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Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia (also called Metazoa). Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their lives. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and independently. Most all animals must ingest other organisms or their products for sustenance, with the exception of those that form symbiotic relationships with photosynthetic organisms. Most known animal phyla appeared in the fossil record as marine species during the Cambrian explosion, about 542 million years ago. Animals are divided into various sub-groups, some of which are: vertebrates (birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish); mollusks (clams, oysters, octopuses, squid, snails); arthropods (millipedes, centipedes, insects, spiders, scorpions, crabs, lobsters, shrimp); annelids (earthworms, leeches); sponges; and jellyfish. More about animals... Sponges are animals of the phylum Porifera (meaning "pore bearer"). They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them, consisting of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. Sponges have unspecialized cells that can transform into other types and that often migrate between the main cell layers and the mesohyl in the process. Sponges do not have nervous, digestive or circulatory systems. Instead, most rely on maintaining a constant water flow through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen and to remove wastes. The golden toad (Bufo periglenes) is an extinct species of true toad that was once abundant in a small region of high-altitude cloud-covered tropical forests, about 30 km2 (12 sq mi) in area, above the city of Monteverde, Costa Rica. The last reported sighting of a golden toad was on 15 May 1989. Its sudden extinction may have been caused by chytrid fungus and extensive habitat loss. When the fox dies, fowls do not mourn. —Anonymous Here are some Open Tasks : Copyedit: Merge: GLAM/ARKive donated texts into articles about endangered species. Improve: Photoperiodism, Tool use by animals, Omnivore, Animal suicide, Sphaerium beckmani (a species in family Sphaeriidae), Requests: Mammals: Invertebrates: Giant Grasshopper Fishes: Ostracoberycidae (see here for a taxobox) Amphibians: Gobi Desert toad Merge: GLAM/ARKive donated texts into articles about endangered species. Expand: Junqueira cow, Atka mackerel Nominate and vote: Science collaboration of the month, Article Improvement Drive, WikiProject Animals Collaboration Template:/box-footer The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semiaquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth. The animal is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record. The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate hoax. It is one of the few venomous mammals, the male platypus having a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans. Until the early 20th century, it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat. ...that two of the nine or ten classes in the phylum Mollusca are extinct? ...that bottlenose dolphins (pictured) are believed to use sponges to protect their rostra when searching for food on the sea bottom? ...that cattle are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gases? Template:/box-footer WikiProject Animals Invertebrates Arthropods WikiProject Arthropods WikiProject Spiders WikiProject Insects WikiProject Lepidoptera WikiProject Phasmatodea Molluscs WikiProject Cephalopods WikiProject Gastropods Vertebrates Amphibians and Reptiles WikiProject Amphibians and Reptiles WikiProject Dinosaurs WikiProject Pterosaurs Fishes WikiProject Fishes WikiProject Aquarium Fishes WikiProject Sharks Mammals WikiProject Mammals WikiProject Primates WikiProject Monotremes and Marsupials WikiProject Cetaceans WikiProject Cats WikiProject Dogs WikiProject Rodents WikiProject Equine Birds WikiProject Birds Other Animal WikiProjects WikiProject Dog breeds WikiProject Horse breeds WikiProject Veterinary medicine WikiProject Sea Monsters WikiProject Animal rights WikiProject Zoo WikiProject Organismal Biomechanics ▼ Animals ► Lists of animals ► Animals by year of formal description ► Animal anatomy ► Anthrozoology ► Animals in art ► Animal common names ► Cryptids ► Ethology ► Animal identification ► Metaphors referring to animals ► Animal monuments ► Animal organizations ► Parasitic animals ► Animal physiology ► Animals in popular culture ► Animal reintroduction ► Biomorphic robots ► Animal taxonomy ► Veterinary medicine ► Zoology ► Zoos ► Images of animals ► Animal stubs Animal colouration Animal rights Anthrozoology Ethology Fauna Flying and gliding animals Invertebrate Neuroethology Vermin Worm Zoology Science Biology Ecology Extinct and Endangered Species Marine life Amphibians and Reptiles Arthropods Birds Cats Cetaceans Dinosaurs Dogs Fish Sharks Mammals Gastropods Crustaceans Horses The following Wikimedia sister projects provide more on this subject: What are portals? 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