. 

MAMMALS

• Reproduction: viviparous. The give birth to life young and feed their babies with milk. The only exception are the monotremes (platypus and echidna)
• Breathing: with their lungs
• Food: they can be carnivores, hebivores or omnivores. 
• Physical appearance: they have for limbs (for legs or flippers) and they are covered in hair or fur. 
• Habitat: they can live on land or in water. 
• Blood: they are warm-blooded.

MONOTREMES: they are mammals but they lay eggs. Then, they feed their babies with milk. They are the platypus and the echidna. 

BIRDS 

• Reproduction: oviparous. Adults incubate the eggs, they keep the eggs warm until they hatch. Some bird feed their babies when they are born. 
• Breathing: with their lungs. 
• Food: some birds are herbivores, others are carnivores and others are omnivores. You just have to look at their beaks to know.
• Physical appearance: they have wings and feathers. Males have brighter colours than females. 
• Habitat: most birds can fly, some like the penguin, ostrich or kiwi can't. 
• They are warm blooded.

AMAZING BIRD OF PARADISE AND ITS COURTSHIP DANCE

REPTILES

• Reproduction: oviparous. They lay the eggs on land.
• Breathing: with their lungs. 
• Food: most of them are carnivores. Some of them are omnivores and they eat meat, plants and fruits.
• Physical appearance: they have scales on their body. Most of them have four legs, some don't have legs. 
• Habitat: most of them live on land, some of them live in water part of their time.
• They are cold-blooded.

FISH

• Reproduction: most of them are oviparous. They lay the eggs in water. Sharks are viviparous, they give birth to life young.
• Breathing: with their gills. 
• Food: they can be carnivores, herbivores or omnivores.
• Physical appearance: they have scales on their body. They have fins and a tail. 
• Habitat: they live in water. 
• They are cold-blooded.

AMPHIBIANS

• Reproduction: they are oviparous. They lay the eggs in water. 
• Breathing: when they are babies they breathe with their gills. As adults they breathe with their lungs and through their skin.
• Food: most of them are carnivores. 
• Physical appearance: they have moist skin. Frogs have strong back legs and webbed fingers. 
• Habitat: they live in water and on land. 

METAMORPHOSIS

PLAY MORE GAMES ABOUT ANIMALS

What do they eat?