Terrestrial animal facts for kids

Arthropods (like flies) are the most common land animals by species count.

A terrestrial animal is an animal that lives mostly on land. This is different from animals that live in water, like fish or lobsters. Many animals, such as dogs, cats, ants, and emus, are terrestrial. Some amphibians also count as terrestrial animals, even if they go back to water only to lay their eggs.

What Makes an Animal Terrestrial?

Terrestrial animals have special features that help them live and thrive on land. Life on land is very different from life in water. Animals need ways to breathe air, move around, and keep their bodies from drying out.

How Do Land Animals Breathe?

Animals living on land need to get oxygen from the air. Most land animals, like mammals, birds, and reptiles, use lungs to breathe. Lungs take oxygen from the air and put it into the blood. Insects breathe through tiny holes in their bodies called spiracles, which lead to a network of tubes.

Moving Around on Land

Moving on land requires strong bodies. Land animals have developed different ways to move.

• Legs: Many animals, like dogs, cats, and insects, use legs to walk, run, or jump.
• Wings: Birds and many insects use wings to fly through the air.
• Slithering: Snakes and some worms move by wiggling their bodies.

Staying Hydrated on Land

Water is very important for all living things. On land, animals can easily lose water from their bodies. Terrestrial animals have special ways to prevent this.

• Skin: Many animals have tough skin, scales, or fur that helps keep water inside their bodies.
• Water from food: Some animals get most of their water from the food they eat.
• Finding water: Animals also need to find water to drink from rivers, ponds, or even dew.

From Water to Land: A Big Change

Millions of years ago, all life was in the water. Over time, some animals slowly changed and adapted to live on land. This was a huge step in evolution.

• Early land animals: The first animals to live on land were probably small invertebrates, like early insects and spiders.
• Vertebrate move: Later, some fish-like creatures developed strong fins that could act like legs. These were the ancestors of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. They learned to breathe air and move on land.

Different Types of Land Animals

The land is home to many different kinds of animals.

• Mammals: Animals like elephants, lions, and humans are mammals. They have fur or hair and feed their babies milk.
• Birds: Birds have feathers and wings. They lay eggs and can fly.
• Reptiles: Snakes, lizards, and turtles are reptiles. They have scales and are cold-blooded.
• Amphibians: Frogs and salamanders are amphibians. They start their lives in water but can live on land as adults.
• Invertebrates: This group includes insects, spiders, worms, and snails. They do not have backbones and are very common on land.

Images for kids

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  Animals do not fall neatly into terrestrial or aquatic classification but lie along a continuum: e.g., penguins spend much of their time under water.

See also

In Spanish: Animal terrestre para niños