What is an Animal? Crash Course Zoology #1?

An animal is like your friend who lives in another house but still plays with you at recess.

Imagine you have a pet dog, that’s an animal, just like you are! Animals are living things that move around, eat food, and grow bigger. They don’t need to be taught how to do these things; they just know how, from the moment they’re born.

Animals have a few special traits:

• They move by themselves, like you walking to school or your dog running after a ball.
• They eat food, just like you eat snacks. Some animals eat plants (like cows), some eat other animals (like lions), and some even eat both!
• They grow over time, babies become big kids, and little puppies become big dogs.

Animals also have bodies with parts that help them live better. For example, your hands let you grab things, and a bird’s wings let it fly, just like how your friend might use their bike to get around faster!

So, whether it's your dog, a butterfly, or even a dinosaur (if they came back!), all animals are living friends who do cool stuff every day.