Animals (Zoology) - Introductory

Study these zoology terms and learn all about the world's fauna. Review animal classification and anatomy, and test your knowledge of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and more. This list is just beastly!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abdomen
    the region of the body between the thorax and the pelvis
  2. air sac
    a tiny sac for holding air in the lungs
  3. amphibia
    the class of vertebrates that live on land but breed in water; frogs; toads; newts; salamanders; caecilians
  4. amphibian
    cold-blooded vertebrate living on land but breeding in water
  5. Animalia
    taxonomic kingdom comprising all living or extinct animals
  6. antenna
    one of a pair of mobile appendages on the head of insects
  7. antler
    deciduous horn of a member of the deer family
  8. arachnid
    an arthropod with simple eyes and four pairs of legs
  9. arthropod
    invertebrate having jointed limbs and a segmented body
  10. Aves
    (ornithology) the class of birds
  11. bill
    the projecting mouth of a bird
  12. biodiversity
    the variety of plant and animal life in a habitat
  13. biped
    an animal that walks on two legs
  14. bird
    warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate with feathers and wings
  15. camouflage
    exploit the natural surroundings to disguise something
  16. carnivore
    a terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating mammal
  17. cartilage
    tough elastic tissue, mostly converted to bone in adults
  18. cell
    the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms
  19. circulation
    the movement of blood through the heart and blood vessels
  20. class
    a taxonomic group containing one or more orders
  21. cold-blooded
    having a body temperature that is not internally regulated
  22. contour feather
    feathers covering the body of an adult bird and determining its shape
  23. crop
    a pouch in a bird's gullet where food is stored
  24. development
    a process in which something passes to a different stage
  25. digestion
    the process by which the body breaks down food
  26. diversity
    noticeable variety
  27. dorsal
    on or near the back of an animal or organ
  28. echolocation
    determination of the position of objects by reflected sound
  29. embryo
    an animal organism in the early stages of growth
  30. endoskeleton
    the internal skeleton; bony and cartilaginous structure
  31. exoskeleton
    the exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals (especially invertebrates) including bony or horny parts such as nails or scales or hoofs
  32. family
    a taxonomic group above genus
  33. fang
    canine tooth of a carnivorous animal
  34. fauna
    all the animal life in a particular region or period
  35. feather
    a light growth that makes up the covering of a bird's body
  36. fish
    any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates
  37. fledgling
    young bird that has just become capable of flying
  38. food chain
    community of organisms where each member is eaten by another
  39. food web
    community of organisms with several interrelated food chains
  40. genus
    taxonomic group containing one or more species
  41. gill
    organ allowing aquatic animals to obtain oxygen from water
  42. gill slit
    one of a series of slit openings in the pharynxes of fishes and aquatic amphibians through which water passes
  43. gizzard
    thick-walled muscular pouch below the crop in many birds and reptiles for grinding food
  44. herbivore
    any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants
  45. hibernation
    the resting state in which some animals pass the winter
  46. immune system
    the cells in the body that work together to fight disease
  47. invertebrate
    any animal lacking a backbone or notochord
  48. kingdom
    the taxonomic group above phylum and below domain
  49. larva
    immature form of an animal between the egg and adult stages
  50. life cycle
    a series of stages through which an organism passes
  51. lung
    either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood
  52. mammal
    a warm-blooded vertebrate having the skin covered with hair
  53. Mammalia
    warm-blooded vertebrates characterized by mammary glands in the female
  54. marsupial
    a mammal the female of which has a pouch carrying the young
  55. metabolism
    the organic processes that are necessary for life
  56. metamorphosis
    the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult
  57. migration
    the periodic passage of groups of animals
  58. mimicry
    the resemblance of an animal species to another species
  59. mollusk
    aquatic invertebrate, often with a shell
  60. molt
    cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
  61. muscle
    animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cells
  62. nervous system
    the sensory and control apparatus consisting of a network of nerve cells
  63. niche
    status or place of an organism within its environment
  64. omnivore
    an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances
  65. order
    a taxonomic group containing one or more families
  66. organ
    a structure in an animal specialized for some function
  67. parasite
    an animal or plant that lives in or on a host
  68. phylum
    the major taxonomic group of animals and plants
  69. plankton
    aggregate of small organisms that float or drift in water
  70. predator
    any animal that lives by preying on other animals
  71. prey
    animal hunted or caught for food
  72. primate
    any mammal of the group including monkeys, apes, and humans
  73. quadruped
    an animal especially a mammal having four limbs
  74. reptile
    a cold-blooded vertebrate including snakes and lizards
  75. Reptilia
    class of cold-blooded air-breathing vertebrates with completely ossified skeleton and a body usually covered with scales or horny plates; once the dominant land animals
  76. respiration
    the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation
  77. respiratory system
    the system for taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide; in terrestrial animals this is accomplished by breathing
  78. rodent
    a mammal having two pairs of ever-growing front teeth for gnawing
  79. scavenger
    any animal that feeds on refuse and other decaying matter
  80. skeletal system
    the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal
  81. skeleton
    the structure providing a frame for the body of an animal
  82. species
    taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
  83. swim bladder
    an air-filled sac near the spinal column in many fishes that helps maintain buoyancy
  84. symmetry
    balance among the parts of something
  85. tadpole
    a larval frog or toad
  86. tentacle
    a flexible appendage adapted for grasping or feeling
  87. thorax
    the body of an arthropod between the head and the abdomen
  88. tissue
    part of an organism consisting of an aggregate of cells
  89. vertebrate
    animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton
  90. warm-blooded
    of animals able to regulate body temperature internally
  91. zoology
    the branch of biology that studies animals
Created on Sat Feb 04 14:43:05 EST 2017 (updated Fri Mar 31 10:19:48 EDT 2017)

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