This document summarizes the five main groups of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It provides details on the key characteristics of each group, such as fish having fins and scales, amphibians being able to live on land and in water and having gills or lungs, reptiles having scales and laying eggs, birds having feathers and wings for flying, and mammals having hair/fur and feeding their young with mammary glands. Examples of common types within each group are also listed, such as bony fish vs. cartilaginous fish, frogs vs. salamanders, turtles vs. lizards vs. snakes vs. crocodiles, and placental

1. VERTEBRATES

2. VERTEBRATES
FISH AMPHIBIANS
REPTILES BIRDS
MAMMALS

3. 1. FISH
• Fish are aquatic vertebrates that can live in salt
water and fresh water.
• They have fins.
• The body is covered by scales.
• They breathe through gills.
• They have swim bladder. It’s a sac of gas to stay
afloat.
• TYPES OF FISH:
– Bony fish: They have a bony skeleton. Ex: Sardine, tuna,
hake.
– Cartilaginous fish: They have a cartilaginous skeleton.
Ex: Sharks, rays and manta rays.

4. PARTS OF A BONY FISH

6. 2. AMPHIBIANS
• Amphibians are vertebrates capable of living in terrestrial and
humid environments.
• They usually have four limbs.
• They often have webbed feet.
• They are ectotherms.
• They breathe through lungs, gills and skin.
TYPES OF AMPHIBIANS:
• Anura: They don’t have a tail. Ex: Frog, toad.
• Urodela: They have a tail. Ex: Salamander, newt.

7. 3. REPTILES
• Reptiles are vertebrates animals which live on land, but some
live in water.
• They always have a tail.
• They have four limbs. (except snakes)
• The skin is covered by scales.
• They breathe through lungs.
• They are cold-blooded.
• TYPES OF REPTILES
• Turtles: They have aq shell.
• Lizards: Ex: Iguanas, Chameleons
• Snakes: They don’t have legs. They can be are poisonous.
• Crocodiles: They are the biggest reptiles.

9. 4. BIRDS
• Birds are flying vertebrates. They can live on the ground or on
water.
• They have two limbs called wings.
• They have hollow and light bones.
• They have a corneus beak.
• The body is covered with feathers.
• The lungs have some extensions called air sacs. The air sacs
help them to fly and breathe.
• They are endothermic.
TYPES OF BIRDS
Perching birds, fowl, running birds, swimming birds, wading
birds and birds of prey.

11. 5. MAMMALS
• They have four limbs adapted to fly,swim,run…
• The skin is covered by hair or fur.
• Most of them are viviparous.
• They are endothermal.
• They breathe through lungs.
• Females feed their babies through their mammary glands.
TYPES OF MAMMALS
• Monotremes: They are oviparous. Ex: platypus, echidna.
• Marsupials: The babies develop inside the marsupium. Ex:
kangaroo, koala bear.
• Placental mammals: The embryo develops in the mother’s
uterus. Ex: cat, dog, human being.

13. VERTEBRATES
FISH AMPHIBIANS
REPTILES BIRDS MAMMALS
BONY
CARTILAGINOUS
WITH TAILS
WITHOUT
TAILS
TURTLES
LIZARDS
SNAKES
CROCODILES
PERCHING
FOWL
UNGULATES
CARNIVORES
CETACEANS
SWIMMING
RUNNERS
BIRDS OF
PREY
WADING
PRIMATES