An organism is a living thing. If we think of every single organism on Earth being part of one big group, then that group can be split into smaller groups of organisms that are more like each other than they are to other organisms.
Animalia – the animal kingdom – is one of several large groups of living things.
Animals have a particular set of characteristics that separates them from other organisms such as plants, fungi and bacteria.
Other kingdoms include Plantae – the plant kingdom, and Fungi, the kingdom that contains organisms such as mushrooms and molds.
Characteristics of animals include: being multicellular (i.e. they consist of more than one cell); being able to move (for at least part of their lives); breathing oxygen; reproducing sexually; and being unable to produce their own food (i.e. they can’t get energy from sunlight).
The animal kingdom is divided into many smaller groups. On this page we will take a look at some of the different types of animals and their characteristics. We’ll concentrate on the main animal groups, but will also take a look at a number of notable smaller animal types.