Invert Phylums
Animals in this phylum, like jellyfish and sea anemones, have stinging cells called nematocysts to catch their prey.
Cnidaria
These vertebrates are endothermic (warm-blooded), have feathers, and possess hollow bones that help most of them fly.
Aves (Birds)
Roughly this percentage of all animal species on Earth are invertebrates, making vertebrates a surprisingly small minority.
95-97%
I have a shell, tentacles, and a beak. I can change color instantly to hide from predators or hunt crabs. Even though I am highly intelligent, I have no bones.
Octopus
This term describes animals that cannot regulate their own body temperature internally and must rely on their environment to warm up or cool down.
Ectothermic
This is the largest phylum in the animal kingdom, containing creatures with jointed legs and an exoskeleton, such as insects and spiders.
Arthopoda
This class of vertebrates is known for having hair or fur and producing milk to feed their young.
Mammalia
While vertebrates support their bodies with an internal skeleton, many invertebrates rely on this hard, outer covering for protection.
Exoskeleton
I live in the ocean, I am shaped like a fish, and I can swim incredibly fast. However, I breathe air through a blowhole and nurse my calves with milk.
Dolphin/whale/porpoise
Spiders and scorpions are not insects; they belong to this specific class of arthropods because they have eight legs and two body segments.
Arachnids
Snails, clams, and octopuses belong to this phylum, known for having soft bodies that are often protected by a hard shell.
Mollusca
Members of this vertebrate class are ectothermic (cold-blooded), have scales, and lay leathery eggs on land.
Reptilia
Vertebrates all belong to this single phylum, while invertebrates are spread across dozens of different phyla.
Chordata
I lay eggs, I have a beak, and I am covered in fur. I live in Australia and use webbed feet to swim.
Platypus
This is the only species of mammal on Earth that is capable of true, sustained flight.
Bat
Earthworms and leeches belong to this phylum, which is characterized by having segmented bodies.
Annelida
Leading a "double life," these vertebrates start their lives in water breathing with gills and undergo metamorphosis to live on land as adults.
Amphibians
Because they lack a bony internal skeleton to support heavy weight against gravity, terrestrial (land) invertebrates are generally limited in this physical trait.
Size- much smaller
I live attached to a coral reef, I pump water through my body to filter out food particles, and I have no tissues, organs, or body symmetry.
Sea Sponge
This type of specialized camouflage allows certain invertebrates, like the cuttlefish or walking stick insect, to blend in perfectly with their surroundings to hide from predators.
Mimicry
Meaning "spiny skin," this marine phylum includes sea stars and sea urchins, which move using a unique water vascular system.
Echinodermata
Sharks and rays belong to a specific class of fish distinguished by having skeletons made of this flexible material instead of bone.
Cartilage
This flexible, rod-like structure is found in the embryos of all chordates and develops into the backbone or spinal column in most vertebrates.
Dorsal notochord
I have scales and I lay eggs, but I am warm-blooded (endothermic). I cannot fly, so I spend my time running incredibly fast across the African savanna.
Ostrich
This primitive, jawless vertebrate is a parasite that uses its suction-cup mouth filled with rows of horn-like teeth to attach to other fish and feed on their blood.
Lamprey