MARINE VERTEBRATES READING GUIDE
Directions: Fill in the heading on the answer grid to the right then read the
passage and answer the questions. Record all of your answers in the
answer grid provided. Select all answers that are correct.
1. The correct order classification levels is
a. Kingdom, Phylum, Order, Family, Class, Genus, species
b. Kingdom, Phylum, Family, Order, Class, Genus, species
c. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, species
d. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Family, Order, Genus, species
2. Agnathes, Reptilia, & Mammalia all belong to Phylum
a. Echinodermata
c. Chordata
b. Ctenophora
d. Vertebrata
3. Marine organisms that have characteristics such as: scales, ectothermic,
lungs, and four legs are classified as
a. Testudines
c. Crocodilias
b. Terapods
d. Squamatas
4. What makes snakes different from all other reptiles?
10. Birds that spend much of their time in frigid waters
a. closeable eyelids
a. are ectothermic to manage body temperature
b. lack of legs
b. huddle together in the water to stay warm
c. no external ears
c. have countercurrent exchange blood flow
d. all are carnivores
d. spend time in oil spills to insulate their feathers
5. What feature do crocodiles share with birds and
11. many marine mammals lost fur or hair in exchange for
mammals rather than the other reptiles?
a. flippers
c. blowholes
a. they are ectothermic
b. blubber
d. baleen
b. they are endothermic
12. The body shape of cetaceans is
c. they have a 4 chambered heart
a. fusiform
c. compressiform
d. they have a cloaca for excretory, reproductive
b. depressiform
d. elongate
and digestive wastes
13. The largest animals of order carnivore are
6. There is one Order of Reptilia that we did not cover in
a. polar bears
c. dolphins
our notes due to it only having 1 species in its
b. killer whales
d. sea otters
classification, it is
14. True Seals
a. Testudines
c. Terapods
a. can live at sea for months at a time
b. Rhynochocephalia
d. Squamata
b. move easily both in and out of water
7. Why is it that many sea turtles lay more than 100 eggs
c. Return to land usually to molt or mate
at a time?
d. have blubber and whiskers
a. predation from birds, mammals, fish
e. have no external ears
b. coastal development
15. Dolphins and porpoises differ in that dolphins
c. many have genetic mutations
a. have larger brains
d. so the babies can eat the others before leaving
b. spade-like teeth
the nest
c. rounded nose
8. Most birds have water repellant feathers due to
d. longer rostrum
a. salt glands that release excess salt.
e. curved dorsal fins
b. the keratin structure they are made from
16. The order of mammals with correct examples is/ are
c. swimming in oil covered water
a. pinnipeds- seals, sea lions, walruses
d. constant preening that releases fats and oils
b. cetaceans- blue whale, dolphin
9. Birds that are known to steal fish from other birds are
c. sirenians- dugongs, manatees, porpoises
a. cormorants
c. terns
d. carnivora (fissipeds)- sea otter, polar bear
b. pelicans
d. frigates
e. Sphenisciformes- seals, sea lions, penguins