What is an animal?

For many people, an animal has four legs, a head at the front and a tail at the back. There are, in fact, many different kinds of animals. Some are so small that you cannot see them with the human eye. Some have no head, no mouth, no legs. Some live in the sea. Some can fly. They come in thousands of different shapes, sizes, and colours.

Insects. One of the largest groups of animals is the insect group. These animals have six legs and three parts to their bodies. Many insects cause humans problems. Some carry diseases. Others are a problem because they eat the food that farmers grow. But there are insects, like bees and butterflies that we need because they help flowers and fruit to grow.

Birds. Like many of the insects, birds have wings and can fly. There are many different types of birds. Some eat fish and are happy living near rivers or the sea. Others like to live in the town and countryside in flocks of many hundreds and eat mostly insects, and there are birds, which like to live alone high in the mountains. These birds, like the mountain eagle, eat meat with their strong sharp beaks. They also have sharp claws on their feet, which are perfect for hunting and killing.

Fish and reptiles. Fish and reptiles are cold-blooded animals. Fish live in the sea, but reptiles usually live on the land. Reptiles are probably the least popular animals. They include the long thin snakes that many people are afraid of. However, some people keep snakes in their homes as pets!

Mammals. Like birds, mammals are warm-blooded, and just as all birds have feathers, all mammals have hair on their bodies. Sometimes you can hardly see the hair. Sometimes the hair is very thick, and then it is called fur. There are several different groups of mammals. There are the cats, which include lions and tigers; there are animals with large front teeth, which include mice and rats; there are the sea mammals, which include the whale, the largest animal in the world. Then there are animals which have two arms and can walk on two legs like monkeys and, of course, humans.

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