Animals: The Ultimate Guide To The Animal Kingdom

Animals – the ultimate guide to the animal kingdom. On this page, you’ll discover many different types of animal and how they’re classified.

A free printable worksheet is available for this page. Click here or on the image below to download. Answers can be found on our worksheets page.

Animals Worksheet
Free printable animal worksheet. Click image to download.

Other Animal Pages at Active Wild

Find out about amazing animals from all around the world. These pages contain information, fun facts and awesome pictures:


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If you want to be an animal expert then we recommend you read the whole page, but if there’s something in particular that you want to know about, the links below will take you straight to it!


Animals – The Ultimate Guide: Introduction

From the smallest insects to the largest whales, deep sea fish to high-flying birds; animals come in many different shapes and sizes and are found in nearly every part of the world.

Animals play a big part in our lives. They provide us with entertainment, companionship, transport, security, scientific knowledge, clothing and food. (Even if you’re a vegetarian, you rely on insects to pollinate the plants that you eat!)

Of course, we’re animals ourselves. Humans are members of a group of animals known as primates. Our closest relations in the animal kingdom are chimpanzees and bonobos.

Animals bring color and joy into our lives, and we should never take them for granted. Without animals, we wouldn’t be able to survive.

Chimpanzee
It’s like looking in a mirror! Chimpanzees, along with bonobos, are our closest living relations.

From the familiar … to the freaky!

We are taught about animals from an early age, and many species are familiar to us. Even if we’ve never seen one in the wild, we can instantly identify animals such as tigers, orcas, elephants and pandas.

However, there are many animals that aren’t nearly as well-known, and some that don’t even look – or act – like animals at all. On this page we’ll explore the entire animal kingdom, and meet many different types of animal – some familiar, and some downright weird!

Classification of Living Things

classification examples
All living things are classified into groups of related species.

We’ll begin our exploration of the animal kingdom by finding out what makes an animal an animal.

In order to make sense of life on Earth, scientists separate all living things into groups. This process is known as classification. All of the species in a particular group are related and therefore have certain things in common.

For example, all of the members of a group of animals called Mammalia (otherwise known as mammals) have hair. They also feed their young with milk produced by the mother’s body. (Imagine how beneficial it is for young mammals to have a ready-made source of food waiting for them!)

All of the animals in a big group such as Mammalia can be further divided into smaller groups that contain animals that are even more closely related to each other.

For example, a smaller group of mammals called Carnivora contains every species of both cat and dog (and several other animal groups, such as bears).

Carnivora itself contains smaller groups such as the family Canidae , which contains every dog species, and Felidae, which contains every cat species.

This process continues until the groups can no longer be divided and all that is left are the individual species themselves.

(In actual fact, species can be divided into subspecies, but we won’t go into that here!)

The eight levels of classification are: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.

The classification of living things is a science in itself, and is known as ‘taxonomy’.

The Animal Kingdom

Wild Horses
These wild horses are mammals, and members of the Equidae family.

Some of the largest groups of living things are known as ‘kingdoms’. An animal is any member of the animal kingdom, Animalia.

Other kingdoms include Plantae (the plant kingdom) and Fungi.

As we’ve found, all of the species in any group must have certain things in common. So what characteristics link all of the members of the animal kingdom? What makes an animal an animal?

What Is An Animal?

Sea Anemones
These sea anemones are animals.

Animals are incredibly varied, and have adapted to live in just about every environment on Earth. However, there are certain things that all animals have in common – things that make them animals, rather than plants, fungi, or any other type of organism.

Characteristics of Animals

There are a number of characteristics that define an animal. We’ll start off simple, then get down to the nitty gritty …

Animals can move

Cheetah
While not all animals are fast as this one, they can all move!

All animals are ‘motile’ for at least some of their lives. This means that they are able to move under their own steam, consuming energy as they do so.

Animals feed directly or indirectly on living things

Zebra
Even herbivores like these zebras eat living things – just not other animals!

All animals are heterotrophs, which means that they obtain nourishment from living things (or the products of living things). This separates animals from other organisms such as plants that obtain energy from sunlight.

Remember that a plant is a living thing, so even herbivores (plant-eating animals) are reliant on other living things for energy.

Animals are Multicellular

Cells are the ‘building blocks’ out of which living things are made. Some of the simplest organisms, such as bacteria and protozoa, are ‘unicellular’, which means they are made up of just a single cell.

Animals, on the other hand, are multi-celled (multicellular) organisms: they are made up of thousands, and usually millions upon millions, of cells.

Animals Have Eukaryotic Cells

Animal Cell
Cross section of an animal cell.

Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus and other organelles that are enclosed within barriers called membranes.

(The nucleus contains the information that tells the organism how to grow. An organelle is a structure within a cell, such as a nucleus, that has a specific function.)

Both animals and plants have eukaryotic cells. Plant cells have certain features, such as a rigid cell wall and chloroplasts that enable photosynthesis, that are not present in animal cells.

Types of Animal

Types of Animals

Before you read any further, think of an animal – any animal – and picture it in your head.

What did you come up with? A tiger? A dog? Perhaps you thought of a bird, or a frog, or even something like an octopus (you crazy independent thinker, you).

Even those animals, as varied as they may be, don’t represent the whole range of species within Animalia.

We’ll look at the familiar types of animal further down the page, but let’s start by looking at some less ‘typical’ animals.

Invertebrates

wasp
An incredible 97% of all known animal species are invertebrates.

Animals are often grouped into those that have backbones (vertebrates), and those that do not (invertebrates).

It’s probably because we’re vertebrates ourselves that when we’re asked to think of a ‘typical’ animal, it’s usually a vertebrate that pops into our heads.

However, in the grand scheme of things vertebrates are somewhat of a minority. Invertebrates – animals without backbones – make up as much as 97% of all the species in the animal kingdom.

The term ‘invertebrates’ isn’t actually used in ‘proper’ animal classification. This is because animals without backbones aren’t necessarily related to each other. In fact, some invertebrates are more closely related to vertebrates than they are to other invertebrates.

However, some of the weirdest, least animal-like animals are invertebrates, which is why we’ll start our exploration of the animal kingdom here.

Sponges

Sponge Animal
Surprising as it may seem, sponges are animals.

Although seemingly more like plants than animals, sponges are nevertheless members of Animalia.

Sponges are very primitive animals, lacking organs and a nervous system. (A nervous system consists of nerves that transmit signals between different parts of the body, allowing them to ‘talk’ to each other.) Unlike other animals, the bodies of sponges are not symmetrical.

Although most sponges attach themselves to the sea bed and don’t move as adults, sponge larvae are able to swim.

Sea Squirts

Cionaintestinalis
Sea Squirt
Sea squirts are tube-shaped sea animals, which, after a short time spent as free swimming larvae, fix themselves onto the sea bed. They filter particles of food from water that is passed through their bodies.

Although, like sponges, sea squirts look more like plants than animals, they have organs and a simple nervous system.

Lancelets

Branchiostoma lanceolatum
Lancelet

Lancelets are small fish-like animals with translucent bodies. Although they don’t have a backbone – and are therefore not vertebrates – they do possess a flexible central nerve cord called a notochord.

Lancelets are harvested for food in some Asian countries. They are also studied by scientists for clues as to how vertebrates (animals with backbones) evolved.

Coral

Coral
Coral

You might think of coral as the rocky substance that makes coral reefs. In fact, corals are invertebrate animals that, in their larval form, are able to swim. Most corals remain in their larval form for just a few days before settling in a suitable position.

The body form of a coral is known as a ‘polyp’. Polyps are tubular, with tentacles and a mouth at one end. The coral secretes a hard substance called calcium carbonate as a protective exoskeleton. Coral reefs are formed by the exoskeletons of coral colonies.

Insects

Rusty patched bumble bee queen
Insects have been around a lot longer than us!

In case you were feeling pretty smug about being a mammal, here are some facts about insects that will wipe that self-satisfied smile off your face!

Insects are quite possibly the most successful animal groups ever to have existed. They’ve been around for 400 million years, appearing in the Devonian Period. (By comparison, modern humans only appeared a measly 200 thousand years ago.)

Over one million insect species have been identified – that’s more than half of all known animals. It is estimated that there may be as many as 10 million extant (living) species in total – so there are plenty more insects waiting to be discovered!

All insects share the same basic body plan. An insect’s body is divided into three parts: the head, thorax and abdomen. Their six legs are attached to the thorax, and the two antennae are attached to the head.

Crustaceans

Hermit Crab
The hermit crab is a crustacean

Most people know that crabs are crustaceans, but the group contains many other types of animal, including lobsters, shrimps and water fleas. Most crustaceans live in the sea, but some, such as wood lice, are adapted to living on land.

A crustacean’s body is protected by a hard exoskeleton. Many crustaceans have a carapace (hard shell), which is part of the exoskeleton. The crustacean has to shed the exoskeleton in order to grow.

Mollusks (Molluscs in British English)

Common Octopus Outstretched
The common octopus is a cephalopod

The world’s oceans are home to a greater number of mollusk species than to species of any other animal group.

The phylum Mollusca is extremely varied. It contains groups such as the bivalves (clams, oysters and mussels); gastropods (slugs and snails); and cephalopods (squid and octopuses).

Most mollusks live in the sea, but some, such as snails and slugs, are also found on land.

A characteristic of all mollusks is a specialized fleshy skin part called a mantle. The mantle covers much of the body and forms a cavity which houses the mollusk’s vital organs.

Vertebrates

Red Fox
The red fox, like all mammals, is a vertebrate.

Unlike invertebrates, vertebrates (members of the subphylum Vertebrata) form a scientific group in animal classification. Vertebrata includes all animals with a backbone (or rather, a vertebral column). According to the Catalogue of Life, 70,298 vertebrate species are currently recognized (source).

As you probably know, humans are vertebrates. You can prove you’re a vertebrate right now by reaching round and feeling the ridges of your backbone running along the center of your back. (The backbone should actually be called backbones, because your spinal column consists of several separate bones called vertebrae).

Vertebrata are a varied bunch. The group includes animals such as fish, which have gills and live in the water, mammals which breathe air and mainly live on land, and amphibians, which do both (at different points in their lives).

Let’s meet some vertebrates!

Fish

Tiger Shark
The tiger shark is a member of the class Chondrichthyes.

Fish are aquatic animals with streamlined bodies, fins instead of limbs, and gills. Gills are organs that extract oxygen from the water and excrete carbon dioxide.

Today, around half of all vertebrate species are fish. There are two main types of fish: bony fish (Osteichthyes) and cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes).

The skeletons of bony fish are made of bone (duh), whereas those of cartilaginous fish are made of a flexible, bone-like substance called cartilage.

Bony fish are by far the largest group of fish. The group includes fish such as trout, goldfish, cod and marlin. Cartilaginous fish include the sharks, rays and skates.

Amphibians

Frog
Frogs start life as tadpoles, before metamorphosing into frogs.

Amphibians evolved from fish around 360 million years ago. They were the first vertebrates to live on land. Amphibians have moist skin, and don’t have protective scales.

Many amphibians begin life in water as larvae equipped with gills. After undergoing a process known as metamorphosis, amphibians develop lungs and are able to live on land. (Some amphibians, such as axolotls, don’t undergo metamorphosis.)

There are three main groups of amphibian: Anura (frogs and toads), Urodela (salamanders), and Apoda (caecilians).

Caecilians are burrowing animals that resemble worms or snakes. They are found both on land and in water.

Salamanders have long tails and cylindrical bodies. Most have four legs, but some species spend most of their lives in the water and only have two small front limbs.

Frogs have tail-less, muscular bodies, and well-developed hind legs for jumping and swimming.

Reptiles

Olive ridley sea turtle
Olive ridley sea turtle

Reptiles are members of the class Reptilia. They evolved from amphibians around 310 million years ago.

Protected by scales, and able to lay eggs, early reptiles were no longer reliant on water, and could occupy habitats unavailable to amphibians.

Reptiles rose to prominence during the Mesozoic Era – the ‘Age of the Reptiles’ – and, as dinosaurs, were the dominant land animals. One branch of dinosaurs evolved into birds, and some scientists consider birds to be part of Reptilia.

Reptiles are cold-blooded and most lay eggs, although some reptiles give birth to live young. Today’s reptiles include crocodilians (crocodiles, alligators and gharials), snakes, lizards and turtles.

Birds

Golden Eagle head
A golden eagle is an expert predator – but its ancestors were even more fearsome!

Birds are now considered by many scientists to be ‘the last of the dinosaurs’. They evolved from dinosaurs around 150 million years ago, gradually losing their teeth and tails and developing beaks.

Birds are feathered, egg-laying vertebrates, most of which are able to fly. They are found on every continent and are able to survive in a wide range of conditions.

There are around 10,000 species of bird. More than half are passerines, or perching birds, members of the order Passeriformes. Passerine feet have three forward-facing toes and one backward-facing toe, an arrangement favorable to perching.

Other well-known bird groups include ratites (ostriches, cassowaries, kiwis, etc.), Psittaciformes (parrots), Sphenisciformes (penguins) and Accipitriformes (eagles, hawks and vultures).

Mammals

Tiger Cub
Tiger cub – a member of Mammalia.

Last but not least we come to the mammals, members of the class Mammalia. Mammals have hair, are warm-blooded, breathe air, and all but five species give birth to live young.

(The five species that don’t give birth to live young are the monotremes. Monotremes are egg-laying mammals. The group comprises the platypus and four species of echidna.)

Platypus
The Platypus is one of just five monotreme species.

One of the most important characteristics of mammalia is that female mammals have mammary glands. These are modified sweat glands that produce milk. This ready-made source of nourishment is highly advantageous to infant mammals.

The three main types of mammal are monotremes, marsupials and placental mammals.

Marsupials give birth to small, relatively undeveloped young, known as ‘joeys’. Joeys undergo further development within a special pouch in the mother’s body.

The developing fetus of a placental mammal receives nourishment from a special organ called a placenta while being carried in the mother’s womb.

Animals – The Ultimate Guide: Conclusion

We hope that you have enjoyed reading about animals and the animal kingdom. On this page you’ve found out about how animals are classified and what makes an animal an animal. You’ve also met many of the groups within Animalia.

Why not test your knowledge with our free animals worksheet, which has been specially produced for this page? You can download it (for free; no sign-up or log-in required) here.

Now discover more amazing animals!

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