Fish,+Amphibians,+and+Reptiles

You've just learned that vertebrates are animals with a backbone. You also know that fish, amphibians, and reptiles are all classified as vertebrates, but how much do you know about these animals?

__Fish__- There are over 20,000 known species of fish and they can come in all shapes and sizes. Some are smaller than the length of your pinky finger such as this goby fish pictured below or as large as this whale shark (also pictured below). Fish do not have lungs like we do for breathing, so for breathing fish use gills. Most importantly, fish are vertebrates because they have a skeleton made of bone or cartlidge. Use the internet to find 5 interesting facts about fish! How do they swim? What do they eat? How big was the largest fish ever?

__Amphibians__- These animals can live in water and on land. Amphibians start their life in the water. Let's take the example of the frog. A baby frog is a tadpole and lives in the water. Tadpoles have gills so that they can breathe under water and a tail so that they can swim. As they mature into frogs, they develop legs and lungs and they are now suitable for land. Frogs and salamanders are amphibians. Use the internet to find 5 fascinating facts about amphibians! __Reptiles__- These vertebrates are ancient animals and were here during the dinosaurs time. Although they do spend alot of time in the water, reptiles use lungs, not gills to breathe. Reptiles are characterized by the scales on their skin. Crocidiles, snakes, lizards, and turtles are all examples of reptiles. An interesting fact about reptiles is that snakes and lizards are the largest reptile family.