MAMMALS

There are all sorts of mammals.

They can be very big like whales or elephants.

They can also be very small like mice.

Mammals have a backbone. They’re vertebrates.

Mammals have a protective covering of fur or hair.

Mammals breathe in oxygen from the air with their lungs.

Mammals have live babies. They don’t lay eggs. They’re viviparous.

Mammals drink their mother’s milk until they can find their own food.

Most mammals have four legs and move on land.

Some mammals have flippers to move in the water.

Mammals can be herbivores, carnivores or omnivores.

They have different types of teeth depending on what they eat.

BIRDS

Birds are vertebrates.

There are thousand of types of birds on Earth. They can be big or small, and they can be lots of different colours.

Birds breathe with their lungs.

Birds can be herbivores, carnivores or omnivores.

Birds lay eggs. They’re oviparous.

All birds are covered in feathers and have wings, but not all birds can fly.

All birds have a beak.

The eagle has a hooked beak for tearing meat.

Birds that eat nuts and seeds have short beaks.

Birds that catch fish have long,

sharp beaks.

Birds that eat nectar from flowers have long, thin beaks.

FISH

Fish are vertebrates.

Fish have fins and scales.

Fish breathe through their gills.

Fish live in freshwater or in sea water. There are fish that can live in both freshwater and sea water.

Most fish are oviparous, but some are viviparous.

Fish can be herbivores, carnivores or omnivores.

AMPHIBIANS

Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates.

Amphibians are oviparous and they lay their eggs in the water.

Baby amphibians live and grow in water and breathe through their gills like fish.

In a process called metamorphosis, baby amphibians change and grow into adult amphibians.

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Adult amphibians live in water and on land.

Adult amphibians breathe with their lungs and absorb oxygen through their moist skin.

Most amphibians are carnivores.