CLASSES OF ANIMALS

What is a Bird?
There are about 10,000 bird species, found in every shape and size, from the tiny
hummingbird to the majestic condor. They occur in all the colors of the rainbow and are
loved for their musical songs. Some birds can even mimic human speech. All birds lay
eggs to incubate their young, and all have feathers—a trait no other animals can claim.
Birds also have wings, evolutionary adaptations of ancient forelimbs. Most use their
wings for flight, but others, like ostriches and penguins, are grounded.

What is a Fish?
Fish are ancient water-dwelling creatures found all over the globe. They are the world's
oldest vertebrates, with the first fish appearing some 500 million years ago. Today more
than 24,000 species populate the waters of the world. Fish are vertebrates and breathe
using gills, which draw oxygen from the water and into the bloodstream. Most have bony
skeletons, though sharks and rays have skeletons made of cartilage. Nearly all
reproduce by laying eggs.

What is a Mammal?
Humans are mammals. The word mammal comes from the Latin mamma, meaning
breast, because female mammals produce milk to nurse their babies. Nearly all
mammals give birth to live young, and all are warm-blooded, maintaining a near-
constant body temperature regardless of environmental conditions. They are vertebrates
and use lungs to breathe air and are the only animals that grow hair. Mammals probably
appeared on Earth some 200 million years ago.

What is an Amphibian?
Amphibians lead double lives—one in water and one on land. Many begin life with gills,
then develop lungs as they age. They are vertebrate animals that include frogs, toads,
salamanders, and newts as well as odd, wormlike caecilians (seh-SILL-yuns). They are
cold-blooded, using the environment to regulate their body temperature. Early
amphibians were the first animals to leave the sea and venture onto land, forming a
crucial link from fish to terrestrial reptiles.

What is a Reptile?
Reptiles have been around for 300 million years, and during the age of the dinosaurs,
they ruled the Earth. Those days are long gone, and those giants have vanished, but
some 6,500 species of reptiles still thrive today. Crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and turtles
are all reptiles. Most reptiles live on land, and most lay eggs. They are vertebrates, and,
unlike any other animals, are covered in scales. They are cold-blooded, and regulate
their body temperature by seeking or avoiding the sun's heat.