Vertebrates (pronounced ver-ti-brates) are animals with a backbone. The backbone is also known as the vertebrate! The backbone is a row of connected bones that run down the back. Vertebrates animals make up only 5% of all of the animals on Earth. Besides having a backbone, vertebrate animals have a skeleton with bones as a structure. Vertebrate animals also have blood vessels which transport blood around the body. Since vertebrate animals need their backbones to hold themselves up, they are able to move around easily. Vertebrate animals can range from fish to giant giraffes. Most of the time, vertebrate animals are very big because they are able to carry around their giant bodies with the backbone. Examples of vertebrate animals are cows, fish, dogs, and even humans!
