Vertebrates: Animals With Backbones
Vertebrates are all animals that have a backbone or spinal column. This special structure helps support their bodies and allows for different movements. For example, your backbone is what lets you stand up straight!
Scientists group vertebrates into five main types. Amphibians like frogs and salamanders live in water when young (breathing through gills) and develop lungs as adults. They can actually breathe through their skin too! Reptiles like snakes and lizards are born with lungs and are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature changes with their surroundings.
Mammals (like you, dogs, and bears) use lungs to breathe and produce milk for their babies. Most mammals give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. These animals have adapted to live in many different environments all over the world.
Fun Fact: Scientists study embryos (developing babies) of different vertebrates to understand how they're related. All vertebrates follow the same 23 developmental stages, called Carnegie stages, though at different speeds!
