La Eduteca - Los animales

What Are Animals?

Characteristics of Animals

• Animals are living beings, similar to plants; they are born, grow, feed, breathe, and respond to their environment.

• Unlike plants, animals can move and do not produce their own food. They have a finite growth period compared to the continuous growth of plants.

• There are over 1.5 million species of animals that can be categorized by size, reproduction methods, nutrition types, or habitats.

Vital Functions of Animals

• All living beings perform three vital functions: nutrition, reproduction, and interaction with their environment.

Nutrition

• Animals obtain nutrition from other living beings and are classified into three groups:

• Carnivores: Eat other animals (e.g., lions, sharks).

• Herbivores: Consume plants (e.g., snails, canaries).

• Omnivores: Eat both animals and plants (e.g., bears).

Reproduction

• Animal reproduction results in offspring resembling the parents.

• Oviparous animals hatch from eggs (e.g., flies, frogs).

• Viviparous animals give birth to live young (e.g., cats, monkeys).

Interaction with Environment

• Animals perceive changes in their surroundings and respond accordingly using their senses—primarily sight, hearing, and smell.