Classification challenge
Get to grips with groups
Can you tell the difference between a bird and a fish? How about a reptile
and an amphibian? To help us understand the variety of animals on Earth,
scientists put animals into groups. This is called classifying them. This trail
explores the group of animals with backbones, called vertebrates.
In this Museum similar animals are displayed together. Most animals here are vertebrates: animals with a
backbone. We also have some invertebrates on display. They don’t have a backbone.
Circle the vertebrate animals shown here.
giant millipede
common
sunstar
swordfish
ostrich
giant Japanese
spider crab
fire salamander
Neptune’s
cup coral
proboscis
monkey
Fish
Gallery 3
Find the arapaima in case 5 . This giant fish from the Amazon River shows us good
examples of the features of animals that belong to the fish group.
Can you complete the features that are missing from this arapaima?
Natural History Museum at Tring
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School’s activity sheet – Classification challenge
Gallery 3
Now find the Port Jackson shark label.
What are the unusual screw-shaped objects beside it?
Explore some more
Find the flying fish.
How do these unusual fish use their fins?
How far can they glide?
Amphibians
Gallery 6
Find the Malayan giant frog.
How would you describe this frog’s skin? Circle your answer.
smooth
Gallery 6
rough
scaly
spiky
hairy
Find the glass jar holding the common spade-foot toad. The eggs are at the top and the
adult toad is at the bottom.
As the tadpole develops into a toad, does its tail get longer or shorter?
Explore some more
Find the olm and the mud puppy.
What do you think the frills/flaps are for behind the mud puppy’s head?
Reptiles
Gallery 6
Find the Komodo dragon.
Can you finish drawing the dragon’s body covering?
A
B
C
Natural History Museum at Tring
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School’s activity sheet – Classification challenge
Gallery 6
Find the Aldabra giant tortoise.
Where do you think these reptiles lay their eggs? Tick your answer.
in shallow rock pools
in holes dug in the sandy ground
attached to cactus stems
Explore some more
You have looked at a lizard and a tortoise.
Which other groups of animals are reptiles?
You can see more reptiles in Gallery 6 and some in Gallery 3 .
Birds
Gallery 1
Find the Victoria crowned pigeon in case 14 .
What covers most of this bird’s body?
feathers
fur
scales
skin
Can you match which limb belongs to this pigeon?
Explore some more
In Gallery 6 find the ostrich egg. How many hen’s eggs do you think weigh as much as one ostrich egg?
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Natural History Museum at Tring
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24
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School’s activity sheet – Classification challenge
Mammals
Gallery 1
Find the howler monkey.
Can you complete
this drawing to show
what covers the howler
monkey’s body?
A
B
C
Gallery 1
Find the tiger cub.
What do you think is the first thing mammal mothers feed their babies after they are born?
Tick the correct answer.
milk
bread
meat
Explore some more
In Gallery 6 find the platypus and echidnas.
What is unusual about these mammals?
Fill in the blanks in this grid to compare the features of the five vertebrate groups.
You can check your answers with your teacher.
Mammals
Body covering Breathe in air
or water?
Eggs or live
young?
Hair or fur
Air
Legs or fins and
some have wings
Air
Most eggs,
Legs or fins
some live young
Reptiles
Fish
Scales
Birds
Amphibians
Legs, fins or
wings?
Most eggs,
some live young
Most cold,
some warm
Air
Warm
Moist skin
Natural History Museum at Tring
Warm or cold
blooded?
Eggs
4
Legs
Cold
School’s activity sheet – Classification challenge