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Science
Quarter 2 – Week 4 & 5
Module 3A: Characteristics of
Vertebrates
Science
Quarter 2 – Week 4 & 5
Module 3A: Characteristics of Vertebrates
First Edition, 2020

Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: Jhoanne A. Lomboy, MT I

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team
Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos, Jr., P II

Management Team:

Atty. Donato D. Balderas, Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent
Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, Ph.D
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
German E. Flora, Ph.D, CID Chief
Virgilio C. Boado, Ph.D, EPS in Charge of LRMS
Rominel S. Sobremonte, Ed.D, EPS in Charge of Science
Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II
Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II
 Target

This module was made and written with you in mind. It will help you develop
your skills in determining the distinct characteristics of vertebrates and invertebrates.
Animals can be grouped as vertebrates and invertebrates based from the
presence and absence of backbones. In this module, you are going to determine the
distinguishing characteristics of vertebrates.
After going through this module, you are expected to determine the distinguishing
characteristics of animals with backbones. This module will provide you information
and activities that will help you understand about the distinguishing characteristics of
vertebrates. After going through this module, you are expected to determine the
distinguishing characteristics of animals with backbones (S6MT-IIe-f-3)

Jumpstart

WORDSEARCH: Find and encircle the names of the animals with backbone. The
following words can be located diagonally, horizontally, vertically.

C R O C O D I L E A I H
S A B D F H U I L P S O
B V U C Z A S B T Y M R
A N T E R R F G H J K S
T E T R E T U R T L E E
E L E S H R I M O P T K
P A R R O T H J K G M N
O L F S P I D E R Y E S
M I L K F I S H F G J H
S H Y I J S Q U I D Y A
N O I N Z I N S I D E R
A L D B J A N E A B E K
K U L M M H R S A E A T
E I E N S P I D E R O T

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 Discover

Animals that have backbones are called vertebrates. All vertebrates are bilaterally
symmetrical. It means that the left and right side of the body are alike. The body is
usually divided into a head and a trunk. Normally, vertebrates are classified into five (5)
smaller groups: mammals, fishes, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
A. Mammals
Characteristics:

✓ The bodies of mammals are partly or completely covered with hair of fur.
✓ Most mammals developed their young inside their mother’s body and
fully formed when they are born. They feed their young with their milk
form their mammary glands.
✓ Mammals breathe through their lungs.
✓ Most mammals live on land; others live in water.
✓ They used their legs, feet and wings for locomotion.

Examples: Mammals include many familiar animals – cats, dogs, bats,

monkeys, horses, cows, whales and also humans.
B. Reptiles

Characteristics:
✓ Reptiles are cold – blooded vertebrates.
✓ Reptiles are ectoderm animals. They cannot generate their body
temperature like turtles basking on the rocks on sunny day, snakes
gather together in masses during winter, covering each other to reduce
heat loss.
✓ Reptiles are terrestrial animals. They are fully adopted the life on land.
✓ Reptiles have dry, scaly skin. Some have scales and others have shells.
✓ Most reptiles used their feet and legs for locomotion.
✓ Some reptiles are born alive and some are hatched form eggs.
Examples: crocodiles, alligators, turtles, tortoise, lizards, iguana. Chameleons,
snakes, salamander

C. Amphibians

Characteristics:
✓ Amphibians are cold-blooded animals that spends part of their lives in
water and part on land..

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 ✓ Young amphibians breathe through their gills. As they grow, their gills
disappear and lungs take their place.
✓ Amphibians have moist and scale less skin.
✓ Amphibians lay eggs on water. Their eggs have no shells. Instead their
eggs have a jelly like material.
Examples: salamanders, frogs, newt and toads

D. Birds

Characteristics:
✓ Birds are warm –blooded animals or endotherms. They can generate their
body heat internally by their own metabolism.
✓ Birds are the only mammals with feathers.
✓ Birds lay eggs with shells. Their young are hatched from eggs.
Examples: parrots, duck, geese, swan, heron, eagle, ostrich, dove, chicken,
crow

E. Fish

Characteristics:

✓ Fish are cold blooded animal or ectoderms. The temperature changes

when the temperature of the air or water around it changes.
✓ Fish breathes with gills. They take water in through its mouth.
✓ Fish have tails and paired fins on its back and on its belly that enables
it to swim
✓ Almost all kinds of fish are covered with scales.
✓ Fish lay eggs on water. Their young are hatched from eggs.
Examples: milkfish, eel, salmon, catfish, anchovy, mackerel, yellow fin,
slipmouth

Explore

Use the WORDBANK and letter clues to name each of the different types of
vertebrates described here. Then find inside the word bank an example for each
category.
1. M m ls - This group of animals used their mammary glands to feed
their young ones.

example:

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2. A ph b n s - These animals used their gills in breathing but when
as they grow their gills will disappear and lungs take
their place.

example:

3. e t l s - These animals are cold blooded vertebrates with dry scaly

skin.

example:

4. ir s - They are the only mammals with feathers.

example:

5. i h - They are cold-blooded animals with fins that enables them to

swim and gills which enables them to breathe.

Deepen

A. Match column A to column B. Write the letter of the answer on the space
provided before each number.

Column A Column B
1. Has beak and is well adopted to flight A. mammal
2. Has gills, fins, and lateral line B. reptile
3. Has dry scaly skins C. amphibian
4. Warm-blooded animals with fur and D. fish
and mammary glands E. bird
5. Has moist skin and lives on land and water

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 B. Classify the vertebrates based on their characteristics. Write the animals under
the corresponding classification.

ostrich toad duck snake

crocodile shark dolphin
salamander salmon monkey
Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Fish Birds

Gauge

Read the following questions carefully. Write the letter of the best answer on the
blank.

1. Which of the following best describe an amphibian?

A. Amphibians used their gills for breathing.
B. Amphibians have fur and hair as body covering.
C. Amphibians are ectoderm animals with feathers.
D. Amphibians have moist, smooth and scale less skin.

2. One of the distinct characteristics of mammals is being an endothermic.

What does it mean?
A. Their body temperature does not change even when the temperature
of the environment changes.
B. The body temperature changes when the temperature of the
environment changes.
C. They cannot generate their own body temperature when the
temperature of the environment changes.
D. Some mammals can generate their body temperature even when the
temperature of the environment changes.

3. Which of the following animals feed their young from their mammary glands?
A. dog B. fish C. parrot D. turtle

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4. All of the following are classified as reptiles except one, which is it?
A. alligator B. crocodile C. toad D. snake

5. Which of the following characteristics are common to both reptiles and

amphibians?
A. Both live on land and water.
B. Both used gills for breathing.
C. Both have fins used for locomotion.
D. They are both cold-blooded vertebrates.

6. Which of the following is NOT an ectothermic vertebrates?

A. amphibians B. fish C. mammals D. reptiles

7. How do fish differ from birds?

A. Fish have wings while birds have gills.
B. Fish use gills while birds have lungs for breathing.
C. Fish live on both land and water while birds live on land.
D. Fish are warm-blooded animals while birds are cold blooded animals.

8. Which of the following statement is NOT true about birds.

A. All birds can fly.
B. All birds have wings.
C. All birds are covered with feathers.
D. All birds are warm-blooded animals.

9. Why can fish live on water?

A. They can swim.
B. They get their food in water.
C. They have gills to breath in water.
D. All of the above.

10. How do turtles protect themselves from their enemies?

A. They can run very fast.
B. They can hide under the sand.
C. They can withdraw into their shells.
D. They release a poisonous substance.