Animals are living beings that move on their own, breathe, eat, grow, and reproduce. Unlike plants, they cannot make their own food — they depend on other living things to survive.
🌍 Types by Where They Live
| Type | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Animals | Live freely in forests, jungles, oceans and deserts | Lion, Tiger, Elephant, Wolf, Eagle |
| Domestic Animals | Kept by humans for work or companionship | Dog, Cat, Horse, Ox, Camel |
| Pet Animals | Kept at home for company | Dog, Cat, Parrot, Rabbit, Goldfish |
| Farm Animals | Raised on farms for food or products | Cow, Hen, Pig, Sheep, Goat |
| Aquatic Animals | Live in water — sea, rivers or lakes | Fish, Dolphin, Whale, Crab, Octopus |
| Aerial Animals | Fly through the air | Eagle, Parrot, Butterfly, Bat |
🦴 Vertebrates vs Invertebrates
| Group | Feature | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Vertebrates | Have a backbone (spine) — fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals | Dog, Eagle, Crocodile, Frog, Salmon |
| Invertebrates | No backbone — insects, spiders, worms, crabs, snails | Ant, Spider, Earthworm, Crab, Snail |
💡About 97% of all animal species are invertebrates! Vertebrates are a tiny but very well-known group.
🧬 The Five Classes of Vertebrates
| Class | Key Features | Blood | Born as | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mammals | Fur or hair; females nurse young with milk | Warm | Live young (mostly) | Dog, Whale, Bat, Elephant |
| Birds | Feathers and wings; most can fly | Warm | Eggs | Eagle, Sparrow, Penguin |
| Reptiles | Dry scales; most lay eggs on land | Cold | Eggs | Crocodile, Snake, Lizard, Turtle |
| Amphibians | Moist skin; live on land and in water | Cold | Eggs in water | Frog, Toad, Salamander |
| Fish | Gills; fins and scales; live in water | Cold | Eggs | Shark, Salmon, Goldfish |
🍽️ Classification by Diet
| Type | What They Eat | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Herbivores | Only plants, grass, leaves, fruits | Cow, Elephant, Rabbit, Horse, Deer |
| Carnivores | Only meat (other animals) | Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Eagle, Crocodile |
| Omnivores | Both plants and meat | Bear, Pig, Dog, Crow |
| Insectivores | Mostly insects | Frog, Bat, Woodpecker, Anteater |
| Scavengers | Dead animals (carrion) | Vulture, Hyena, Jackal |
💡"Herbivore" = herba (plant) + vorare (to eat). "Carnivore" = carne (meat) + vorare. "Omnivore" = omni (all) — they eat everything!