Classification of Animals

Classification of Animals for class 5 Science

Different feeding habits of animals help us to categorise the animals into different groups. As per the type of food they eat, the animals show particular adaptations in their body parts. In this concept, the students will understand the classification of animals on the basis of feeding habits.

After reading the concept, students will be able to:

• State the difference between autotrophs and heterotrophs.
• Classify heterotrophic nutrition.
• Describe the importance of canines in the carnivorous animals.
• Answer what is an omnivore.
• Explain the use of chewing and grinding teeth in omnivores.
• Discuss about endoparasites and ectoparasites.
• List the differences between scavengers and decomposers.

Each concept is explained to class 5 students using descriptions, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.

Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept Classification of Animals provided in PDF format.

Plants can make their food by the process of photosynthesis utilising carbon dioxide, water and minerals in the presence of sunlight, and chlorophyll. Hence, they are termed autotrophs.

On the other hand, animals are heterotrophs and depend on plants for their food directly or indirectly.

Classification of Animals:

Here, we are classifying animals based on their feeding habits, i.e., on the type of food they eat.

What Is an Herbivore?

• The animals which depend directly on plants and their different parts for food are called herbivores.
• They have well-developed molars and premolars for chewing their food.
• They have an additional chamber in their stomach for digesting foods rich in cellulose.

Example: Horse, deer, cow, goat, buffalo, giraffe, etc.

What Is a Carnivore?

• The animals which depend on other animals for their food are called carnivores.
• They have well-developed canines for tearing the flesh.

Example: Lion, tiger, leopard, fox, etc.

What Is an Omnivore?

• The animals which depend on both plants and animals for food are called omnivores.
• They have well-defined molars for grinding and incisors and canines for tearing meat.

Example: Humans, bear, dogs, crows, etc.

What Is a Parasite?

• Parasites are animals that live in a host body and derive their nutrition from it, causing
• They live either inside or outside the host body, based on which they are further classified into endoparasites and ectoparasites.
• They can be very small or very long in size.

Example: Lice, leech, tapeworm.

Scavenger Animals:

• Scavengers are animals who feed on the flesh of dead animals. They do not hunt. They depend on the foods left by carnivores.

Example: Vulture, raccoon, crow, fox, etc.

What Is a Decomposer Animal?

Organisms that break down animal and plant waste into simple nutrients are called decomposers. They play an essential role in the nutrient cycle in the environment.

Example:Fungi, bacteria.

 New Words

Did You Know?

• Both scavengers and carnivores are predators—

Though scavengers and carnivores are flesh-eating animals, they are not predators. Predators are animals that hunt on prey. Carnivores hunt for their food, whereas scavengers do not hunt; they eat the food left by carnivores.