A cat and a dog both have fur and four legs. A bird has feathers and two legs. Scientists sort animals into groups by looking at how they are alike (the same) and different.
Count the legs
| Legs | Animals |
|---|---|
| 2 legs | birds like the scarlet ibis, the cocrico and chickens; people |
| 4 legs | dog, cat, goat, cow, agouti, iguana |
| 6 legs | insects: butterfly, ant, bee, beetle |
| no legs | fish, snakes, worms |
Wings
Birds, butterflies, bees and bats have wings. Most of them can fly. A chicken has wings but can only flutter a little.
Body coverings
- fur or hair: dog, cat, agouti
- feathers: all birds
- scales: fish, snakes, iguanas
- shell: turtles, snails
Insects
An insect’s body has 3 parts: the head, the thorax (middle, where the legs and wings join) and the abdomen (the back part). Insects have 6 legs. A spider has 8 legs, so a spider is not an insect!
TRY ITAnimal groups
Choose a game. Tap your answer.
Let’s practise
Try each one. Then tap Show answer to check.
1. How many legs does a cow have?
Show answer
4.
2. What covers a bird’s body?
Show answer
Feathers.
3. Name an animal with scales.
Show answer
For example a fish, snake or iguana.
4. Name the three body parts of an insect.
Show answer
Head, thorax, abdomen.
5. How are a bat and a bird alike? How are they different?
Show answer
Alike: both have wings and can fly. Different: a bat has fur, a bird has feathers.
Quick check
1. Is an ant an insect? How do you know?
Show answer
Yes. It has 6 legs and 3 body parts.
2. Which group: dog, cat, agouti?
Show answer
4 legs and fur.
3. Name an animal with no legs.
Show answer
For example a fish, snake or worm.
Words to know
Say these words with a grown-up. Can you use each one in a sentence?
alike · different · group · legs · wings · fur · feathers · scales · insect · head · thorax · abdomen
Try it at home
- Look closely at an ant or a fly (do not touch!). Count its legs and body parts.
- Make a scrapbook page: animals with fur, feathers and scales.
- Play “Guess my animal”: describe the legs and covering, and the other person guesses.
For parents and teachers
After this lesson, your child should be able to:
- sort animals by number of legs (2, 4, 6), wings and body covering
- name the three body parts of an insect
- say how two animals are alike and how they are different
Encourage careful looking with a magnifying glass if you have one. Do not handle stinging insects or bring wild animals indoors.
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Attributions to media used in this post:
Red postman butterfly (Heliconius erato).jpg – Charles J. Sharp – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
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