Animal Groups — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Insects have six legs.
Every insect has exactly six legs, so the answer is six. You can count three legs on each side of the body.
2. A bear keeps warm because it has thick fur.
Thick fur traps warm air close to a bear's skin, keeping the cold out. That is why fur fills the blank.
3. Turtles carry a shell on their back for protection.
A turtle's hard back covering is called a shell, and it acts like armor. When danger comes, the turtle pulls inside the shell.
4. A robin uses its wings to fly.
Robins fly by flapping their wings, just like all other birds. Wings push air down so the bird can lift off the ground.
5. Salamanders are amphibians because they live on land and in water.
Animals that can live in water and on land are called amphibians, which is why salamanders fit this group. Frogs and toads are amphibians too.
6. Lizards and snakes both have scaly skin.
Lizards and snakes are reptiles, and reptiles are covered in dry, scaly skin. The scales protect their bodies and keep them from drying out.
7. A cat feeds its babies milk.
Mother cats feed their kittens milk, just like all other mammal mothers. Feeding babies milk is a special trait of mammals.
8. Clownfish breathe using gills underwater.
Clownfish use gills to pull oxygen out of the water so they can breathe. Fish cannot use lungs the way land animals do.
9. Bees and butterflies are types of insects.
Bees and butterflies both have six legs, three body parts, and antennae, which makes them insects. Many tiny flying creatures belong to this group.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
turtle
→ reptile
insect
parrot
→ bird
reptile
ant
→ insect
bird
tuna
→ fish
fish
Each animal goes with the group it belongs to: a turtle is a reptile because of its scales and shell, a parrot is a bird because of its feathers and beak, an ant is an insect because of its six legs, and a tuna is a fish because it lives in water and breathes with gills.