Facts about Animals
Animals are eukaryotic (genetic material is organized in membrane-bound nuclei) and multicellular (comprised of more than one cell), which separates them from bacteria and most protists.
Taxonomists recognize about 37 to 38 phyla of living animals, with several additional phyla having once existed.
The former includes animals such as snails, clams, and squids, and the latter comprises the segmented worms, such as earthworms and leeches.
The animal kingdom is further separated into phyla, which are major groupings of animals according to some basic body plan.
Animals are also commonly divided into the two major groups of the vertebrates (those with a backbone or spinal column) and the invertebrates (those without).
Animals are a major group of organisms, classified as the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa.
Animals include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, spiders, crabs, star fish, sea urchins, snails, sponges, earthworms, and many, many more.
Animals with this sort of organization are called metazoans, or eumetazoans, where the former is used for animals in general.
The remaining animals form a monophyletic group called the Bilateria.
The classification schemes for animals reflect the diversity of the organisms themselves.
When animals eat these plants (or eat other animals that have eaten plants), the sugars produced by the plant are used by the animal.
Aside from them, most animals with known phyla make a more or less simultaneous appearance during the Cambrian Period, about 570 million years ago.
One possible biological classification of animals is presented in the box at the top of this article.
All animals have eukaryotic cells, surrounded by a characteristic extracellular matrix composed of collagen and elastic glycoproteins.
Most animals have bilateral symmetry, as it is adapted for active movement.
Some may represent precursors of modern phyla, but they may be separate groups, and it is possible they are not really animals at all.
The first fossils that might represent animals appear towards the end of the Precambrian, around 600 million years ago, and are known as the Vendian biota.
The structure of animals may exhibit radial symmetry or bilateral symmetry.
Some organisms, such as the microscopic protozoa, were originally considered animals because they move, but are now treated separately.
Aristotle divided the living world between animals and plants, and this was followed by Carolus Linnaeus in the first hierarchical classification.
Some may represent precursors of modern phyla, but they may be separate groups, and it is possible they are not really animals at all.
The short answer is yes, bees are both insects and animals. In fact, all insects are animals, and pretty much anything that's not a plant, fungus, bacterium, virus, or protist is an animal too. ... That leaves plant or animal.Jan 27, 2013
Giant Anteater. Linne's Two-toed Sloth. Southern Three-banded Armadillo.Andean Bear. Amur Leopard. Amur Tiger. ... Addax. Babirusa. Bactrian Camel. ... Allen's Swamp Monkey. Black and White Colobus Monkey. ... Matschie's Tree Kangaroo. Opossum. ... Black-tailed Prairie Dog. Capybara. ... California Sea Lion. Harbor Seal.Egg-laying Mammals. Hedgehogs.
The family Ursidae is one of nine families in the suborder Caniformia, or "doglike" carnivorans, within the order Carnivora. Bears' closest living relatives are the pinnipeds, canids, and musteloids.
Animals in Antarctica - South Polar. Antarctic animals - The most abundant and best known animals from the southern continent. Penguins, whales seals, albatrosses, other seabirds and a range of invertebrates you may have not heard of such as krill which form the basis of the Antarctic food web.
WHAT ARE THE 10 LARGEST ANIMALS OF THE AMAZON RAINFOREST OF ECUADORManatee.Amazon Tapirs.Jaguar.Puma.Amazon Dolphins.Black Caiman.White Tailed Deer.Peccary.More items...
Food. Over 56 billion farmed animals are killed every year by humans. These shocking figures do not even include fish and other sea creatures whose deaths are so great they are only measured in tonnes.
Animal rights is the idea in which some, or all, non-human animals are entitled to the possession of their own lives and that their most basic interests—such as the need to avoid suffering—should be afforded the same consideration as similar interests of human beings.
The argument can be rescued by rewriting it like this: If an individual is a member of a species that lacks the capacity for free moral judgment, then he or she does not have moral rights. All non-human animal species lack the capacity for free moral judgment. Therefore, non-human animals do not have moral rights.
Do animals feel pain in the same way as humans do? Pain is a complex experience involving sensory and emotional components: it is not just about how it feels, but also how it makes you feel. And it is these unpleasant feelings that cause the suffering we humans associate with pain.Jul 7, 2015
Whether animals can experience romantic love is unknown. But there is some evidence that they are capable of experiencing the same range of emotions as we can. The brains of many mammals are surprisingly similar to the human brain. Take as an example the brain of a cat.Feb 24, 2014
An animal in a state of panic can't function at all. I also think intense fear is an easier state for animals to get into than it is for normal human beings -- a lot easier. Animals feel intense fear when they're threatened in any way, regardless of whether they're predators or prey.
Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every year. People who live in places with high levels of air pollutants have a 20% higher risk of death from lung cancer than people who live in less-polluted areas.
Animals Living In and Around the River Nile. There are a vast number of animals that live in and around the River Nile, attracted by its fertile waters. ... Reptiles. The most well-known and common reptile to be found in the River Nile area is the famous Nile crocodile. ... Hippopotamus and Rhino. ... Fish.
All creatures great and small blink — except for fish, snakes and other animals without eyelids. Then there are some special creatures — perhaps most famously hamsters — that wink, blinking only one eye at a time. In 1927, W.P.Jul 22, 2011
Snow leopards prey upon the blue sheep (bharal) of Tibet and the Himalaya, as well as the mountain ibex found over most of the rest of their range. Though these powerful predators can kill animals three times their weight, they also eat smaller fare, such as marmots, hares, and game birds.
MammalsBlack-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)Bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea)Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)Swift fox (Vulpes velox)White-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)
Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every year. People who live in places with high levels of air pollutants have a 20% higher risk of death from lung cancer than people who live in less-polluted areas.
Wild Elephants Live Longer Than Their Zoo Counterparts. For African elephants, the median life span is 17 years for zoo-born females, compared to 56 years in the Amboseli National Park population. For Asian elephants, the results are "much more worrying because they are the rarer of the two species," Mason said.
According to the BBC, between 3,000 and 5,000 healthy zoo animals are killed in Europe every year. In the U.S., the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) says flatly that incidents of killing healthy surplus animals "do not happen at AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums."Oct 14, 2015
Zoos cannot provide the amount of space animals have in the wild. This is particularly the case for those species who roam larger distances in their natural habitat. Tigers and lions have around 18,000 times less space in zoos than they would in the wild.Mar 3, 2010
Over 3,700 animals from over 650 different species and subspecies live on its more than 40 hectares. The Frankfurter Zoo with its 11,000 acres is home of about 4,500 individuals of around 450 animal species. Zoos used to show as many attractive, spectacular and exotic species as possible.Aug 8, 2017
Most animals confined in zoos are not endangered, nor are they being prepared for release into natural habitats. In fact, it is nearly impossible to release captive-bred animals, including threatened species like elephants, polar bears, gorillas, tigers and chimpanzees into the wild.
Rainforests are populated with insects (like butterflies and beetles), arachnids (like spiders and ticks), worms, reptiles (like snakes and lizards), amphibians (like frogs and toads), birds (like parrots and toucans) and mammals (like sloths and jaguars). Different animals live in different strata of the rainforest.
Hold Rivers and Lakes in Your Hand! All sorts of plants and animals live in lakes, including fish, turtles, and algae. Water birds rely on lakes for food, water, and a place to live. Animals that live near a lake may visit it to find food, take a drink, or cool off.
An animal test is any scientific experiment or test in which a live animal is forced to undergo something that is likely to cause them pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. Animal experiments are not the same as taking your companion animal to the vet.
Many different species are used around the world, but the most common include mice, fish, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, farm animals, birds, cats, dogs, mini-pigs, and non-human primates (monkeys, and in some countries, chimpanzees). Video: Watch what scientists have to say about alternatives to animal testing.Oct 21, 2012
Although they are not required by law, several tests are commonly performed that expose mice, rats, rabbits and guinea pigs to cosmetics ingredients. These can include: Skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are rubbed onto the shaved skin or dripped into the eyes of restrained rabbits without any pain relief.Mar 13, 2014
Each year, more than 100 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing.
Because animal tests are so unreliable, they make those human trials all the more risky. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has noted that 95 percent of all drugs that are shown to be safe and effective in animal tests fail in human trials because they don't work or are dangerous.
Arctic foxes generally eat any small animal they can find, including lemmings, voles, other rodents, hares, birds, eggs, fish, and carrion. They scavenge on carcasses left by larger predators such as wolves and polar bears, and in times of scarcity even eat their feces.
They are home to an amazing array of unique animal species: giant tortoises, iguanas, fur seals, sea lions, sharks, rays, and 26 species of native birds––14 of which make up the group known as Darwin's finches.
Grizzly bears are powerful, top-of-the-food-chain predators, yet much of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots. Bears also eat other animals, from rodents to moose. Grizzlies are typically brown, though their fur can appear to be white-tipped, or grizzled, lending them their traditional name.
The fauna in the arctic is also diverse:Herbivorous mammals: lemmings, voles, caribou, arctic hares and squirrels.Carnivorous mammals: arctic foxes, wolves, and polar bears.Migratory birds: ravens, snow buntings, falcons, loons, ravens, sandpipers, terns, snow birds, and various species of gulls.More items...
Clown Fish FactsKingdom: Five groups that classify all living thingsAnimaliaMain Prey:Algae, Plankton, MolluscsPredators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animalFish, Eels, SharksDistinctive Features: Characteristics unique to the animalBright markings and immune to stings from the sea anemone21 more rows
Hammerhead Shark FactsKingdom: Five groups that classify all living thingsAnimaliaMain Prey:Fish, Squid, OctopusPredators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animalTiger Shark, Great White Shark, Killer WhaleSpecial Features:Broad, flat head and large eyes21 more rows
ANIMALSAfrican Wild Dog. Arabian Wildcat. Armadillo. Ankole Longhorn Cattle. ... Bats. Bighorn Sheep. Bear (Black) Bison (Plains Bison) ... Camels: - Bactrian Camel (two humps) - Dromedary Camels (one hump) - Southwestern Camel Experiment. ... Coyote. Coyote ebook.Dama Gazelle.Deer - Mule.Deer - White-Tailed. Desert Shrew. Dingo. Dinosaurs.
Since water is so scarce, most desert animals get their water from the food they eat: succulent plants, seeds, or the blood and body tissues of their prey. ... Desert animals prevent water leaving their bodies in a number of different ways.
Common animals of the California deserts include the desert bighorn sheep, desert kit fox, coyote, spotted skunk, spotted bat, black-tailed jackrabbit, ground squirrels, kangaroo rat, white-footed mouse, and desert tortoise.
The two main adaptations that desert animals must make are how to deal with lack of water and how to deal with extremes in temperature. ... Since water is so scarce, most desert animals get their water from the food they eat: succulent plants, seeds, or the blood and body tissues of their prey.
Desert succulents, such as cacti or rock plants (Lithops) for example, survive dry spells by accumulating moisture in their fleshy tissues. They have an extensive system of shallow roots to capture soil water only a few hours after it has rained.