Vertebrate animals
A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone. (An invertebrate is an animal without a
backbone.) Fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, including humans, are all
vertebrates.
Vertebrates share some basic characteristics. A hollow backbone and the cranium, or
skull, protect the spinal cord and brain of most vertebrates. All vertebrates reproduce by
mating between males and females.
Fish are the oldest known vertebrates. Most fish have a bony skeleton. However, sharks
and rays have a skeleton made of cartilage, a strong and flexible tissue. Fish gradually
evolved, or changed, into land animals.
Mammals are the most complex kind of vertebrate. They feed their babies with milk from
the mother, they develop inside their mother’s body, and they have hair. Their highly
developed brains make them more intelligent than other groups of animals.
Vertebrates can be separated into five broad groups. This includes the following:
Mammals - Mammals have warm blood and usually have hair or fur on their bodies.
Mammals are born alive and the mothers feed their babies with milk. Humans are
mammals, but other examples of mammals include lions, cats and sheep.
Bird - Birds are warm-blooded and have beaks, feathers, wings and two legs. They lay their
eggs on land.
Fish - Fish live and lay their eggs in water. They have fins instead of legs and gills instead of
lungs.
Reptile - Reptiles live in water and on land. They have scales and are cold-blooded. This
means that they cannot keep warm by themselves and need to be in a warm place. They
lay their eggs on land. Examples of reptiles include lizards, snakes and turtles.
Amphibian - Amphibians live on land and in water, however, they lay their eggs in water.
They are cold-blooded and have smooth skin. Examples of amphibians include frogs, toads
and salamanders.
