Mollusks are invertebrates that live in ocean, freshwater and terrestrial habitats.

It is estimated that there are as

many as 120,000 different species of mollusk. There are several different classes of mollusk. The most common
mollusks are the gastropods (e.g., snails and slugs), the cephalopod (e.g., octopus, squid and cuttlefish) and the
bivalve (e.g., clam, muscle, oyster and scallop). The Giant Squid and the Colossal Squid are the largest animals
without a backbone.
Gastropods make up 80% of the mollusk species with 60,000 to 80,000 species. They are the second most populous
animals after the insects. Some gastropods, such as the snail, have an external shell large enough for the soft parts
to withdraw completely inside the shell. Gastropods without a shell, or with a very small external shell, are known as
slugs. Gastropods usually have a well-defined head with two or four sensory tentacles with eyes. They also have a
foot, that they use to crawl along the ground or sea floor.
There are about 800 species of cephalopod, and are found only in oceans of the world. None exist in freshwater or on
land. Cephalopods have a large head and a series of arms or tentacles. For example, the cuttlefish and squid have
five pairs of tentacles surrounding their mouths. Two are longer tentacles used to capture prey. The Cuttlefish and
squid have five pairs of muscular appendages surrounding their mouths. The longer two, termed tentacles, are
actively involved in capturing prey. The octopus has four pairs of arms (i.e., 8 arms) with a mouth and hard beak at
the center of the arms. The cephalopods primary means of movement, although somewhat slow, is using its arms to
crawl or swim. For fast movement, the cephalopod expels water from a cavity in their body, similar to jet
propulsion. Most cephalopods have an ink sac, and can expel a cloud of ink to help escape from predators.
There are about 30,000 species of bivalves including clams, muscles, oysters and scallops. Bivalves have a shell
consisting of two halves, called valves, joined together at one edge by a flexible ligament called the hinge. Bivalve
shells vary greatly in shape; some are quite rounded, while others are more flattened.

Reptiles are some of the oldest life forms on Earth, with fossils dating back about 320310 million years. Reptiles
are cold-blooded, four-legged vertebrates that inhabit every continent of the world, except Antarctica. A reptiles skin
is covered with a tough external plate or scute, such as the shell of a turtle, or the scales on a crocodile. Although
many reptiles spend considerable time in water, all reptiles breathe using lungs. As cold-blooded animals, reptiles
dont internally regulate their body temperature. Their body temperature varies with that of the surrounding air or
water. Reptiles are egg laying animals, with the embryo protected by a tough, leathery shell.
There are four classes of reptiles: crocodilia (e.g., crocodiles, caimans, and alligators), squamata (e.g., lizards and
snakes), testudines (e.g, turtles and tortoises), and sphenodontia (e.g., tuataras).

Vertebrates are animals with an internal backbone or spinal column. There are over 85,000 species of vertebrate
animals such as amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles. Most large land animals are vertebrates. Even large
sea animals, such as the whale, are vertebrates. However, only about 5% of all animal species are vertebrates. The

remaining 95% of animals are invertebrates that dont have an internal backbone (e.g., insects, mollusks and
arthropods).
The defining characteristic of all vertebrates is the vertebral column or backbone. This vertebral column is a strong
series of bones extending through the core of the body. Near the front end of the backbone is the mouth, with the
anus opening near the back end of the backbone. In vertebrates with a tail, the vertebral column extends beyond the
anus to the end of the tail. Above the backbone is the spinal cord, a major component of the nervous system. Below
the backbone is the gastrointestinal or digestive tract.
The vertebral column is made up of many individual vertebrae interconnected with intervertebral discs. These
vertebrae and intervertebral discs provide for flexibility and movement of the spine.