A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone (spine) and an invertebrate has no backbone, usually it has an exoskeleton.
The classification of Vertebrates is comprised of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, rays and sharks, bony fish and cyclostomes (jawless fish like hagfish). All other animals, sea creatures and insects are invertebrates.
To be classified in the Subphylum of Vertebrata (vertebrate) an animal must have an internal skeleton, a head, central nervous system/brain, and a neural tube.
The taxonomic hierarchy is:
Kingdom: Animalia - animals
Subkingdom: Metazoa - animals with digestive tract
Phylum: Chordata - animals with neural tube
Subphylum: Vertebrata - animals with backbone.
Terminology:
Vertebra - one of the bones that make up the spinal column (backbone).
Vertebrae - plural for vertebra.
Vertebral - having to do with the backbone, e.g., vertebral column.
Vertebrate - animal possessing a vertebral column (a backbone).
Invertebrate - animal without a backbone.
All animals with vertebrae are vertebrates. A vertebra is one of many vertebrae, the bones that make up the backbone, which is also called a vertebral column or spine.
Examples:
Vertebrates: eagles, people, fish, whales, platypuses, toucans, horses, dogs, cheetahs, gophers, koalas, peacocks, penguins, pythons, salmon, turtles, frogs, monkeys, hippopotamuses.
Invertebrates:
bugs, jellyfish, lobsters, worms, oysters, crabs, ladybugs, starfish, octopi, coral, stagbeetles, slugs, mosquitoes, horseflies, sponges.
