Characteristics of the Kingdom Animalia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Characteristics of the Kingdom Animalia - Essay Example The kingdom Animalia consists of over thirty different major phyla including Mollusca, Arthropoda,Cnidaria, and Chordata. The Chordates are the ones that are most popularly thought of as animals, but insects and mollusk-like creatures are just as much an animal as a koala bear and giraffe. Interestingly, the insects make up 87% of all the animal species on the planet. Members of the group Chordata are indeed special within the Animal kingdom though. They have in common five unique characteristics which distinguish them from other animals. At some point during their development Chordates have the following body structures: a notochord, gills, a hollow nerve cord, a tail past the anus, and a digestive tube behind the mouth. All animals have the ability to move around at a relatively rapid pace because of the presence of muscle tissue within their anatomy. In contrast members of the plant kingdom are generally rooted to one spot during their entire adult life.The Animal kingdom contains more members than any other kingdom with likely over a million different species on the planet. They range in size from just a few cells to whale-sized. Most of the animals on the earth live in the sea, some live in fresh water, and the smallest percentage of the Animal kingdom live on land. The Animal kingdom includes all amphibians, birds, bugs, fish, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, and even prehistoric creatures such as dinosaurs and mammoths.