martes, 25 de agosto de 2015

Birds


There are over 8,000 species of birds. Birds have 3 major differentiating characteristics: wings for flight, feathers, and a beak rather than teeth. Birds have adapted their vertebrate skeleton for flight. Their bones and skull are very thin, making their bodies extremely light. To support flight also required other changes to their skeleton. Obvious changes are the addition of wings.Other changes are less obvious. The claws and muscles of a bird's foot are designed to lock and hold onto a perch even while the bird is sleeping.
A bird's respiratory system is also adapted to make it easier to breathe at high elevations, where air is thinner.


jueves, 20 de agosto de 2015

Reptiles: Lizards, Snakes, and Others

Reptiles have been around for 300 million years, even during the dinosaur age. The most common reptiles include alligators, crocodiles, lizards, snakes, tortoises and turtles. Reptiles are air-breathing animals, although many live not only on land but in water. The most noticeable feature of reptiles are the scales that cover their body. The majority of reptiles lay eggs to give birth to their young.
Although reptiles breathe through lungs, some reptiles can also absorb oxygen in water through membranes in their mouth



Reptiles are often called cold-blooded because they can't regulate their own body temperature. Their body temperature depends on the external temperature. They will lay in the sun to heat their body, or hide in the ground, under a rock or in water to cool their body.

Crocodiles and alligators are large reptiles that spend much of their time on land and in water. They can walk on land using their webbed feet. They can also use their long tail to swim in water. Crocodiles feed on large animals they catch on land or in water. They have powerful jaws and teeth to tear apart their prey.




Lizards and snakes are the largest group of reptiles. Lizards are four legged animals with a long tail. Many lizards can shed their tail to escape from predators. They can then grow a new tail.


Some lizards, such as the chameleon, can change colors to blend into their environment. This camouflage helps to protect them from predators.


Snakes don't have limbs. They move by slithering along the ground.Some snakes are poisonous, or venomous, such as the rattle snake, cobra, and eastern green mamba. They have fangs which bite into their prey and inject poison into the victim.Other snakes, such as the boa constrictor and the python kill their prey by crushing it. Most snakes can dislocate their jaw, allowing them to swallow prey much larger than themselves.




Amphibians

Amphibians lay their eggs in water, and young amphibians tend to resemble small fish.
The tadpole, or newborn frog, is born and lives in water. It has a tail that allows it to swim like a fish. It also has gills so that it can breathe under water. As the tadpole grow into a frog, it loses its gills and tail, and develops legs for moving on land. Most amphibians can both walk and swim in water.
Depending on the species of amphibian, breathing can take place in gills, lungs, the lining of the mouth, the skin, or some combination of these.Amphibians body temperature changes with its environment. In cold climates, amphibians hibernate during the winter.



Echinoderms: Starfish, Sea Urchin and Family

Echinoderms: Starfish, Sea Urchin and Family
Echinoderms are marine animals that live in the ocean. Common echinoderms include the sea star, sea urchin, sand dollar and sea cucumber. Most echinoderms have arms or spines that radiate from the center of their body. The central body contains their organs, and their mouth for feeding.
Sea stars, commonly known as the starfish, have 5 or more arms attached to their body.On the bottom of the Starfish are small tube feet to help with movement and feeding. The starfish's mouth is underneath, and is capable of eating other sea life such as clams and mussels.Another type of echinoderm is the sea urchin. Sea urchins have many spines connected to their body. These spines help to protect them from predators.


Science : Protozoa............ Only third and fourth

Protozoa are simple, single-celled animals. They are the smallest of all animals. Most protozoa are microscopic in size, and can only be seen under a microscope. However, they do breathe, move and reproduce like multicelled animals.
There are several types of protozoa. The amoebas are clear, shapeless cells. Flagellates have a body shape looking like a hair.
Although we can't see them, protozoa do a lot for us. Protozoa play a useful role in the food chain as a source of food for fish and other animals. Some protozoa are helpful to humans by eating dangerous bacteria. Unfortunately, other protozoa are parasites and can be harmful to humans by transmitting disease.

Protozoa eat tiny algae and bacteria. Some protozoa absorb food through their cell membrane. Others surround and engulf their food or have openings to collect food. They digest their food in stomach-like compartments called vacuoles.
Protozoa take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide through the cell membrane.
Protozoa reproduces by splitting in half.