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Animal Facts & Worksheets

An animal is a diverse group of organisms, including insects, mammals, fish, reptiles, and other non-plant living things.

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Any eukaryotic multicellular organism of the biological kingdom Animalia is referred to as an animal. The majority of creatures in this kingdom lack a cell wall, are heterotrophic, motile, have specialized sensory organs, and originate from blastula during embryonic development.

See the fact file below for more information on the Animal, or you can download our 30-page Animal worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

WHAT IS AN ANIMAL?

  • Animals include insects, mammals, fish, reptiles, and other non-plant living things. Animals are raised in agriculture for food, fiber, and fuel. We refer to these creatures as livestock. Dogs, cats, and other animals that offer human companionship are referred to as companion animals.
  • Over half a billion years ago, the first animals, including the common ancestor of all living things, began to evolve in the water. Scientists are yet to provide concrete characteristics of these animals.
  • However, by observing modern species, we can determine characteristics they must have shared, such as small size, soft bodies, and a propensity to stand motionless or move slowly across the ocean floor.
  • Contrary to scientific theory, different cultures have their own versions of creating animals. Most of them do not conform to the evolution theory – where animals evolved from one single cell millions of years ago.
  • The majority of cultural beliefs say that animals were created with unique genes, so they are a different species from humans who were created, especially by the creator.

BASIC TYPES OF ANIMALS

Birds

  • Birds belong to the Aves, a class of warm-blooded animals, and are distinguishable from other creatures by their feathers, toothless beaks, hard-shelled eggs, high metabolic rates, four-chambered hearts, and sturdy yet light skeletons.

Reptiles

  • Reptiles are air-breathing animals with distinctive skin made of scales, bony plates, or a combination of the two. They include crocodiles, lizards, snakes, turtles, and tortoises. They all periodically shed the outer layer of their skin. 
  • Their behavior is influenced by the temperature of their surroundings. Unlike birds and mammals, reptiles cannot keep a constant body temperature.
  • This is the main cause of the extinction threat facing more than half of all frog species.

Invertebrates

Fish

  • Any aquatic cold-blooded vertebrate with gills, fins, and often an elongated body coated in scales is referred to as a fish.
  • In contrast to mammals, fish are cold-blooded or ectothermic. This indicates that their body temperature is not kept constant inside but rather is strongly affected by their environment. 
  • True fish are vertebrates with fins. Most have gills for breathing and scales covering their bodies.

TAXONOMY SYSTEM – KINGDOM

  • Protists are primarily minuscule single-celled, unicellular organisms. Either prokaryotes or eukaryotes make up all living things. Examples of prokaryotes include bacteria and archaea. Eukaryotes include animals, plants, fungi, and protozoa.
  • A fungus is a eukaryote. Fungi were once considered to be members of the kingdom Plantae, but this division occurred as a result of their absence of chlorophyll and many physiological and structural characteristics. Mushrooms, molds, smuts, yeasts, mildews, and rusts are examples of fungi.
  • Single-celled organisms called archaebacteria exist. Archaebacteria are capable of surviving under harsh conditions, such as hot, acidic, and salty environments. Euryarchaeota, proteoarchaeota, and other groups are examples of archaebacteria.

TAXONOMY SYSTEM – PHYLUM

  • Hagfish and lamprey are two examples of the group of fish known as agnatha. Hagfish are round, soft, and without scales, but lampreys are smooth, eel-shaped, and without scales. 
  • A diversified superclass of fish with skeletons predominantly made of bone tissue is known as osteichthyes, or “bony fish.” In contrast to them, the Chondrichthyes have skeletons that are predominantly made of cartilage.
  • Reptilia are the first creatures in their class to have adapted to life on land and are descended from amphibians. Reptiles are cold-blooded land creatures that are primarily found in warm climates.
  • Fish classified as chondrichthyes include chimeras, rays, sharks, and skates. They have a strong jaw but no genuine bones in their skeleton; it is formed of cartilage.

TAXONOMY SYSTEM – ORDER

  • Mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla have even toes and walk on their toenails. The term “ungulates” refers to both this order of hoofed mammals and the Perissodactyla.
  • Rodents can be distinguished from other mammals in the order Rodentia by having a single pair of incisors that is continuously growing in both the upper and lower jaw.
  • A diverse group of mammals is called primates. The lemurs, galagos, and lorisids are classified as strepsirrhines, whereas the tarsiers and simians are classified as haplorhines.
  • The class Cetacea comprises whales, porpoises, and dolphins. They have neither fur nor hair and are carnivorous. Every ocean on the planet, from the equator to the poles, is home to this locomotive class of animals.
  • Mammals in the Chiroptera order include bats. They are the only animals that can truly and continuously fly thanks to the adaptation of their forelimbs as wings.
  • All creatures that resemble cats and dogs belong to the monophyletic order of placental mammals known as Carnivora, as do all of their descendants.

TAXONOMY SYSTEM – FAMILY

  • Except for polar ice caps and tundra settings, felidae, or cats, are found all across the planet. Due to their agility, felids can outrun animals twice their size. Felidae like to hunt at night and are nocturnal animals.
  • The Ursidae family of carnivorous animals includes bears. They are categorized as caniforms, or carnivorans that resemble dogs.
  • Dogs, or canidae as they are commonly known, are a group of canid-like carnivorans in biology. An individual from this family is also known as a canid.
  • The Mustelidae comprise a diversified group and are the largest family. Carnivorous mammals that belong to the Mustelidae family include weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks, and wolverines, among others.

TAXONOMY SYSTEM – GENUS

  • A taxonomic rank called genus is used to categorize viruses, as well as living and extinct creatures, in terms of biology. Genus is placed below family in the biological categorization hierarchy and above species.

TAXONOMY SYSTEM – SPECIES

  • The fundamental classification and taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity, is the species. A species is frequently described as the biggest group of creatures capable of sexual reproduction, in which any two individuals of the right sexes or mating types can result in fertile offspring.

Animal Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Animals across 30 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Animals, a diverse group of organisms that include insects, mammals, fish, reptiles, and other non-plant living things.

Animal worksheets: name the animal
Animal worksheets: Animal listing
Animal worksheets: Nature of Animals

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  • Animals Facts
  • Taxonomic System
  • Name the Animal
  • Animal Listing
  • Nature of Animals
  • I Live Here!
  • Bests of Animals
  • Animal Symbolism
  • National Representation
  • Conservation Status
  • Animal Freedom
  • Poster Design

Frequently Asked Questions

What are animals?

Animals are a diverse group of living organisms that are characterized by their ability to move, respond to stimuli, and reproduce. They are multicellular and heterotrophic, meaning they cannot make their own food and must obtain it from other organisms. They can be found in a wide range of habitats, from the depths of the ocean to the tops of mountains.

How are animals classified?

Animals are classified into different groups based on their characteristics, such as their body structure, reproductive methods, and behavior. The most commonly used classification system is the Linnaean system, which groups animals into different categories, such as kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.

What are some examples of animals?

Animals come in a wide variety of forms, some examples include:

  • Mammals: lions, elephants, whales
  • Birds: eagles, penguins, parrots
  • Fish: sharks, salmon, goldfish
  • Reptiles: snakes, lizards, crocodiles
  • Amphibians: frogs, salamanders, toads
  • Insects: ants, bees, beetles
  • Arachnids: spiders, scorpions, ticks
  • Mollusks: snails, squids, clams
  • Echinoderms: starfish, sea urchins, sand dollars

How do animals adapt to their environment?

Animals have developed a wide range of adaptations to survive and thrive in different environments. These adaptations can be physical, such as camouflage or specialized body structures, or behavioral, such as huddling together for warmth or hunting in groups. These adaptations are the result of natural selection, through which animals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and pass on those traits to their offspring.

How do animals impact the environment?

Animals play a vital role in the environment by helping to maintain ecological balance. They act as pollinators, seed dispersers, and pest controllers. Additionally, they also play a role in nutrient cycling, by consuming plants and other organisms and returning nutrients to the soil. However, animals can also have negative impacts on the environment, such as overhunting or overfishing, introduction of invasive species, and destruction of habitats. The loss of biodiversity can lead to imbalances in ecosystems and can have severe consequences for the environment.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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