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Summaries · Grade 7 Natural Sciences › Animal groups in depth
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Animal groups in depth

Cold- and warm-blooded animals, invertebrate groups, and the five vertebrate classes up close. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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Warm and cold

In winter a dog stays warm, but a snake becomes slow: the snake is cold-blooded. A lizard lies in the sun in the morning to get going. Insects must moult, because their hard exoskeleton cannot grow.

The lizard basks in the sun; the dog stays warm in its coat.
The lizard basks in the sun; the dog stays warm in its coat.
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Invertebrates

GroupFeatureExample
Insects3 body parts, 6 legsBeetle, bee
Arachnids2 body parts, 8 legsSpider, scorpion
CrustaceansHard shell; mostly in waterCrab, prawn, crayfish
MyriapodsVery many legsMillipede
MolluscsSoft body, often a shellSnail, octopus
WormsLong soft bodyEarthworm
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Comparing vertebrates

  • Fish live in water, breathe with gills, have fins and usually scales, are cold-blooded and mostly lay eggs in water.
  • Frogs are amphibians: they live in water and on land; tadpoles breathe with gills.
  • Only birds have feathers; only mammals feed their young milk.
  • Reptiles: dry, scaly skin and eggs with leathery shells.
  • Birds and mammals: both warm-blooded vertebrates with lungs.
Rule

The first question to classify an animal: does it have a backbone?

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Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • Cold-blooded (ectothermic): body temperature changes with the surroundings (air or water). Warm-blooded (endothermic): stays steady.
  • An insect has three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen) and 6 legs; a spider two and 8 legs.
  • Molluscs: snails, octopuses. Crustaceans: crabs, prawns. Myriapods: many legs.
  • About 95% of all animal species are invertebrates.
  • A whale is a mammal: it breathes air and feeds its young milk. A sea turtle is a reptile.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Insect: 3 parts, 6 legs (“3 × 2”). Spider: 2 parts, 8 legs. Count the legs and you know the group.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.

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