Biology: Animal Diversity - Reptiles, Amphibians, Birds, and Mammals
Comparing major groups of vertebrate animals
Biology: Animal Diversity - Reptiles, Amphibians, Birds, and Mammals
Comparing major groups of vertebrate animals
Biology - Grade 4-5
- 1
A frog begins life in water as a tadpole and later grows legs and lungs. Which animal group does a frog belong to, and what clue helps you know?
Think about animals that often live part of their life in water and part on land.
A frog is an amphibian. The clue is that it begins life in water as a tadpole and changes as it grows. - 2
Name two traits that most mammals share.
Most mammals have hair or fur and feed milk to their young. They are also warm-blooded animals. - 3
A bird has feathers, wings, a beak, and lays eggs. Which trait is found only in birds among the four groups in this worksheet?
Look for the body covering that no other group has.
Feathers are the trait found only in birds among reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. - 4
Sort these animals into their correct groups: turtle, salamander, eagle, rabbit.
The turtle is a reptile, the salamander is an amphibian, the eagle is a bird, and the rabbit is a mammal. - 5
A snake has dry scales, breathes air with lungs, and lays eggs on land. Which animal group does it belong to?
Reptiles usually have dry, scaly skin.
A snake belongs to the reptile group because it has dry scales and breathes air with lungs. - 6
Compare amphibian skin and reptile skin. How are they different?
Amphibians usually have moist, smooth skin, while reptiles usually have dry, scaly skin. - 7
A whale lives in the ocean and has fins, but it breathes air and feeds milk to its baby. Is a whale a fish or a mammal? Explain.
Where an animal lives does not always tell its group.
A whale is a mammal because it breathes air and feeds milk to its baby, even though it lives in the ocean. - 8
Fill in the blank: Birds are warm-blooded animals with feathers. Reptiles are usually cold-blooded animals with dry ______.
Reptiles are usually cold-blooded animals with dry scales. - 9
Why do many amphibians need to live near water or in damp places?
Think about their moist skin and early life stages.
Many amphibians need water or damp places because their skin can dry out and many lay eggs in water. - 10
Look at these clues: has feathers, lays hard-shelled eggs, has a beak, and is warm-blooded. What animal group matches all of these clues?
The animal group is birds because birds have feathers, beaks, and lay hard-shelled eggs. - 11
Which two groups in this worksheet are warm-blooded, and what does warm-blooded mean?
Think about animals that stay active in many kinds of weather.
Birds and mammals are warm-blooded. Warm-blooded means they can keep their body temperature fairly steady even when the environment changes. - 12
A student says, 'All animals that lay eggs are birds.' Explain why this is not correct.
This is not correct because reptiles, amphibians, and some mammals can also lay eggs. Laying eggs is not a trait that only birds have. - 13
Use the chart clues to identify each animal group: Group A has hair or fur and feeds milk to young. Group B has feathers. Group C has moist skin and often starts life in water. Group D has dry scales. Name Groups A, B, C, and D.
Match each clue to the body covering or life cycle of the group.
Group A is mammals, Group B is birds, Group C is amphibians, and Group D is reptiles. - 14
Choose one animal from each group: reptile, amphibian, bird, and mammal. Write the animal names and one trait for each.
Answers will vary. A correct answer might be: a lizard is a reptile with scales, a frog is an amphibian with moist skin, a robin is a bird with feathers, and a dog is a mammal with fur. - 15
An animal has a backbone, is cold-blooded, has moist skin, and lays jelly-like eggs in water. Which group is it most likely part of, and why?
Jelly-like eggs in water are an important clue.
The animal is most likely an amphibian because amphibians are cold-blooded, often have moist skin, and often lay jelly-like eggs in water.