Select the one animal that has all of the amphibian traits listed above.
Painted storks wade in shallow water to look for food. Storks use their beaks to eat fish, insects, worms, and small animals. They have feathers and two wings. Painted storks lay eggs with shells in nests along the water. Adult tiger salamanders have moist, smooth skin with stripes. They live in burrows underground, but they begin their lives in water. Young tiger salamanders hatch from eggs with no shells underwater.
Amphibians are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify amphibians:
They spend part of their lives in water and part on land.
They have moist skin.
They make eggs with no shells. 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.
Amphibians have the following traits:
They spend part of their lives in water and part on land.
They have moist skin.
They make eggs with no shells.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A tiger salamander has the following traits:
It spends part of its life in water and part on land.
It has moist skin.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A tiger salamander has the traits of an amphibian. A tiger salamander is an amphibian.
A painted stork has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
A painted stork does not have all of the traits of an amphibian. A painted stork is a bird.