Animals with Backbones

(Vertebrate - Endoskeleton)

q      Fish   

Characteristics:  cold-blooded, breathe through gills, scales, born from eggs

        Examples: goldfish, killifish

q      Amphibians

Characteristics:  cold-blooded, breathes through gills when born then develops lungs, born from eggs, lives part of life in water and part on land, amphi- means double -bian comes from the word bios which means life.

        Examples: frogs, salamanders, mud puppies

q      Reptiles

Characteristics:  cold-blooded, dry, scaly skin, most reptiles born from eggs, some have live births, breathe from lungs.

        Examples: snakes, alligators, turtles

q      Birds

Characteristics:  warm-blooded, lungs, feathers, hollow bones, wings, young born from eggs

        Examples: cardinal, penguin, owl, ostrich

q      Mammals

Characteristics:  warm-blooded, lungs, has hair, feeds milk to its young, live births (two exceptions: the duck-billed platypus and the spiny anteater lay eggs) 

        Examples:  bats, mice, cows, dogs, cats, whales

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