Animals!
Discover cute, wild, and weird animals using the search bar below, or scroll to see popular animal lists!
Search – Discover Different Types of Animals
A-Z Animals is the world’s most trusted online animal encyclopedia. If you want cute animals, types of wild animals, exotic pets, 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 Different 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!
See a complete list of dog breeds.
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!
See a complete list of cat breeds.
Expert Pet Product Reviews
The AZ Animals team has spent years working with and studying the latest research on what products are best for our pets and yours, and we’re excited to share our expert pet product recommendations with you.
See all of our Expert Pet Product Reviews.
Explore Types of Wild 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 Australian Retriever
Animals that Start with B
Example: The Bonobo
Animals that Start with C
Example: The Corman Shepherd
Animals that Start with D
Example: The Desert Rain Frog
Animals that Start with E
Example: The English Shepherd
Animals that Start with F
Example: The Ferret
Animals that Start with G
Example: The Green Bee-Eater
Animals that Start with H
Example: The Horned Frog
Animals that Start with I
Example: The Icelandic Sheepdog
Animals that Start with J
Example: The Japanese Squirrel
Animals that Start with K
Example: The Komodo Dragon
Animals that Start with L
Example: The Lobster
Animals that Start with M
Example: The Megalodon
Animals that Start with N
Example: The Newfoundland
Animals that Start with O
Example: The Okapi
Animals that Start with P
Example: The Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Animals that Start with Q
Example: The Quoll
Animals that Start with R
Example: The Red Panda
Animals that Start with S
Example: The Squirrel Monkey
Animals that Start with T
Example: The Thai Ridgeback
Animals that Start with U
Example: The Utonagan
Animals that Start with V
Example: The Virgin Islands Dwarf Gecko
Animals that Start with W
Example: The Woolly Mammoth
Animals that Start with X
Example: The Xerus
Animals that Start with Y
Example: The Yeti Crab
Animals that Start with Z
Example: The Zebra Pleco
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.
Earthworms are common terrestrial invertebrates of the order Annelida, known as ringed or segmented worms. They are decomposers and detritivores, or detritivoral decomposers, and are important for the natural balance of the ecosystem. The earthworm’s role is the elimination of decaying or dead organic matter to allow for the new growth of plants. They are […] Read More
The duck is one of the most common backyard birds in the world. You can find these diverse waterfowl on every continent except Antarctica and in a wide variety of habitats. That said, most live in wetlands or other aquatic areas including rivers, lakes, and near coasts. While swans and geese belong to the same […] Read More
A bladder stone, also known as uroliths, is a very serious and painful condition that occurs in many animals, including guinea pigs. The “stone” itself is really just a buildup of tiny crystals that becomes lodged in the bladder (which stores the urine) or even the urethra (where the urine is dispensed from the body). […] Read More
Camels are even-toed ungulates that live in the desert. We know them for being able to go a long time without water and storing fat in their humps. Some people have them as livestock for milk, meat, and hair. Living in a harsh, hot, and dry habitat, though, how do they find food? What is […] Read More
The vast majority of birds are diurnal, meaning that they are active at night and asleep during the day. On the other hand, nocturnal birds stay awake at night to hunt, fly and socialize. According to estimates, well over 70% of birds classify as diurnal, with the remaining 30% identified as nocturnal. Nocturnal birds come […] Read More
Centipedes are predators. Insects with flat, elongated, segmented bodies. All segments except the last have their own pair of legs. Centipedes come in a number of patterns and colors. The most common though is reddish-orange and brown. Centipede means “100 legs.” And while there are centipedes with what seems like thousands of legs, no one […] Read More
You definitely won’t find a guinea pig on a list of quiet pets. These furry, cuddly rodents like to express themselves with their voice. This is true whether someone owns one guinea pig or ten. If you sit and observe a guinea pig, you’ll find these little animals have a variety of vocalizations. Over time, […] Read More
Starfish are star-shaped marine invertebrates that are found in oceans all around the world, from the shallow coastal waters to some the deepest depths possible. Starfish are incredibly unique animals and most eat by turning their stomach inside out through their mouths to engulf their prey. There are around 2,000 species of starfish, including some […] Read More
The hippopotamus is a semi-aquatic hoofed mammal – native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa – that spends most of the day either partially submerged in rivers and lakes or foraging for food nearby. It ranks third, behind only the rhino and elephant, as the largest land mammal still living today. As a result, it needs […] Read More
Cockroaches are scavengers. Omnivorous, they’ll eat almost anything they can find. The insect would certainly prefer the foods we eat but are capable of sustaining themselves on a variety of non-foods. What Is a Cockroach? The cockroach is an insect and could be among the longest living creatures in the world. They are masters at […] Read More
