Animals!
Discover cute, wild, and weird animals using the search bar below, or scroll to see popular animal lists!
Search for Any Animal – Discover Amazing Creatures!
A-Z Animals is the world’s most trusted online animal encyclopedia. If you want cute animals, wild animals, weird animals or are looking for comprehensive pet guides for dogs and cats, we’ve got you covered!
We believe that if people know more about the world’s creatures they will better care for them. Thats why we add new animals for you to discover – each and every day! Learn about any animal using the search box below:
The 7 Major Types Of Animals
Mammals
The official mammal class is Mammalia. Animals that are considered mammals include warm-blooded vertebrates that have hair or fur and whose babies drink milk. Unlike other animal types like birds and insects, all mammal babies drink milk that comes from their mother’s bodies. This is one of the key ways to know if an animal is a mammal.
See the complete list of mammals.
Reptiles
Lizards, dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles, and snakes – all belong to that ancient and stout class of animals known as the reptiles. This is a diverse group with more than 10,000 different species and a huge representation in the fossil record. Once the dominant land vertebrates on the planet, reptiles still occupy just about every single ecosystem outside of the extreme north and south.
See the complete list of reptiles.
Fish
Fish are aquatic vertebrates. They usually have gills, paired fins, a long body covered with scales, and tend to be cold-blooded. "Fish" is a term used to refer to lampreys, sharks, coelacanths and ray-finned fishes, but is not a taxonomic group, which is a clade or group containing a common ancestor and all its descendants.
See the complete list of fish.
Birds
Birds, members of the class Aves, include more than 10,400 living species. Their feathers distinguish them from all other classes of animal; no other animals on earth have them. If you see an animal with feathers, it’s undoubtedly a bird. Like mammals, birds are warm-blooded vertebrates with four-chambered hearts. However, they are more closely related to reptiles and are believed to have evolved from dinosaurs.
See the complete list of birds.
Amphibians
The official class of amphibians is Amphibia. To have the classification of an amphibian, an animal must be a vertebrate, require water to survive, be cold-blooded, and spend time both on land and in water. Though other animals only live on land or in the water, amphibians have the unique ability to thrive equally in both. Amphibians cover over 6,000 different species across the globe, but about 90% are frogs.
See the complete list of amphibians.
Invertebrates
The definition of an invertebrate is any animal that does not have a backbone or vertebral column. The most prolific and easily recognizable members of the invertebrate family are insects. It’s estimated that upwards of 30 million individual species of invertebrates may exist accounting for between 90-95 percent of all organisms on the planet.
See the complete list of invertebrates.
Insects
All insects are part of the taxonomical phylum Arthropoda, and they are collectively referred to as arthropods. It is common to see this name misspelled as “anthropod,” but this is not the correct term. They can be found in nearly every environment on the planet, and they currently account for over half of all known living organisms in the world. They have undergone many cycles of evolution depending on the resources available to them.
See the complete list of insects.
Pet Guides: Everything To Know About Cat and Dog Breeds
Want to know how to raise a puppy or kitten? Curious to learn more about big and small dog breeds or cat breeds? Check out our comprehensive pets guides below!
Most Popular Pet Dog Breeds
Irish Setter
Can live for up to 16 years!
Boston Terrier
Friendly, lovable and very strong!
Golden Retriever
Trusting, kind and gentle!
Most Popular Pet Cat Breeds
Abyssinian
The oldest breed of cat in the world!
Australian Mist
First bred in the 1700s!
Ragdoll
One of the larger breeds of domestic cat!
Explore Animals from Around the World
- African Animals
- Asian Animals
- Central American Animals
- Eurasian Animals
- European Animals
- North American Animals
- Marine (Ocean) Animals
- Oceanian Animals
- South American Animals
Animals By Letter: Explore A to Z Animal Lists
Animals that Start with A
Example: The Anteater
Animals that Start with B
Example: The Barn Owl
Animals that Start with C
Example: The Cow
Animals that Start with D
Example: The Dunker
Animals that Start with E
Example: The English Springer Spaniel
Animals that Start with F
Example: The Ferret
Animals that Start with G
Example: The Great White Shark
Animals that Start with H
Example: The Hoopoe
Animals that Start with I
Example: The Irish Doodle
Animals that Start with J
Example: The Jaguar
Animals that Start with K
Example: The Killer Whale
Animals that Start with L
Example: The Leopard Cat
Animals that Start with M
Example: The Megalodon
Animals that Start with N
Example: The Northern Inuit Dog
Animals that Start with O
Example: The Opossum
Animals that Start with P
Example: The Pug
Animals that Start with Q
Example: The Quail
Animals that Start with R
Example: The Rhinoceros
Animals that Start with S
Example: The Snail
Animals that Start with T
Example: The Tiffany
Animals that Start with U
Example: The Uakari
Animals that Start with V
Example: The Vampire Squid
Animals that Start with W
Example: The Wasp
Animals that Start with X
Example: The Xerus
Animals that Start with Y
Example: The Yorkshire Terrier
Animals that Start with Z
Example: The Zebra Shark
See Endangered Animals Lists
- Extinct
- Extinct in the Wild
- Critically Endangered
- Endangered
- Vulnerable
- Near Threatened
- Least Concern
- Data Deficient
- Not Evaluated
Animal Reference Guides
We are building the world’s greatest animal encyclopedia. Be search to check out our Reference Library and Glossary to learn about Animal Habitats, Diet, Behavior and much more…
Animals – Facts, Pictures and Resources FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are the 6 types of animals?
The 6 types of animals are mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and invertebrates. Additionally, animals are classified in many different ways, which you may learn about in this complete guide to animal classification.
What are the 10 most popular animals?
The 10 most popular animals on AZ Animals are:
How many animals are there?
There are over 1 million known animal species and more than 98% of those are insects, which are indeed animals.
The Animals of Minecraft — And Their Real-Life Counterparts
Minecraft has grown into a massive phenomenon for the public, evolving significantly in the last decade. You may come across mobs, which are animals and monsters that move around independently. Getting them to follow you is a rather easy task, enticing them with food. Do you know the real species that the animals of Minecraft […] Read More
The 10 Smartest Animals in the World
Human beings have the tendency to feel overly secure in our position at the top of the food chain. We take for granted the fact that we are the most intelligent animals on the planet without ever actually considering what it is that sets us apart. Is it object permanence, the ability to plan, tool […] Read More
The World’s Top 10 Animals That Mate for Life
What animals mate for life? There are many creatures in the animal kingdom that have different mating partners throughout their lives. There are also monogamous animals. These mating pairs stay together throughout their lives. This list of animals that mate for life contains birds, mammals, and reptiles. #10 Animals That Mate for Life: Macaroni Penguin […] Read More
The World’s Top 9 Famous Conservationists
Can you name nine famous conservationists? Don’t worry! The AZ Animal team is here to help you out. Let the countdown begin! #9 Famous Conservationists: Li Quan London-dwelling, Beijing-born Li Quan is a well-known conservationist who developed the process of rewilding. Quan believes animals thrive when left alone in ideal habitats. To that end, she […] Read More
The 10 Best Dog Names in the World
Are you curious about the 10 best dog names? The popular names for dogs change over time. The criteria for choosing the “best” dog names depend on a persons’ point of view. There is no way we can choose only ten. There are millions of dogs and we love every one of them. Some of […] Read More
Top 8 Animals Elected to Office in the United States
While you may think that the donkey and the elephant are just logos used by Republican and Democratic officeholders, there have been animals elected to office in the United States. Have dogs been elected to serve the people in their community? Maybe voters chose a cat instead. Is it possible that a goat was elected? […] Read More
The 10 Biggest Fish in the World
You may be wondering what the largest fish in the world is and where you can find it. We have considered all the types of fish falling into the Chondrichthyes and the Osteichthyes groups alive on earth. That’s over 28,000 species. We have not looked at extinct fish, such as the Placodermi group, where the […] Read More
Water Moccasins vs. Cottonmouth Snakes
Contrary to popular belief, water moccasins and cottonmouth snakes are not different types of snakes. It’s often thought that water moccasins are harmless, non-venomous creatures, and cottonmouths are more dangerous and venomous. In reality, both terms refer to the same species, Agkistrodon piscivorus, which is the only venomous water snake in North America. Read on […] Read More
The World’s 10 Most Venomous Mammals
When most people think of venomous animals, the first things that come to mind are snakes, spiders, and insects. Admittedly, those are the most prevalent venom carrying animals, but they are not by any means the only ones. Did you know that there are a number of venomous mammals as well? Venom and poison are […] Read More
The 10 Safari Animals You MUST See in Real Life
African safaris are spectacular and can be downright life-changing. For the best experiences, travelers typically head to Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. But what are the must-see animals when you’re on safari in these magical countries? Opinions vary. Some people only care about “the big five.” Others focus on […] Read More
