Select the one animal that has all of the insect traits listed above.
Many dung beetles roll dung, or animal waste, into balls using their six legs. They store the dung balls to eat later. Dung beetles also have an exoskeleton and one pair of antennae. Banana slugs have a soft body with a flat underside called the foot. Slugs use their muscular foot to move. Banana slugs also have small teeth on their tongue! These file-like teeth help banana slugs eat leaves and dead plants.
Insects are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify insects:
They have six legs.
They have an exoskeleton.
They have one pair of antennae. Observe the animals and read the descriptions.
Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group.
To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Insects have the following traits:
They have six legs.
They have an exoskeleton.
They have one pair of antennae.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A dung beetle has the following traits:
It has six legs.
It has an exoskeleton.
It has one pair of antennae.
A dung beetle has the traits of an insect. A dung beetle is an insect.
A banana slug has the following traits:
It has a soft body.
It has a muscular foot.
A banana slug does not have all of the traits of an insect. A banana slug is a mollusk.