Vertebrates of the Animal Kingdom

1. Vertebrates of the Animal Kingdom PowerPoint Assignment #2 5th Grade

2. What are Vertebrates? • Most of the animals that we encounter everyday are considered Vertebrates. • Vertebrates are animals that have a vertebrae, or backbone, and a skeleton that is inside of their bodies. Their skeletons give their body support and shape. • Humans are considered vertebrates. Caroline Simpson

3. What are the 5 kinds of Vertebrates? • MAMMALS • REPTILES • AVES • AMPHIBIANS • FISH Caroline Simpson

4. Mammals can look very different and live in very different places, but they all share at least two, and usually all, of these traits: Mammals are “warm-blooded”, which means that their bodies stay the same temperature regardless of their habitat. Mammals have hair and/or fur and produce milk for their babies. Mammals have babies that are born live instead of in eggs. Mammals Caroline Simpson

5. Mammals live all over the world! • You can find mammals on every continent! • North America has an abundance of habitats from tundra to desert, so it also has many kinds of mammals including polar bears of the Arctic tundra, wild mustangs and buffalo of the western prairies, and kangaroo rats of the desert. • South America also has many habitats, but it is known for its tropical rainforest regions where exotic mammals like jaguars and tapirs live! • Europe is the home of many smaller mammals such as the strange looking hedgehog and the muskrat. To review a map of the continents click here. Caroline Simpson

6. Mammals around the World continued. . . • Asia also includes areas of tundra and more tropical regions. Tigers are the majestic mammal of Asia, but we cannot forget that the humorous mongoose, which we read about in Riki Tiki Tavi by Rudyard Kipling, also lives in Asia! • Africa is famous for its very large mammals! In Africa we find lions, elephants, cheetahs, hippopotami (hippos), leopards, zebras, rhinoceroses, giraffes, wildebeests, water buffalo, and many types of deer species. Caroline Simpson

7. Mammals around the World continued. . . • If you want to see some strange mammals, then travel to Australia! Here live the kangaroos, duckbill platypuses, koalas, echidnas, and Tasmanian devils! • Last, but not least, is the continent of Antarctica. Many people think that polar bears live here, but they DO NOT. Most of Antarctica’s mammals live in the ocean around it! These mammals include many species of seals and whales. Caroline Simpson

8. Reptiles are cold blooded animals, which means that they need warm outside temperatures to stay alive, because their body temperature depends on the outside temperature. They lay eggs and have hard protective scales instead of fur. Like mammals, reptiles can be herbivores, omnivores, or carnivores. Reptiles Caroline Simpson

9. Reptiles around us: • In South Carolina, we usually see reptiles in the spring and summer, when the temperatures are warmer. Many types of land, water, and sea turtles, several species of snakes and lizards, and even alligators can be found in our state! Caroline Simpson

10. Reptiles around the world: • Reptiles live everywhere except very cold regions. Some even live in the sea! The biggest snakes, Anacondas, live in the Amazon Rainforest, and the longest snakes, Reticulated Pythons, live in Asia. Cobras, like the ones from Riki Tiki Tavi, live in Asia and Africa. • Komodo Dragons are the biggest known lizard in the world! They live on Komodo Island and a few small, surrounding islands in Indonesia, which is part of Asia.Their saliva (spit) contains deadly germs that kills whatever they bite. • Click on this Map of Indonesia Caroline Simpson

11. Our earth is home to many different species of birds. Even though different types of birds may look very different from one another, every bird shares at least three of the four following characteristics: 1. Birds have feathers instead of fur, hair, or scales. 2. Birds have wings for flying. 3. Birds lay eggs. 4. Birds have beaks or bills. Aves Caroline Simpson

12. Some birds are native to this area… • In South Carolina we have many different types of songbirds, ducks, geese, cranes, egrets, and birds of prey. • Many birds in our area are migratory, which means that they fly north in the spring and south in the fall. • Click here to learn more about bird migration, and play the migration game to help Wanda Wood Thrush migrate! Caroline Simpson

13. …but others live in very different habitats • Birds can be found in deserts, forests, rainforests, grasslands, tundra, and even cities. Many also live on the edges of lakes and rivers, and on the coastlines of oceans. Caroline Simpson

14. Amphibians are “cold-blooded” like reptiles. go through a process called metamorphosis. In this process, they develop and change their bodies in stages. Some common amphibians are frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts. To hear some frog calls, insert your head phones and click here. Fish They have gills, so that they can breath underwater, but fish will die if they are forced to stay out of the water for long periods of time. Fish are “cold-blooded” like amphibians and reptiles. Amphibians and Fish Caroline Simpson

15. Amphibians Many amphibians have poison glands in their skin to protect them from predators. Usually, their skin must stay moist, so most amphibians can be found in wet areas often near ponds, rivers, marshes, and lakes. Fish You can find fresh water and salt water fish of many shapes and sizes, but they all have fins to help them swim. Amphibians and Fish continued. . . Brightly colored skin on frogs usually means, “Watch out, I’m dangerous!” Caroline Simpson

16. Oddballs of the Animal Kingdom • Some animals do not quite fit in with their vertebrate group: • Duckbill Platypus-Mammal • lays eggs • has a bill • Echidna-Mammal • lays eggs • Some Snake Species-Reptiles • have babies live • Penguin-Bird • cannot fly • very fast swimmer • Ostrich and Emu- Birds • cannot fly • very fast runners • Bat- Mammal • only mammal that can fly • (Flying squirrels do not fly; they glide.) Caroline Simpson