Nashville Zoo Education Department
Animal Wrappers Vocabulary
1. Amphibian: An ectothermic animal with moist or wet skin that begins life in a
mass of jelly-like eggs. It later undergoes physical change and develops into an
adult. Examples: frogs, toads and salamanders.
2. Bird: Two-legged endothermic animal that has wings, a beak, and a body
covered in feathers and lays hard shelled eggs. Examples: hawks, robins,
and chickens.
3. Characteristic: Something which distinguishes or identifies an animal.
4. Ectotherm: Animal that depends on outside sources (the environment) to raise or lower its
body temperature (also referred to as cold blooded).
5. Endotherm: Animal that can produce its own body heat to help maintain a constant body
temperature (also referred to as warm blooded).
6. Feathers: Growths covering the body of a bird and making up a large part
of their wing surface.
7. Fish: Aquatic ectothermic animal that typically has fins, scales and gills
that provide oxygen to the blood.
8. Fur: Thick coat of soft hair covering the skin of a mammal, such as a fox
or beaver.
9. Invertebrate: An animal that does not have a backbone such as an insect, worm or spider.
10. Mammal: Endothermic animal that has fur or hair, gives live birth, and
mothers produce milk to feed the young. Examples: cows, people, cats.
11. Reptile: Ectothermic animal covered with dry scales. Examples:
alligators, crocodiles, turtles, snakes, and lizards.
12. Scales: Flattened and rigid plates covering of many animals such as
snakes.
13. Skin: The outer covering the bodies of many animals such as humans and Hellbenders.
14. Vertebrates: An animal with a backbone such as mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and
amphibians.
Updated: 28 August 2014
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