having a spinal column

of the vertebrates

an animal that has a segmented backbone, such as the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes

any of a large subphylum of animals including the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, with a segmented backbone, together with a few primitive forms, e.g. lampreys, in which the backbone is represented by a notochord (flexible rod of cells): subphylum Vertebrata