Part 1: Identify the Vertebrate Groups

Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone, or spinal column. There are five main vertebrate groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Use the comparison chart to help you. Mammals usually have hair or fur and feed milk to their young. Birds have feathers, wings and beaks. Reptiles have dry, scaly skin and usually lay eggs on land. Amphibians have moist skin and often live part of their lives in water and part on land. Fish live in water, breathe using gills and usually have fins and scales.

1. Which feature do all vertebrates have?

Feathers

A backbone

Gills

Fur

2. Match each group to its characteristic.

A. Mammals

B. Birds

C. Reptiles

D. Amphibians

E. Fish

1. Feathers, wings and a beak

2. Fins, scales and gills

3. Hair or fur; mothers feed milk to their young

4. Moist skin; life cycle includes water and land

5. Dry scales; most lay eggs on land

3. Complete the comparison chart by writing one suitable example for each group.

Mammal: ____________________

Bird: ____________________

Reptile: ____________________

Amphibian: ____________________

Fish: ____________________

Key feature: ____________________

Part 2: Classify and Explain

4. Fill in the blanks using these words: backbone, gills, feathers, moist, milk.

a) All vertebrates have a ____________________.

b) Fish use ____________________ to breathe underwater.

c) Birds have ____________________ covering their bodies.

d) Amphibians usually have ____________________ skin.

e) Mammal mothers feed their young ____________________.

5. Write the vertebrate group for each animal.

a) Platypus: ____________________

b) Crocodile: ____________________

c) Frog: ____________________

d) Penguin: ____________________

e) Salmon: ____________________

6. A bat and a bird can both fly. Explain why a bat is a mammal, not a bird. Use two characteristics as evidence.

7. A frog begins life in water and later lives on land. Which group is it in? Explain how this life cycle supports your answer.

8. Challenge: Compare a fish and a reptile. Write one similarity and two differences.

Part 3: Exit Ticket and Teacher Answer Key

9. Tick all the characteristics that describe mammals.

They have hair or fur.

They feed milk to their young.

They have feathers.

They breathe using gills.

10. Name one vertebrate group and write its most useful identifying characteristic.

Teacher Answer Key

1. A backbone.

2. A–3, B–1, C–5, D–4, E–2.

3. Answers will vary. Examples: mammal—kangaroo, hair or fur; bird—emu, feathers; reptile—snake, dry scales; amphibian—frog, moist skin and water-to-land life cycle; fish—salmon, gills and fins.

4. a) backbone, b) gills, c) feathers, d) moist, e) milk.

5. a) mammal, b) reptile, c) amphibian, d) bird, e) fish.

6. A bat has hair or fur and feeds milk to its young. Birds have feathers and beaks.

7. Amphibian. Frogs usually begin life in water and later live on land; they also have moist skin.

8. Similarity: both are vertebrates. Differences: fish use gills and fins and live in water; reptiles have dry scales and breathe with lungs, usually living on land.

9. They have hair or fur; they feed milk to their young.

10. Answers will vary if the group and characteristic are correctly matched.