Carnivores
eat animals
Omnivores
eat animals and plants
+
(At each animal enclosure you will find information about what they eat)
eat plants
Herbivores
We can also group animals based on what they eat.
How many of each type can you find at the zoo?
Food & Feeding
TEACHER
NOTES
Classifying Animals
Today you are going to learn about some of the animal
groups in the world and how we classify animals into
these groups.
My name is:
Can yo
u draw
your ro
ute aro
und the
zoo on
the ma
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INE?
AVE A SP
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Animal groups
D
Animals that have bones inside their body can be split into five groups:
These 5 groups are called VERTEBRATES (as they have a backbone/spine - see if
the pupils can feel their own spine). Animals without bones inside their bodies
are called INVERTEBRATES. Visit B.U.G.S. and Butterfly Paradise to see lots of
invertebrates at the zoo,
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Fish
Amphibians
have hair
have feathers
have dry scales
have wet scales
have smooth skin
Frog
Clownfish
Giraffe Gorilla Okapi
Tortoise
Macaw
Vulture
Seahorse
Komodo Dragon
Zebra
Tiger
Mammals also give birth
to live babies and feed
their babies milk.
Penguin
Birds also always lay
eggs, have wings
(although don’t always
fly) and have beaks.
CHALLENGE QUESTION:
CHALLENGE QUESTION:
Do all birds fly?
Why do some mammals have
eyes at the front of their
head and others at the side?
Take a look at the penguins
and emus for examples of
birds who can’t fly.
(Predators eyes at front - to
hunt. Prey eyes at side - to see
behind)
At penguins, how many
adaptations the students can
note - there are information
boards here to highlight their
adaptations.
Reptiles also usually lay
eggs. They can live on
land or in water but
always breathe air with
lungs (like mammals and
birds).
Fish also usually lay eggs
(sharks for example
don’t). They live in water
and breathe with gills
(not lungs).
Amphibians usually lay
eggs. Some live in
water when young (and
breathe with gills) then
develop lungs when
older e.g. frogs.
You can show this to
the students by visiting
the tadpoles in the
Reptile House.
CHALLENGE QUESTION:
CHALLENGE QUESTION:
CHALLENGE QUESTION:
LOOK AT A VARIETY OF
REPTILES IN THE REPTILE
HOUSE.
LOOK AT A VARIETY OF FISH IN
THE AQUARIUM:
Some reptiles live in water
(like crocodiles & turtles).
Do they have gills or lungs?
Do fish have legs? Why
not? What do they have
instead and how might this
help them? (fins to swim)
(lungs - they hold their breathe
underwater).
COMPARE THE REPTILES AND
AMPHIBIANS IN THE REPTILE
HOUSE
What key differences can
you see?
rrival!
A
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e
NFor an unusual amphibian example go
see “Professor Wu” the Giant
Salamander (opposite the Galapagos
Tortoises)