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Animal classification

Animals can be divided into groups. We call this 'classification'. Classification allows us to group animals together depending on their similarities and differences.

Animals are divided into two main groups: Animals with a backbone are called vertebrates. Animals without a backbone are called invertebrates.

Vertebrates and invertebrates can be sorted into smaller groups.

Vertebrates, for example, are divided into mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Mammals

Mammals are warm-blooded animals with hair or fur and can produce milk to feed their young.

They have three ear bones, which allow for better hearing.

They also have a special muscle called a diaphragm muscle that helps in breathing.

Mammals come in various shapes and sizes, from tiny mice to enormous whales!

Typical mammals in Northern Ireland include dogs, cats, squirrels, badgers, foxes and hedgehogs.

Birds

Birds are warm-blooded animals with feathers, wings, and a beak or bill. They lay eggs and are the only animals with feathers.

Birds also have a light skeleton, with hollow bones that make it easier for them to fly.

Like mammals, birds come in all sizes and shapes, from tiny hummingbirds to enormous ostriches.

Birds can be found in nearly every environment on Earth, including the sky, water, forests, and grasslands.

Birds in Northern Ireland include puffins, magpies, robins, blackbirds, ducks and owls.

How many types of birds have you spotted in Northern Ireland?

Reptiles

Reptiles are animals that have dry, scaly skin and are cold-blooded. This means their body temperature changes with the environment around them.

They have claws or nails on their toes and lay eggs on land. Some reptiles have four legs, while others have no legs, like snakes.

Reptiles can live in many different places, like deserts, forests, and oceans. Some examples of reptiles are snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and turtles!

Northern Ireland does not have suitable habitats and conditions for many reptiles.

There is just one native terrestrial reptile in Northern Ireland, the viviparous lizard, which is widely distributed, particularly in heaths, bogs and sand dunes, but little information is recorded.

Amphibians

Amphibians are animals that live both in water and on land. They start their lives in water, hatching from eggs, and then grow into adults that can breathe air.

Most Amphibians have soft, smooth skin that they can breathe through. They usually have four legs and long, sticky tongues to catch insects.

Some common examples of amphibians are frogs, toads, and newts. Keep an eye out for these amphibians near rivers or wet places across Northern Ireland!

Fish

Fish are animals that live in water and breathe through their gills. Gills are like underwater lungs.

They have scaly skin that helps them to move through the water and fins that help them swim.

Fish lay eggs in the water and can be small, like tiny minnows or gigantic, like huge sharks!

Some fish have teeth, like piranhas, while others have flat mouths that help them eat plants or algae.

Fish can be found in all kinds of water, like oceans, rivers and lakes.

In Northern Ireland, some common fish types found in rivers include salmon and trout. Along the coastline, boats might fish for plaice and mackerel.

Invertebrates

Invertebrates are animals without a backbone.

In fact, they don’t have any bones at all!

They range in size from microscopic mites and almost invisible flies to giant squid with soccer-ball-size eyes.

Some common invertebrates include worms, snails, spiders, crabs and lobsters.