Species
Characters
Do they
Spine
Skeleton
present?
Type
Symmetry
# of
create their
Appendages
own body
heat?
Cheetah
Sargassum
Weed
Broad-Headed
Skink
Leatherback
Sea Turtle
Eastern Gorilla
Pantropical
Spotted
Dolphin
Florida
Torreya Tree
Green Peafowl
Florida Panther
Pacific Giant
Producer/
Consumer/
Decomposer
Cell
Body
wall?
Covering
Rarity Diet
Glass Frog
Irukandji
Jellyfish
Ornate Eagle
Ray
Slipper Lobster
Red Wolf
American
Horseshoe
Crab
Oriental Rat
Flea
Penicillin
Character Definitions
Spine: Does the organism have a vertebral column? A spine is a column made of bone tissue
that supports the axis of the body.
Skeleton type: The two different kinds of skeletons are the exoskeleton and endoskeleton. The
exoskeleton is a hard outer covering of an organism that provides protection and support to the
soft internal issues. The endoskeleton is an internal support structure that provides the “frame”
of an organism.
Symmetry: Most organisms exhibit some sort of symmetry. The two major types of symmetry
are bilateral and radial. Bilateral organisms can be “cut” along a plane into 2 equal but opposite
halves that are essentially mirror images of each other. Radial organisms can be “cut” into
symmetrical pieces from the center out, similarly to how one would cut equally-sized triangular
pizza slices.
Number of appendages: An appendage is a body part that projects from the organism such as
an arm, leg, tail, or wing.
Endotherm/Ectotherm: Endothermic organisms generate and maintain their own body heat.
Ectothermic organisms must rely on environmental heat sources. Many organisms utilize a
variety of temperature regulation methods and thus may be classified using a variety of other
terms not listed here.
Autotroph/Heterotroph: An autotroph is an organism capable of making its own food, such as
how plants use light from the sun to make their food. Another word for autotroph is
“producer.” A heterotroph is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must feed on
organic matter in their environment, such as how cows feed on plants for energy. Another word
for heterotroph is “consumer.” Decomposers, also being heterotrophs, feed on external
sources for energy but rely on decaying organisms.
Cell wall present: The cell wall is a structure found in plant cells. The cell wall helps to create a
supportive frame for the plant tissue.
Body covering: Organisms can have a body covering to protect their vulnerable internal tissues.
Body coverings can include scales, hair, and feathers.
References
FishBase (2012) http://www.fishbase.org/search.php
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (2012) http://myfwc.com/
National Geographic: Animal Facts. (2012)
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/facts/?source=NavAniFact