Animal Charts, Zoology, School Education

Quick Answer: Animal charts in this zoology series are printed wall charts that illustrate representative animals across the animal kingdom, from simple non-chordates to vertebrates, with labelled features. Teachers use them to explain how animals are classified.

Classifying the Animal Kingdom from the Wall

Classification is the thread through a zoology animal chart series. Charts of this type typically move from single-celled protozoans such as Amoeba and Paramecium, which older syllabi placed first, through sponges, cnidarians such as Hydra, flatworms, roundworms, annelids like the earthworm, arthropods, molluscs and echinoderms, to the chordates. Each representative animal is drawn with the features that place it in its group.

The labels teach the criteria biologists use: level of organisation, radial or bilateral symmetry, presence of a body cavity (coelom), segmentation and a notochord. Pointed out on the chart, these features show why a starfish and a jellyfish belong to different phyla even though both look radially symmetrical.

The series suits secondary biology and first-year zoology, where students must name a typical example for each phylum and state its distinguishing features.

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Zoology labs often keep preserved specimen jars nearby; hang the animal charts clear of formalin and spirit splashes, which stain and weaken paper.
• Display the sheets in phylum order so the classification sequence reads from left to right.
• Store unused sheets flat between card so the corners do not curl.

Applications

• Introducing the phyla before a museum or preserved-specimen practical
• Building a classification key with students, from symmetry and coelom to notochord
• Revision of “name one example and two features” questions
• Display in a zoology laboratory or biology corridor

Why Choose LabEquip

Zoology and biology departments often buy the animal charts together with detailed type-study sets such as the Cockroach Charts and Frog Charts. Send your class level and topics through the LabEquip contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which features are used to classify animals on the chart?

Level of organisation, body symmetry, number of germ layers, presence or absence of a coelom, segmentation and a notochord are the main criteria. The chart shows these features on a typical animal from each group.

Why is a starfish in a different phylum from a jellyfish?

A starfish is an echinoderm with a water vascular system and a bilaterally symmetrical larva, while a jellyfish is a cnidarian with stinging cells and only two body layers. Both look radial as adults, which is why the chart’s labels matter.

What makes an animal a chordate?

At some stage of life a chordate has a notochord, a dorsal hollow nerve cord and pharyngeal gill slits. Vertebrates are chordates in which the notochord is replaced by a backbone.

Are protozoa still shown as animals?

Older school syllabi placed protozoa in the animal kingdom and many charts still show them first. Current classification puts them among the protists, which is worth pointing out to older students.

How can the charts be used to build a classification key?

Ask a yes-or-no question at each step, starting with “Is there a backbone?” and then “Is the body segmented?”. Students answer from the chart labels and end up with a dichotomous key.

Do animal charts do the same job as preserved specimens?

No, the two teach different things. The chart shows an idealised, fully labelled animal, while a specimen shows real size, texture and variation; using both helps students recognise animals outside the classroom.

Last Updated: September 2026