Vertebrates

By: Christina Martin, Madeline Ryan, and Megan Brinkerhoff

Eptatretus stoutii (Pacific Hagfish)Pacific hagfish are from the class Agnatha meaning that

they are fish with no jaws. They also have 5 hearts, no eyes, and no stomach. They have a very good sense of smell and

touch to find their food. They live in burrows on the sea floor. They are also known for the slime that they produce.

Carcharodon carcharias (Great White Shark)Great Whites grow to 15ft in length on average and can swim up to

15 mph. They can breach like whales when attacking their prey from underneath. They have about 300 razor sharp triangular teeth and an impeccable sense of smell. They are found in cooler coastal waters and prey on things like seals and sea lions. They are from the class Chondrichthyes meaning they are cartilaginous fishes.

Gramma loreto (Royal Gramma)They like to live in tropical waters where there are

reefs. Specifically, in the warm Atlantic waters between North and South America. They feed on

the ectoparasites of other fish. They are often found in caves at the reeves. They are from the class Osteichthyes which means they are bony

fish.

Dendrobates azureus (Blue Poison Dart Frog)They only live in the Sipaliwini Savannah region of

Suriname in small forests. They prefer a dark moist living environment within the forest. Its bright coloring is to

warn its predators of its poisonous properties. Their skin has glands that secrete poison the is paralyzing or fatal to predators. They are from the class Amphibia meaning they

are cold-blooded tetrapods that go through metamorphosis.

Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator)It is the largest reptile in North America and its tail takes up half its length (max growth is 18ft). They mainly eat fish and turtles. They

live in freshwater environments like the wetlands of Florida. They are part of the class

Reptilia meaning they are cold-blooded, lay eggs, and have scales.

Phoenicopterus ruber (American Flamingo)It lives in the West Indies of the Caribbean. It likes shallow saltwater lagoons. They feed on algae, molusks, small crustaceans, and etc.

They can fly, have webbed feet, long legs, and long necks. They get their color from the food

that they eat. They are in the class Aves meaning they are feathered, winged, warm-blooded, bipedal, and egg-laying animals.

Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenose Dolphin)They are found in tropical and temperate waters around

the world. They are typically grey and have pectoral flippers, tale flukes, and a dorsal fin. They breathe out of a blowhole. They use echolocation for finding food.

They eat a wide variety of fish, squid, and crustaceans. They are a part of the class Mammalia meaning they are warm-blooded, have hair, have mammary glands, and 3

middle ear bones.

Petromyzon marinus (Sea Lamprey)They are found in the waters on the east coast of the United States and Canada,

especially in the Great Lakes. They have large red eyes and circular mouths with

circular rows of teeth. They latch onto their prey and suck out their blood. They are also

a part of the class Agnatha.

Dasyatis americana (Southern Stingray)It lives in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, mainly near the Americas. Its body is diamond shaped. They hover over

the sand bottoms in the ocean to find their food and they eat mostly crustaceans and mollusks. It

is also a part of the class Chondrichthyes.

Hippocampus zosterae (Dwarf Seahorse)They live in the western Atlantic Ocean by

Bermuda and the United States. The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch that is under the tail.

The max length that they grow to is 2 inches. They are also a part of the class Osteichthyes.

Lissotriton italicus (Italian Newt)It lives in central and southern Italy. They

mate in water and attach the eggs to water plants. The eggs hatch after only 2-4 days and metamorphosis is completed after 4-6 weeks. They eat planktonic prey and other invertebrates. They grow up to a length of

88 mm. They are also a part of the class Amphibia.

Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon)They are the world’s heaviest lizards. They can grow up to 10 ft and weigh 200 lbs. They have a keen sense of smell, are fast and agile, and can climb trees. They have super sharp teeth like a shark and their mouths contain venom and bacteria that kill their prey. They live in the Lesser Sunda Islands. They like these islands because they are very humid and warm all year round. They’ll eat any prey they can fit in their mouth, even large animals like water buffalo. They are also cannibals. They are also a part of

the class Reptilia.

Spheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic Penguin)

They are abundant in southern South America. They undergo an annual

molt that takes 19 days to complete, so they must eat a lot before then so they don’t starve during that period when they can’t replenish fat. They

eat anchovy, cod, squid, krill, and etc. They are also a part of the class Aves,

but they can’t fly.

Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata (Reticulated Giraffe)

It is found primarily in Kenya. They live on the savannas and open woodlands. They prefer to eat the leaves on Acacia trees. They grow up to 17 ft and weigh

up to 4,000 lbs. Each giraffe has its own unique spot pattern. It is also a part of

the class Mammalia.

Ursus maritimus (Polar Bear)They typically live on coasts near the Arctic Circle. They have very good eyesight and a keen sense of smell. They have a transparent eyelid that helps to block out the brightness of the sun and snow and it works as goggles underwater. Their diet consists of

birds, fox, walrus, seals, and etc. Their fur is transparent, so it can transport the sun’s heat to its skin. They are also a part of the class Mammalia.