Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
invertebrate
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Illustrations of various invertebrate animals are shown, including a freshwater sponge, sea anemone, sea gooseberry, planarian, whelk, sea urchin, earthworm, centipede, fly, crab spider, and crawfish. Can you identify the invertebrate? A chart compares the maximum life spans of various animals, using icons and color coding for mammals, birds, other vertebrates, and invertebrates. Lifespans range from the mayfly at less than a year to the Greenland shark at 500 years, with humans, elephants, whales, birds, and reptiles shown at various points along the timeline. Measurement intervals are marked in years, with a key at the bottom explaining the color categories.
Quizzes
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz
Green tree python snake (Chondropython viridis) in a rainforest.
Creepy Crawlers Quiz
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024
Animal Factoids

invertebrate: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: Biology LibreTexts - Invertebrates. Oct 25, 2026
Add new Web site: OpenStax - Biology 2e - Invertebrates - Introduction. May 22, 2026
Add new Web site: ABC listen - Sydney Drive - How can we protect our essential invertebrates? Feb 25, 2026
Add new Web site: Georgia Tech Biological Sciences - Organismal Biology - Animals: Invertebrates. Sep 13, 2025
Media added. Sep 09, 2025
Add new Web site: Biology LibreTexts - Invertebrates. May 31, 2025
Add new Web site: Cell Press - Current Biology - Invertebrate biodiversity and conservation. Apr 11, 2025
Add new Web site: Australian Museum - What is an invertebrate? Jul 24, 2024
Add new Web site: Nature - Recognizing the quiet extinction of invertebrates. Mar 05, 2024
Add new Web site: The Canadian Encyclopedia - Invertebrate. Dec 28, 2023
Add new Web site: The Canadian Encyclopedia - Invertebrate. Dec 26, 2023
Add new Web site: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa - Exploring Our Fluid Earth - Invertebrates. Oct 17, 2023
Add new Web site: Biology LibreTexts - Invertebrates. Dec 02, 2022
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - The Evolution of Invertebrate Animals. Aug 26, 2022
Noted the environmental services invertebrates provide, their tendency to be overshadowed by vertebrates in wildlife research, and that some invertebrate groups were experiencing substantial population declines. Feb 23, 2021
Changed “more than 35 phyla” to “more than 30 phyla.” Feb 12, 2021
Corrected display issue. Jan 30, 2020
Add new Web site: World Animal Foundation - Invertebrates. Feb 07, 2019
Add new Web site: Australian Museum - What is an invertebrate? May 25, 2017
Add new Web site: Australian Museum - What is an invertebrate? Dec 23, 2016
Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Vertebrate and Invertebrate. Mar 13, 2014
Add new Web site: National Park Service - Point Ryes - Other Invertebrates. Jan 06, 2014
Add new Web site: The University of Texas at Austin - Invertebrate. Feb 21, 2013
Add new Web site: Smithsonian National Zoological Park - Invertebrate. Feb 21, 2013
Add new Web site: Rader's Biology4Kids - Invertebrate. Feb 20, 2013
Add new Web site: Florida Museum of Natural History - Invertebrate. Feb 20, 2013
Add new Web site: American Museum of Natural History - Invertebrate. Feb 20, 2013
Add new Web site: Cleveland Museum of Natural History - Invertebrate. Feb 20, 2013
Add new Web site: Enchanted Learning - Invertebrate. Feb 19, 2013
Add new Web site: Animal Corner - Invertebrate. May 21, 2012
Added image depicting various invertebrates. Sep 23, 2010
Article revised and updated. Nov 13, 2008
Added new Web site: The University of Tennessee - Soil invertebrate. Jun 18, 2008
Added new Web site: Canterbury - Invertebrates. Jun 13, 2008
Added new Web site: The Australian Museum Online - Invertebrates. Jun 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Kimball's Biology Pages - The Invertebrate Animals. Jun 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Smithsonian National Zoological Park - Invertebrates. Jun 13, 2008
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Animals - Invertebrate. Jun 01, 2008
Added new Web site: The Georgia Museum of Natural History - Aquatic Invertebrate.
  • Gaurav Shukla
 Feb 20, 2007
Added new Web site: Whales and Dolphins - Invertabrates.
  • Gaurav Shukla
 Feb 20, 2007
Added new Web site: New Jersey Scuba Diver - Marine Biology - Invertebrates.
  • Gaurav Shukla
 Feb 20, 2007
Added new Web site: None. Apr 25, 2006
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
View Changes:
Article History
Revised:
By: