Animals Around Us: REET EVS Notes

Classification of animals

Based on where they live, animals are divided into domestic animals (kept at home or on a farm, such as the cow, goat and dog) and wild animals (living freely in the forest, such as the lion and deer). Based on diet, they fall into three groups — herbivores (eat only plants or grass, such as cows, goats, deer), carnivores (eat only the flesh of other creatures, such as lions, tigers) and omnivores (eat both plants and flesh, such as bears, crows, humans).

Animals also vary in how they move — some walk (cow, goat), some crawl (snake, lizard), some fly (birds) and some swim (fish). Children can easily grasp this classification by carefully observing the animals around them. A short walk around the neighbourhood is often enough to see every one of these movement types together — a cow or goat walking on four legs, a snake or lizard crawling low along the ground, birds flying overhead, and fish swimming in the water nearby.

Classification by diet

Habitats of animals

Animals also differ in where they live. Some live only on land (cow, elephant), some live only in water (fish), and some can live both on land and in water, called amphibians (frog). Birds fly through the air but also nest and live on the ground. Every animal's body is shaped to fit its habitat — a fish's fins help it swim in water and a bird's wings help it fly, while a camel's broad, soft feet help it walk on sand without sinking. Put simply, no animal's body is shaped at random — a fish's fins, a bird's wings and a camel's broad feet are all suited to the particular place that animal has to move through, whether that is water, air or sand, and the frog stands out precisely because its body lets it manage in both land and water.

Products we get from animals

Domestic animals give us many useful products — milk from cows and buffaloes, wool from sheep, eggs from hens, and honey from bees. Rajasthan is known for sheep-rearing and wool production, and animal husbandry is a major source of livelihood in its rural areas. Children need to understand that proper animal care — clean water, fodder, timely vaccination — is what keeps animals healthy enough to give good produce, and neglect can make them sick, which affects a family's livelihood too. Pulling the region-specific facts on this page together: the yak belongs to the cold, high-altitude Himalayan regions such as Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, where local people keep it for carrying loads, for riding, and for its milk and meat; the Jamunapari goat, known for its long drooping ears and prominent nose, comes from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh and is kept for both milk and meat; and Rajasthan's own state animal, the camel, is called the 'ship of the desert' because its long eyelashes, closable nostrils and the fat stored in its hump help it survive the desert's heat and sandstorms. Among cattle and buffalo breeds, Gir and Sahiwal are well-known milk-yielding cattle breeds from Gujarat and the Punjab region respectively, Murrah is a famous milk-yielding buffalo breed from Haryana, and the Bikaneri is a well-known camel breed from the Bikaner-Jaisalmer region of Rajasthan — exactly the kind of animal-breed-region combinations that REET likes to mix up into confusing options.

India's special regional animals

Yak

An animal of the cold, high-altitude Himalayan regions (such as Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh); local people keep it for carrying loads, riding, and its milk and meat[Source 1]

Jamunapari goat

A famous goat breed from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh (Yamuna river region), kept for both milk and meat; identified by its long, drooping ears and prominent nose[Source 2]

Camel (Rajasthan's state animal)

Called the 'ship of the desert'; long eyelashes, closable nostrils and fat stored in its hump help it survive the desert's heat and sandstorms[Source 3]

India's famous animal breeds

REET often mixes these breeds up to create confusing options, so remember both the correct animal-breed pairing and its home region.

How to teach children

Questions asked in REET 2024 (with solutions)

Practice Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Read next