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Animal World

Animal Characteristics and Activities

What is the difference between an invertebrate and a vertebrate?

Invertebrates are animals that lack a backbone. Almost all animals (99 percent) are invertebrates. Of the more than one million identified animals, only 52,000 have a vertebral column; these are referred to as vertebrates. Most biologists believe the millions of species that have yet to be discovered are exclusively invertebrates.



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