TERRESTRIAL ANIMALS: DEFINITION, CHARACTERISTICS AND TYPES - BIOLOGY - 2025

The land animals are animals that live all or most of their time on earth. For example, dogs, lizards, tigers, ants, mice, or elephants. Their bodies are adapted to be able to crawl, walk, run, climb or jump, depending on the ecosystem in which they live.

Unlike aquatic, aerial, or air-ground animals, terrestrial animals spend most of the time and perform most of their biological processes and vital functions on the terrestrial soil.

There are various types of land animals, which differ from each other by their body structure, their way of locomotion or their diet.

According to scientific records, this type of animal has inhabited the Earth for about 530 million years, with different evolutionary processes during history.

Main features

As it is not a homogeneous group, its differences are substantial. On the one hand, there are them of enormous size and also so small that they cannot be identified by human sight; on the other, more independent or dependent, and in turn more predominant in their environment or less. However, they all share something in common: living on earth.

Although they fulfill most of their vital functions on Earth, most species need water and air to survive. For example: terrestrial species breathe through lungs, taking from the air the oxygen they need to live.

As the feeding of terrestrial animals is based on plants, roots, fruits, leaves, meat of other animals or other living organisms, also having a great development of the senses to be able to interact and coexist with the environment and other species. Sight, smell and to a lesser extent hearing are its three main guides.

These air-ground animals may also interest you.

Classification of land animals

Terrestrial animals can be classified into different taxonomic categories, one of which is according to where they live on earth. In this line there are three possible types, saxícolas, arenícolas or troglobitas

Saxicoles are land animals that inhabit rocks. The arenícolas, are those that do it in the sand and the troglobitas, in the caves.

Vertebrates or invertebrates

On the other hand, terrestrial animals differ from each other by the internal composition of their bodies, which in zoology is called their body structure and which determines many of their vital functions.

There are two types: vertebrates, which are those species that have a spinal column with some type of bone or cartilaginous structure, such as mammals; and invertebrates, which lack any type of internal structure, such as worms.

According to its edges

Another taxonomic way of classifying land animals is according to their phylum. The edge, in zoology is a classification category that is between the kingdom (animal) and the class, which will depend on how they are mobilized.

According to current records, land animals can be divided into 10 different phyla:

• Flatworm: this category corresponds to invertebrate organisms and includes about 20 thousand different species.
• Nemerteans: it is a classification that includes some species of worms, all less than 20 centimeters long.
• Annelids: with almost 170 thousand species, this phylum of animals describes the organisms that are found in humid places, have ringed bodies and are shaped like worms.
• Tardigrades: known for being the strongest animals in the world, this edge applies to terrestrial animals that are characterized by being invertebrate, protostomes, segmented, and microscopic. Tardigrades are also known as “water bears” because of their way of moving and their appearance.
• Arthropods: they are the most numerous phylum of the 10 that apply to terrestrial animals and comprise more than 1,200,000 species. It is also the most diverse phylum and mostly it is insects, one of the most varied species on the planet.
• Onychophores: it is one of the smallest phyla and with the fewest number of registered specimens, it comprises only 100 species. However, it is one of the oldest recorded with more than 515 million years of existence and it is mostly microscopic animals with claws.
• Mollusks: there are about 100,000 living species of this phylum on the planet, while another 35,000 are extinct. They are invertebrates with a soft body, naked or protected by a shell.
• Nematodes: it is the fourth largest phylum in the animal kingdom according to zoological records, comprising up to 500 thousand species, most of which are round worms.
• Chordate: it is a rare edge for terrestrial animals, since they are mostly aquatic organisms but they exist and present an elongated physiognomy.
• Rotifers: the terrestrial animals that make up this phylum are microscopic organisms that live in humid places. Rotifers comprise about two thousand species.

According supply: herb í Voros , omnivores and Carni voros

Terrestrial animals can also be classified according to their food diet, depending on the edibles from which they are served to obtain the necessary nutrients to fulfill their life cycle.

Zoology defined three types of species that differ from each other according to how they balance their diets, these are: carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.

Carnivores

They are those animals that eat meat and get their nutrients and energy from the ingestion of the remains of other species.

There are hunters, predators and scavengers within this category, which are defined by the way in which they obtain their food.

While hunters or predators seek and find their own prey, scavenging land animals eat the remains of other dead animals that have previously been swallowed by another species.

Carnivorous animals have more complex stomachs than herbivores or omnivores, they have more developed muscles, claws or fangs that allow them to destroy the resistance of the tissues more easily to be able to swallow their prey.

Within this category there are different types of diet: strict carnivores, who only eat meat and are not suitable for eating vegetables; flexible ones, which can consume a small amount of plant foods.

Occasional ones, on the other hand, who consume meat for long periods of time in the absence of other foods; hypercarnivores, whose diet is based on 70% meat, and hypocarnivores, whose diet requires 30% meat. Some examples of carnivorous land animals are lions, hyenas, dogs, snakes, and tigers, among others.

Herbivores

As for herbivores, they are those terrestrial animals whose diet is based exclusively on plants, grasses, herbs and all kinds of vegetables present on the planet. These species do not need the consumption of meat to survive but neither are they exclusively vegetarian, rather some species need to ingest some derivatives of the animal kingdom such as honey, eggs, etc.

However, there are different types of species within herbivorous land animals, classified according to how they consume food. These are: ruminant herbivores, simple stomach herbivores and compound stomach herbivores.

Ruminant herbivores are a particular type of land animal, which have sufficiently adapted and developed legs to flee if threatened. In addition, they are characterized by having the ability to swallow large amounts of food in a very short time and grind it later, when necessary for the body.

This feeding process is known as rumination and occurs mainly when the animal is in a state of rest.

Ruminant herbivores have a stomach made up of four compartments: belly, net, book and curd, which participate in the feeding process in that order. An example of this type of land animal is giraffes.

Simple stomach herbivores are characterized by consuming large amounts of fibers from vegetables and have a digestive system with little synthesis, which determines the amounts of food they can eat. An example is rabbits and horses.

The compound stomach herbivores are similar to the simple stomach herbivores with the difference that they have more complex digestive processes, which allow another synthesis of the nutrients and consume more food and with heavier compositions. Goats, zebras and elephants are some of these animals.

Omnivores

They are terrestrial animals that have a mixed diet, in which they consume both meat and vegetables, which makes it easier for them to adapt to different types of ecosystems.

These species have a more developed digestive system than herbivores and carnivores, which allows them to digest different types of food.

Omnivorous land animals have a special jaw, which combines different types of teeth to crush different types of tissue. For example within this group are bears, pigs, ostriches and hedgehogs.

Within the omnivores there is a large subclass that groups those animals that feed mainly on fruits, leaves, seeds, roots or stems and are scientifically called frugivores.

Bipeds or quadrupeds

Another possible classification refers to the way in which land animals move and move through the land.

Zoology defined two possible types: bipeds, which are species that only use two legs for support and a means of locomotion on earth, such as chickens and ostriches, among others; and quadrupeds, which move on four legs, such as cats, giraffes and elephants, among others.

According to the type of ecosystems

Terrestrial animals also differ in their classification according to their adaptation to the environment in which they live, depending on the abiotic factors of each biome.

Zoology has classified seven different types of ecosystems, among which are: desert, tundra, tropical forest, taiga, savanna, grassland and jungle.

Desert

Although the living conditions in this type of ecosystem require an extreme adaptation of the species, there are places on the planet with a great variety of terrestrial animals, as well as plants that serve as food.

Regardless of the kingdom the species belongs to, they need to be able to conserve large amounts of water and withstand changes in temperature to adapt to this ecosystem.

Some examples of land animals that live in the desert are snakes, lizards, some families of non-flying insects, such as beetles and ants, there are also some arachnids and mammals, such as mice, foxes, jackals, camels, and turtles.

Tundra

Although they have a long season without rain, unlike deserts, the tundras have an extremely cold climate, with temperatures below zero that lead to the earth's surface freezing in winter and thawing (a few centimeters) in summer..

These conditions, and the lack of vegetables or other types of food, complicate the development of living organisms. Reindeer are an example of land animals that live in the tundra.

Tropical forests

They are completely different from deserts and tundras, this type of ecosystem presents abundant rainfall, which makes it one of the places with the most species on the planet.

They are generally found in the intertropical zones, between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and have an average temperature of 25ºC with variable humidity.

These conditions mean that different species can develop their life in tropical forests, where a large number of families of land animals are housed.

There are different types of tropical forests: tropical dry forests, monsoon, tropical forest and flooded tropical forests. Antelopes, deer, wild boars, tapirs, snakes, worms and snails, are some species that inhabit this biome.

Taiga

It is the most predominant ecosystem on the planet, they are full of green spaces and are also known as boreal forests. One of its main characteristics are coniferous trees, which make up the largest forest mass on Earth.

In the taiga the climate varies considerably depending on the seasons of the year. Thus, winter presents abundant snowfalls and extreme cold, with temperatures below zero, while in summer temperatures reach an average of 20ºC.

The presence of tall trees, all very close to each other, means that the species that live in this biome have extra protection from the wind and cold.

Many land animals live in this ecosystem, some throughout the year, others carry out migrations according to the climate and available resources.

Due to its plant composition, the taiga is full of herbivorous species such as reindeer, deer, foxes, but also bears, wolves, weasels and mice.

Bed sheet

Characterized by its brown tones, this type of ecosystem features tropical grasslands, with small trees, open forests and huge grasslands.

Due to their thermal variation, the savannas are mostly dry areas, which could be described as a transition between jungles and deserts, with alternating arid and rainy periods.

Its soil is clayey with a surface that seems impermeable, which makes this ecosystem an arid place, with little presence of minerals.

However, there are a wide variety of species of terrestrial animals that inhabit the savannas, such as antelopes, zebras and giraffes.

Prairies

Also known as steppes, this type of biome has irregular and intermittent rainfall, with areas populated by plains.

Their living conditions vary according to the seasons of the year, due to climatic variation. The meadows are hot and dry during the summer months, while they are cold and a bit more humid on the winter days.

Some species of land animals that live in the prairies are horses, gazelles, antelopes, bison, and lions, among others.

Jungle

This ecosystem has different scientific names such as jungle or rainforest and one of its differential characteristics is its lush plant density.

Its climate presents long seasons of rain, heat and humidity, which facilitates the development of life of various types of species from different kingdoms, being the area with the largest number of registered living beings on the planet.

The large quantity and quality of oxygen make the jungles a favorable place for the life of terrestrial animals, among which the ants, stick insects, anacondas, monkeys, alligators, tapirs, turtles stand out., otters and rats, among others.

Examples of land animals

Lizards, geckos and geckos

Lizards, geckos, salamanders, geckos, and other reptiles are land animals. Species of lacértids and geckos are scaly sauropsids that are often seen both in domestic environments and among bushes, sand and rocks.

Some could not be classified as terrestrial, since they live among the trees, which makes them arboreal animals.

Snails and slugs

Gastropod animals are one of those that have most successfully adapted to terrestrial life in their evolutionary process.

Although many species of snails and slugs still live in the water, a large part of them thrive on land thanks to their lungs and other physiological differences.

Ants

Arthropods such as ants, flies, crabs, and spiders make up the most extensive phylum of the animal kingdom. For every human being there are a million ants, and that is that they adapt to any ecosystem, managing to be present on all continents except Antarctica.

The largest colony of ants known to man stretched for nearly two miles, interconnecting several smaller colonies with each other.

Dogs

The dog is the most abundant carnivorous land animal on planet Earth, and obviously one of the most pleasant companions for man.

It is the first species to have been selectively domesticated and bred over time due to its physical attributes, sensory capabilities and different behaviors that were liked by humans.

Cats

According to a 2010 study, cats are the third most abundant domestic pet in American homes. With more than 70 species in total, these felines were first domesticated in ancient Egypt, where they were also highly revered.

Even so, completely wild specimens can still be found that survive thanks to their incredible hunting skills and solitary nature.

Penguins

Penguins, like walruses and seals, are considered terrestrial animals although they develop for much of their life in the sea.

In fact, half the time they are submerged hunting prawns, fish, squid and other small marine species that are part of their diet.

They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, except for one species found in the Galapagos Islands, north of the Equator.

Some species of crabs

There are some species of crab that can live miles from the sea or fresh waters, on land. They can be found in the Gecarcinidae and Gecarcinucidae families.

Although they are terrestrial animals that inhabit the vegetation, normally the rest of the year, many of them carry out mass migrations to leave their eggs or larvae in the sea and be able to reproduce, generally in the rainy season.

Moles

The moles belong to the family of the tálpidos along with the excesses. The latter are completely aquatic and nocturnal mammals, while moles are terrestrial animals that, by digging burrows and tunnels under the ground where light does not reach, do not perceive the difference between day and night.

They are usually solitary and their accelerated metabolism means that they do not stop eating, feeding mainly on worms or those small animals that fall into their burrows.

Other features

Terrestrial animals as a whole present scientific difficulties to be a strictly defined group, since due to their own characteristics they differ greatly from one species to another and only share the fact of living on earth.

Even many of these animals have a biological dependence on other spaces such as air and water, which further complicates their taxonomic classification. Air-ground animals can be found in this classification.

Some species migrate from land to water, depending on their life cycle or different seasons, while many require aqueous biomes for their preservation as species.