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Hey, hey, hey. It's Fat Albert. Well, actually, my real name is Kenan Thompson, but I play

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Fat Albert in the live-action film based on Bill Cosby's hit show. My buddies and I love

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adventure, but we also love a good challenge. That's why we love the NASA Sci-Fys. If you

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want an adventure in math, science, and technology, check in on the Treehouse Detectives hot on

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the trail with their latest case on this exciting episode of the NASA Sci-Fys.

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Come on out and learn about math, science, and technology. NASA Sci-Fys.

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Be sure to look for the answers to the following questions. Why is it important to classify

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animals? Which phylum of invertebrates is most common? What are the five classes of vertebrates?

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When you see this icon, the answer is near.

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What an awesome ride.

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Riding across the water at top speeds, checking out nature, and the wildlife was amazing.

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Right. Amazing. Come on, Catherine. That has to rank up there as one of the coolest.

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You're right. It was cool, but... But what? I've been thinking.

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Remember when we were out on the boat and we stopped to examine some of the plant life under

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the water? Well, I turned around to see this bird fall from the sky. I followed it down only to see

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another bird flailing around in the water, obviously hurt. I mentioned it to our guide,

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and he said that on a preserve, they don't usually rescue or help animals under stress from natural

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causes. There are no traps or anything there, so the bird probably had been attacked by a predator,

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but it got in the way. They don't interfere. I don't know. It just seems like there's something

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that we can do to help. Well, we are talking about nature. I'm not sure we can help every animal.

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True, but I wonder what we can do. Kaylee might be able to help. She's the expert on nature and

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animals. She probably doesn't have time. I think she's working on some kind of project. I have an

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idea, but it's going to require everyone's help and Jacob's backyard. Jacob might be hard to

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convince. I don't know. Beneath his harsh exterior lies a truly compassionate nature lover. Really?

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Okay, so I'm exaggerating, but I'm sure I'll help. Let's contact the others.

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So

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I don't know how you expect me to help you with the wildlife badge research with all this

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prime real estate just waiting to be developed. Tony, if we build houses everywhere there are

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forests, there won't be any wildlife. Of course, you're right. By the way, how's the research coming

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along? I've taken some pictures of our state bird and I've identified some poisonous plants,

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but I still have a lot of work to do. Well, I hope you have some extra time on your hands.

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What's up? I just got an email from Catherine. She said she saw an injured animal in the Everglades

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and she and Bianca want to create their own backyard habitat. Sounds cool. Who's backyard?

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They've talked to Jacob and he's agreed to use his backyard. I think he's hoping he doesn't have

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to cut the grass anymore. At least he's doing what he can to help. Good point. But the question is,

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what can we do? They're sure in Florida and don't know where to begin. I'm not sure, but maybe my

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research for my wildlife badge can help them. Great idea. Let's start with the problem board.

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Okay, what do we know? We know that Catherine saw an injured animal in distress. And of course we

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know that animals are a part of the animal kingdom. And we also know that there are many different

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types of animals. So what do we need to know? I think we need to start with the basics. If we're

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going to make a habitat for animals, we should learn how to classify and identify them. And which

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ones we need to protect. So where should we go? Didn't you go on a camping trip to Busch Gardens

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with your Girl Scout troop? Right. They take care of some amazing animals there. I'm sure they'll

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help us. I'll email my troop leader. Excellent idea. And don't forget, we have to email Dr. D,

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Bianca and Catherine, and download a get up and go sheet. You can get your own get up and go

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sheet at the NASA Sci-Files website. It may take a lot of hard work, but it's good to help.

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I'm here at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia to talk with their zoological manager,

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Mr. Rob Yorty. He actually works with wolves here at the park, so it should be very exciting.

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The wolves are very fascinating creatures, but remember, no cameras, backpacks,

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and also don't look them in the eye so we won't distract them. No problem. They look like dogs.

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Well, that's because they're in the same phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata,

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class Mammalia, order Carnivora, and family Canidae, as dogs are. Could you repeat that?

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Well, actually, in your email, you requested information on how to classify animals,

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and that is the classification for wolves. But maybe we should start at the beginning.

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That sounds like a good idea. We know that there are two main kingdoms, plants and animals,

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but we need to learn more about how animals are classified.

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Just like for plants, scientists use a classification system for animals.

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The animal kingdom is divided into smaller groups. The largest group within a kingdom is a phylum.

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Phylum are divided into classes. Classes are divided into smaller and smaller groups.

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The smallest group is the species. Why is it important to classify animals?

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By classifying animals, we can give each organism a unique,

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scientifically accepted name, which avoids confusion.

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Why can't you just call a dog a dog?

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Well, an animal's common name can vary within languages, also within regions,

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even in the same country. Here in the U.S., the mountain lion is also called the panther,

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the cougar, or the puma. It's known as a cat of many names.

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So how do animals get their names?

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Well, scientists look at specific characteristics of each organism to divide them into groups.

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The animal kingdom is divided into two specific groups, vertebrates and invertebrates.

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How are they different?

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Vertebrates are animals with a backbone or spinal column. Invertebrates are not.

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I have a backbone. I must be a vertebrate.

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Yes, you are. About 5% of animals are vertebrates and are categorized into

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classes according to their traits. Vertebrates include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds,

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and mammals.

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Wow, only 5%? Does that mean the other 95% are invertebrates?

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That's correct. The invertebrate phyla consists of many different species of worms,

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insects, sponges, and even microscopic organisms.

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If I were to find an animal in my backyard that I didn't recognize, how could I identify it?

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Well, one way that scientists use to identify an animal is through the use of a dichotomous key.

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Dichotomous key? I'm not sure I understand.

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Dichotomous means separated into two parts. Dichotomous key is a method used to identify

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an object by giving a specific set of choices all the way down to the object's name,

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or in this case, an animal.

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How does it work?

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You start out with two characteristics. After choosing the first characteristic,

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you are given two more to choose from. You keep making choices until you classify the animal.

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If you're looking at an animal, the first set of characteristics would be backbone or no backbone.

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And if it has a backbone, then you would keep looking at other characteristics to narrow it down.

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Exactly, like the gray wolf. You would start out with backbone or no backbone.

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You would choose backbone. The next set of choices would be

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fur or feathers. You would choose fur. Go down to the next set would be long canine

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teeth or short canine teeth. You would choose long canine teeth and eventually

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get down to the gray wolf classification.

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They're really beautiful.

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The gray wolf used to be endangered in the United States due to overhunting and the loss of habitat.

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But through conservation efforts, it is now considered threatened.

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It is the largest of the canid species and has the largest range of any land mammal,

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with the exception of humans. They are pack hunters and usually feed on mammals larger than

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themselves, including caribou, elk, and deer. They also have a very distinctive howl.

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You're lucky to have such cool animals here at the park.

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We're thrilled, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg is committed to the conservation of all animals.

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We have lots of different animals in our park to help teach our guests about their habitats,

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behaviors, the animal status in the wild, and what needs to be done to help the environment.

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Seeing an animal up close and personal really does make a difference.

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Just waiting to see the show.

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Hi Kaylee, what a cool vessel.

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Yes it is.

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It's like the kind used to collect bioluminescent organisms.

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You sure can learn a lot about organisms in this glowing exhibit.

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Very funny Dr. D. I was surprised to learn that organisms can give off light by mixing

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chemicals in their own body, just like mixing chemicals in this glow stick.

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Right, organisms that make themselves glow are called bioluminescent.

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Did you know that 90% of mid-ocean organisms are bioluminescent?

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They use their light to blind their predators, attract prey, and find a mate.

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Wow, you really know your stuff.

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In the ocean you'll find jellyfish, sea cucumbers, shrimp, squid, and octopus that glow.

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And on land you'll find fireflies, glow worms, snails, and click beetles.

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So far you've mentioned only invertebrate animals.

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Right, we learned that the animal kingdom is divided into vertebrates and invertebrates.

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Mr. Yorty at Busch Gardens told us that most of the animals are invertebrates.

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Very good.

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The animal kingdom has over 30 major groups or phyla.

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One of these includes all of the vertebrates,

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and there are eight others that include a majority of the invertebrates.

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Do you know which of the invertebrates are the most common?

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I'm pretty sure insects are the most common.

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Insects, including fireflies, are part of the phylum known as arthropoda.

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There are more than a million arthropod species, and most of them are insects.

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Does arthropoda also include crabs and spiders?

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Yes it does, along with bioluminescent shrimp.

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Are snails arthropods?

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No. Arthropods have a hardened exoskeleton, which you might confuse with a snail's shell.

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Arthropods also have jointed appendages like wings, legs, or antennas.

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So snails must be grouped with other shelled animals like clams.

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Very good.

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Clams, mussels, and snails, along with octopus and squid, are all part of mollusca.

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Molluscs are soft-bodied.

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In fact, mollusca comes from the Latin word for soft.

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Jellyfish are soft.

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Are they also part of mollusca?

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Unfortunately, classification is a little more complicated than just hard and soft.

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Jellyfish, along with corals, are part of cnidaria.

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These animals have tentacles and stinging cells.

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Cnidaria? That's strange to say.

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How about nematoda?

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That sounds like it has to do with a frog.

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Nematoda actually refers to roundworms, which have a tube-like body.

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Earthworms are also tube-like, but they belong to the phylum annelida,

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which are segmented animals.

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Worms sure have some complicated names.

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Just wait, there's more.

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Platyhelminthiid, which is Latin for flatworm,

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are the simplest animals that have organ systems.

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And I thought sea cucumber was a strange name.

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Oh, sea cucumbers are from the conidromata phylum, along with sand dollars and starfish.

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These spiny-skinned animals have suction-cup feet.

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The next phylum is very simple.

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Finally, a simple name.

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No, the name is not simple, but the animals are.

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Sponges are part of the peripheral phylum.

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These primitive animals have no symmetry, tissues, or organs.

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Wow, classifying animals is harder than I thought.

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I hope we fare better with our backyard habitat.

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Have you heard from the others?

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Bianca and Catherine are researching vertebrates.

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They made a contact at NASA Kennedy Space Center,

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so they should have some excellent data.

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True. I'm going out of town.

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If I can help, send me an email.

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Catherine and I are meeting with Ms. Rebecca Smith,

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a wildlife ecologist at NASA Kennedy Space Center.

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Part of her job is to monitor and minimize the effects of the space program

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on the environment, habitats, and wildlife.

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Plus, she knows all about vertebrates.

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Maybe we'll get to see some other than ourselves.

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Reach around and touch the middle of your back.

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What do you feel?

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I feel my backbone.

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Exactly.

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All vertebrates have an endoskeleton,

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which is an internal skeleton with a backbone.

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They have small bones called vertebrae.

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They typically consist of a bony arch that encloses a hole for the spinal cord

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and have stubby projections that connect with adjacent bones.

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Why do animals, I mean vertebrates, need an endoskeleton?

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It supports and protects the internal organs of the body

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and also provides a place for muscles to attach.

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The vertebrae protect the nerve or spinal cord,

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and because it is in many pieces, it allows an animal to bend.

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So if an animal has a backbone, you know it belongs to the phylum vertebrata.

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But how can you determine which class it belongs to?

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You have to look at other characteristics or attributes.

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A key difference among vertebrates is how they regulate body temperature.

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What do you mean?

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The frog and the snake are both cold-blooded animals called ectotherms.

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They don't have an internal ability to control their body temperature.

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They rely on heat from the environment to keep them at a temperature for life processes.

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So when it's cold, their body processes slow down, and when it's warm, they speed up.

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What about warm-blooded animals?

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They're called endotherms.

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Their bodies can regulate heat so they maintain a constant body temperature

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even if the temperature changes around them.

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Shivering, panting, and sweating are some of the ways

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that endotherms can control their body temperature.

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Which classes of vertebrates are warm-blooded and which are cold-blooded?

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There are five classes of vertebrates.

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Fish, amphibians, and reptiles are cold-blooded.

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Birds and mammals are warm-blooded.

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So once you know if they are warm-blooded or cold-blooded,

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what other characteristics can you use to determine an animal's class?

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Each class is very different.

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For example, fish have fins, gills, and most have scales that cover and protect their body.

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They live in a variety of aquatic habitats from saltwater to freshwater.

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So all fish aren't the same.

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No, there are three types.

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Jawless fish, cartilage fish, and bony fish.

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Amphibians live in water.

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How are they different from fish?

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Unlike fish, most amphibians only spend part of their lives in the water,

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and the rest of their lives on land.

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There are three types of amphibians.

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Frogs and toads, newts and salamanders, and caecilians.

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Why do they spend time on land and in water?

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Amphibians need the water to lay their eggs.

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The young are also aquatic for a time before they go through metamorphosis.

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Metamorphosis is the process that occurs when an animal changes form

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as it develops into an adult.

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That's correct.

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For example, a frog develops from an egg to a tadpole and then to an adult.

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What about reptiles?

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Snakes are reptiles.

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You want to see a corn snake?

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Come on.

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Some reptiles, such as water snakes and sea turtles,

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live most of their lives in the water.

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But reptiles are primarily crocodilians, turtles, lizards, and snakes

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that can live on land from birth to death without returning to the water to reproduce.

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This is a corn snake.

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Most snakes in the U.S. are not poisonous and are actually beneficial to us

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because they occupy an important ecological niche,

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such as keeping the rodent population under control.

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She's cool.

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What about birds?

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Birds are unique because they lay hard-shelled eggs,

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they have beaks, wings, and feathers,

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and lightweight, hollow bones that make it easier to fly.

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So that leaves us mammals.

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That's correct.

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Mammals have hair, give live birth, and feed milk to their young.

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There are three different types of mammals, the egg-laying mammals,

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the pouched mammals or marsupials,

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and the placental mammals, which are the largest group.

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Don't mammals live in a variety of different habitats?

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Animals such as whales and dolphins live in the ocean,

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sloths live in the trees,

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bats fly around,

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and moles live underground.

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Wow, I never knew animals were so diverse.

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It must be fun to study animals every day.

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And challenging.

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For example, whenever a new building needs to be built or a pipeline needs to be laid,

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we go to the area and survey the site to see what animals will be affected.

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Whenever possible, we move the animals out of harm's way

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and we work closely with project managers to reduce or eliminate the impacts.

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Thanks, Ms. Smith.

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Now we need to research what animals need.

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Mr. Mario Moda, a colleague of mine, might be able to help you.

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Great!

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Protecting animals may be more difficult than we thought.

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I know Kaylee and the other treehouse detectives are working hard,

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but we still have a lot to do.