Animals Index

Australian Animals
The Aquarium's Australian exhibit, Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes, depicts amazing stories of survival in an extreme environment.

Amphibians
Frogs, toads, and salamanders are amphibians that most people are familiar with. Amphibians are cold-blooded (ectothermic), smooth-skinned vertebrates (animals with backbones) that are capable of living both on land and in water, usually in different stages of their lives.

Birds
Birds are wonderfully varied creatures inhabiting all parts of the world. The most unique defining feature of these warm-blooded vertebrates is feathers. All have wings, and all but a few species fly.

Fish
Fish are magnificently diverse in size, shape, color, and pattern. Cold-blooded, they live in both fresh and salt water, from cold regions to the tropics. Almost all have fins, gills, and scales. About 96 percent are bony fish. The rest are cartilaginous fish: sharks, skates, and rays.

Invertebrates
No bones about it! Most of the world’s animal species - up to 99% - are invertebrates! These diverse creatures have one common characteristic: they lack the backbone and accompanying skeleton of vertebrates. Some invertebrates are very soft, but most have some support structure.

Mammals
Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that can nourish their young with milk-producing mammary glands. Marine mammals have adapted to a lifestyle dependent on rivers or oceans.

Reptiles
Most people think of snakes when they hear the word reptiles, but reptiles also include chelonians (turtles and tortoises), crocodilians (crocodiles, alligators, caiman, gavials), lizards and tuataras. They are air-breathing vertebrates with tough, waterproof skin that retains moisture.