Activities and resources for vertebrates:
Mammals, reptiles amphibians, birds, & fish
A bone to a dog is not a charity, charity is the bone shared with the dog when you are just as hungry as the dog.
John Lubbock
Overview
- Introduction
- Vertebrate lists - printable BINGO tokens
- Differences between amphibians & reptiles chart
- Blank Bingo card
- Categorization by AI
Introduction
This page includes a list of vertebrate animals in categories to use to make a bingo game, a checksheet to compare amphibians and reptiles, and a sample of the list of animals as sorted by Apple AI to dicuss advantages and disadvantages of using AI.
Focus question
How do we classify T.rex?
Some background
Tyrannosaurus Rex. Is it a mammal, reptile, or bird? Will Dunham, Reuters. repports, September 19, 2026. that "... tooth enamel shows T.rex was warm-blooded". Having a body temperature of 97.3 degrees F (36.3 degrees C). Does this mean T.Rex isn't a reptile? That it is a mammal? or is it a bird? Or - other!
What about other dinosaurs?
Classification BINGO
Animals to classify in a table
Bingo game directions:
Print the animal names on oak tag (one sheet per learner or learner pair), cut them out, put them in a manilla 4x6 envelop, have each player randomly draw a card, decide how to classify the animal, and place a token on their blank Bingo card as mammal, reptile, amphibian, bird, or fish.
Five in a row, wins!
Once the card is placed on the Bingo card it can not be moved. Adds a bit of suspense as some might win with four in a Bonus row. The first with five of one kind, or one of each kind, or four ... with a Bonus, wins the round.
Enjoy!
Once in a class, somone claimed another student was looing in their envelop to pick their card. SO I decided we could monitor everyone, if they all pulled their cards at the same time. So, we put the envelopes behind their head, with their drawing hand outside the envelope, and when everyone was ready, they drew a card to insure no one peeking! And everyone was drawing cards at the same time.
Animal tokens to print
To make tokens to select from for a BINGO game, print one sheet for each player on stiff paper or oak tag. Then use a paper cutter to cut them into individual tokens.
While I have dinosaurs classified as reptiles, this may not be accurate, as current research suggests some may be birds or mammals.
Enjoy!
| Mammals | Reptiles | Amphibians | Birds | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Whale | Snapping Turtle | Gray Treefrog | Teal | Stickleback |
| Killer Whale | Texas Horned Lizard | Caecillian | Falcons | Sole |
| Gazelle | Dinosaurs | Sirens | Ostrich | Lampreys |
| Mole | Python | Bull Frog | Moas | Rays |
| 13 Lined Ground Squirrel | Cobra | Common American Toad | Elephant Bird | Sturgeons |
| Gibbon | Galapagos Tortoise | Great Plains Toad | Albatross | Smelt |
| Wolves | Komodo Dragon | Green Salamander | Trumpet Swan | Anglerifish |
| Aardvark | Leather Back Turtle | Slimy Salamander | Condor | Flounder |
| Rhinoceroses | Brontosaurus | Leopard Frog | Guinea Fowl | Sharks |
| Monkeys | Diplodocus | Tiger Salamander | Egrets | Halibut |
| Guinea Pig | Pterodactyls | Spotted Salamander | Finches | King fisher |
| Beaver | Brachiosaurus | Cricket Frog | Canary | Mackerel |
| Mink | Chameleon | Gray Tree Frog | Loons | Tuna |
| Fox | Tyrannosaurus Rex | Bull Frog | Roadrunners | Walleye |
| Chinchilla | Basilsks | Chorus Frog | Flamingos | Guppy |
| Walruses | Geckos | Newts | Spoonbills | Sunfish |
| Lion | Land Tortoises | Narrow Mouthed Toad | Storks | Salmon |
| Tiger | Coral Snake | Plains Spadefoot | Toucans | Pike |
| Mouse | Timber Rattlesnake | Turkey | Trout | |
| Rat | Western Rattlesnake | Hawk | Sardine | |
| Bears | Kingsnake | Quail | Herring | |
| Llamas | Milksnake | Pheasant | Cod | |
| Apes | Great Plains Skink | Sparrow | Carp | |
| Tasmanian Devil | Collard Lizard | Barn Owl | Eel | |
| Camel | Prairie Skink | Robin | Seahorse | |
| Elephant | Mud Turtle | Turtle Dove | Gobies | |
| Horse | Snapping Turtle | Sand Hill Crane | ||
| Cattle | Terrapin | Blue Heron | ||
| Goat | Coral Snake | Cranes | ||
| Sheep | Painted Turtle | Sea Gull | ||
| Dog | Crocodile | Swallows | ||
| Cat | Iguana | Penguin | ||
| Porcupine | Boa | Cuckoos | ||
| Armadillo | Alligator | Parrots | ||
| Anteater | Copperhead | Cockatoos | ||
| Kangaroo | Racer | Thrushes | ||
| Rabbit | Red Bellied Turtle | Warblers | ||
| Dolphin | Garter Snake | Meadow Lark | ||
| Possum | Trigeratops | Purple Martin | ||
| Walleroo | Cottonmouth | Wren | ||
| Human | Mockingbird | |||
| Cat Bird | ||||
| Crow | ||||
| Orioles | ||||
| Cardinals | ||||
| Blue Jays | ||||
| Peacock | ||||
| Grouse | ||||
| Partrigdge | ||||
| Eagle | ||||
| Owl | ||||
| Ducks | ||||
| Geese | ||||
| Humming bird | ||||
| Fruit Bat | ||||
| Perch | ||||
| Wood Duck | ||||
| Red Headed Woodpecker |
Differences between amphibians & reptiles chart
| Alike or Different? with examples |
Reptiles | Amphibian |
|---|---|---|
| Vertebraate (sketelon inside) | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Lays eggs | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Eggs are shelled | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Eggs are layed on land | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Eggs are soft and layed in water | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Babies look like parents | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Babies change their look as they grow (metamorphosis) | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Cold-blooded (ectothermic) | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Wet skin | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Dry skin | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Sheds skin | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Has scales | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
| Feet has claws | ▢ yes ▢ no | ▢ yes ▢ no |
Bingo card
Categories as sorted by AI
I used the AI on my apple computer and asked it to sort the animals in the table into categories.
Analyze the results.
- AI does not think or know. It generates best guesses and they must be checked.
- Compare the AI generated list to animal classifcations with field guides, find and discuss any errors and AI's reliance on language patterns.
- Don't assume AI knows everything.
- Discuss the pros and cons for using AI to sort lists of animals by categories.
- What other AI generated ideas can you challenge with AI?
The results:
Mammals:
* Blue Whale
* Killer Whale
* Gazelle
* Mole
* Moas
* 13 Lined Ground Squirrel
* Elephant Bird
* Gibbon
* Wolves
* Rhinoceroses
* Monkeys
* Guinea Pig
* Beaver
* Mink
* Chinchilla
* Walruses
* Lion
* Tiger
* Mouse
* Bear
* Llamas
* Apes
* Tasmanian Devil
* Camel
* Elephant
* Horse
* Cattle
* Goat
* Sheep
* Dog
* Cat
* Porcupine
* Armadillo
* Anteater
* Kangaroo
* Rabbit
* Dolphin
* Possum
* Walleroo
* Human
* Fruit Bat
Reptiles:
* Snapping Turtle
* Texas Horned Lizard
* Dinosaurs
* Pythons
* Cobras
* Komodo Dragon
* Chameleons
* Basilsks
* Geckos
* Land Tortoises
* Coral Snakes
* Timber Rattlesnakes
* Western Rattlesnakes
* Kingsnakes
* Milksnakes
* Great Plains Skinks
* Prairie Skinks
* Crocodiles
* Iguanas
* Boas
* Alligators
* Copperheads
* Racers
* Garter Snakes
* Cottonmouths
* Red Bellied Turtles
* Painted Turtles
* Sea Turtles
Amphibians:
* Gray Treefrog
* Caecilians
* Bull Frogs
* Sirens
* Lampreys
* Common American Toads
* Great Plains Toads
* Leopard Frogs
* Tiger Salamanders
* Spotted Salamanders
* Cricket Frogs
* Chorus Frogs
* Newts
* Narrow Mouthed Toads
* Plains Spadefoots
* Timber Rattlesnakes
* Western Rattlesnakes
* Copperheads
* Racers
* Garter Snakes
* Cottonmouths
* Red Bellied Turtles
* Painted Turtles
* Sea Turtles
Birds:
* Teal
* Falcons
* Ostrich
* Albatross
* Trumpet Swan
* Condor
* Flounders
* Guinea Fowl
* Egrets
* Finches
* Kingfishers
* Loons
* Roadrunners
* Flamingos
* Spoonbills
* Storks
* Toucans
* Quail
* Pheasants
* Sparrows
* Barn Owls
* Robins
* Turtle Doves
* Sand Hill Cranes
* Blue Herons
* Cranes
* Sea Gulls
* Swallows
* Penguins
* Cuckoos
* Parrots
* Cockatoos
* Thrushes
* Warblers
* Meadow Larks
* Purple Martins
* Wrens
* Mockingbirds
* Catbirds
* Crows
* Orioles
* Cardinals
* Blue Jays
* Peacocks
* Grouse
* Partridges
* Eagles
* Owls
* Ducks
* Geese
* Hummingbirds
* Wood Ducks
* Red Headed Woodpeckers
Fish:
* Stickleback
* Sole
* Rays
* Sturgeons
* Smelt
* Sharks
* Halibut
* Mackerel
* Tuna
* Walleye
* Sunfish
* Salmon
* Pike
* Sardine
* Herring
* Cod
* Carp
* Eel
* Seahorse
* Gobies
* Perch
Insects:
* Cricket
Extinct Animals:
* Dinosaurs
* Moas
* Pterodactyls
* Brontosaurus
* Diplodocus
* Tyrannosaurus Rex
* Triceratops
Miscellaneous:
* Aardvark
* Leatherback Turtle
* Slimy Salamander
* Land Tortoises
* Coral Snakes
* Timber Rattlesnakes
* Western Rattlesnakes
* Copperheads
* Racers
* Garter Snakes
* Cottonmouths
* Red Bellied Turtles
* Painted Turtles
* Sea Turtles