Care for animals within area of responsibility:

Explain basic taxonomy and describe the distinguishing characteristics to aid recognition of the 5 basic classes of animals?

Taxonomy:

Is the practice and science of classification. In such an inheritance relationship, the subtype by definition has the same properties, behaviours, and constraints as the super type plus one or more additional properties, behaviours, or constraints.

1) Mammals:

Are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterized by the possession of hair, tree middle ear bones, and mammals glands functional in mothers with young. The mammalian brain , with its characteristic neocortex, regulates endothermic and circulatory systems, including a four- chambered heart. Most mammals also possess sweat glands and specialized teeth, and the largest group of mammals – the placental, have a placenta which feeds the offspring during gestation. Usually live birth.

2 )Birds:

Birds are animals. Birds have feathers and lay eggs. All birds have wings. However, not all birds can fly,eg. the ostrich are to heavy to fly and penguins use their wings to swim. Scientific classification is undergoing a big change. Dr. Charles G. Sibley did research for over twenty years using DNA from bird’s blood. Sistem called “ SAM” also discovered that some species are more closely related than anyone thought, he also rearranged the orders and families in a way that is quite unexpected.

3 )Reptiles:

They are animals in the class Reptilia. They are characterized by breathing air, laying shelled eggs(except for some vipers and constrictor snakes) and having skin covered in scales and \or scutes. They are classically viewed as having a “cold-blooded” metabolism,are tetrapods and 4 living orders are currently recognized.

4)Amphibians:

Amphibia-meaning “ on both sides” and bians meaning “ life”.

Are class of vertibra animals including animals such as frogs, caecilians and salmanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic (cold blooded).Most undergo metamorphosis from a juvenile water-breathing form to a adult air-breathing form, but some are paedomorhs that retain the juvenile water-breathing form throughout life. Many lay eggs in water. 3 modern orders Anura, Caudata, Gymnophiana.

5 )Fish

The gasterostei forms are classified mainly on the basis of general body form, the structure and distribution os scales or body plates, fin form and position and the structure of the skeleton and its individual parts. Frequency with strong spines indorsal and pelvic fins, spines absent in some. Live only in water, breathe in water lay eggs with external fertilization.

B) BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE

Is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name compassed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can  be based on words from other languages. First part of the name identifies the genus and the second part identifies the species within the genus.

Kingdom                                       Genus

Phylum\Division                           Species

Class

Order

Family

Fish

Fish River Sardine:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Clupeiformes

Family: Clupeidae

Sub family: Cluperinae

Alliance: Sardine

Mammals:

Serval

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mamalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Sub family: Felinae

Genus: Leptailurus

Species: L.Serval

Sub-species: L.S. Constantinus

Suborder:Feliformia

Impala

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mamalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Genus: Aepyceros

Species: A. Melampus

Nyala

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mamalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Genus: Traelophus

Species: T. Angasii

Birds:

Marsh Owl

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Stringformes

Family: Sringidae

Genus: Asio

Species: A. Capensis

Brown Owl

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Superorde: Neoaves

Order: Stringformes

Family: Tytanidae

Genus: Tyto

Species: T. alba

Spotted Eagle Owl

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Stringformes

Family: Srigidae

Genus: Bubo

Species: T. Africanus

Reptiles:

Puff Adder

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Suborde: Serpentes

Family: Viperidae

Genus: Bitis

Viper Snake

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Superclass: Tetrapoda

Class: Reptilia

Subclass: Lepidosauria

Orde: Squamata

Suborde: Serpentes

Superfamily: Colubriodae

Family: Viperdae

Mole Snake

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Suborde: Serpentes

Family: Colubridae

Genus: Pseudospis

Species:P. Cana

Amphibains

Amatola Toad

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Bufanidae

Genus: Bufo

Species:B. Amatolicus

Black Rain Frog

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Microhylidae

Genus: Breviceps

Species:B. Fuscus