Animal Classification: Kingdom, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species
Scientists sort every living thing into nested groups, from the broadest to the most specific: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. This puzzle hides six of those seven ranks, all but phylum, plus taxonomy, the science of naming and classifying, and two of the most familiar groups, vertebrates and mammals.
A lion, for example, belongs to the kingdom Animalia, the class Mammalia, the order Carnivora, the family Felidae, the genus Panthera and the species Panthera leo. The 11x11 grid has four diagonal words, including vertebrate, the longest at 10 letters.
Animal Classification Vocabulary: 9 Words to Find
Words run across, up and down, and diagonally; 5 of the 9 read backwards. The longest word is Vertebrate, with 10 letters.
- Class: A rank in classification between phylum and order. Mammals, birds and reptiles are each a class.
- Family: A rank in classification between order and genus. Lions, tigers and house cats all belong to the cat family, Felidae.
- Genus: A rank in classification just above species. The lion and the tiger share the genus Panthera.
- Kingdom: The highest rank in classification of living things. All animals belong to the kingdom Animalia.
- Mammal: The class Mammalia: warm-blooded vertebrates with hair that feed their young on milk.
- Order: A rank in classification between class and family. Lions, wolves and bears belong to the order Carnivora.
- Species: A group of living things that look alike and can breed together. It is the most specific rank in classification.
- Taxonomy: The science of naming and classifying living things into groups.
- Vertebrate: An animal with a backbone: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
How to Solve the Animal Classification Word Search
"Taxonomy" has the only X and "vertebrate" the only V and B; both are diagonal. "Kingdom" and "family" run upward, so check the columns from the bottom. "Mammal" reads backwards with its double M: look for LAMMAM.
Animal Classification Activities for Science Class
- Ask students to put the six ranks in order from the broadest to the most specific: kingdom, class, order, family, genus, species.
- Learn a mnemonic for the full list with phylum included, like "King Philip Came Over For Good Soup".
- Classify a familiar animal, such as a house cat, rank by rank.
Animal Classification Word Search FAQ
Who is the Animal Classification Word Search for?
Students aged 10 to 14 starting a unit on classification and biology.
Which directions do the words run in?
Words run across, up and down, and diagonally; 5 of the 9 read backwards. 4 of them are diagonal.
Is there an answer key for the Animal Classification Word Search?
Yes. Download it from the printable section above: it is a separate PDF with all 9 words marked. Online, each word is crossed off the list the moment you find it.
More Animal Kingdom Basics Word Searches
- Animal Science Word Search: more zoology vocabulary at the same level.
- Mammal Word Search: the hard puzzle about what makes a mammal a mammal.
More medium Animal Kingdom Basics word searches (3 in this category)