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!
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 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 Abyssinian
Animals that Start with B
Example: The Bull Terrier
Animals that Start with C
Example: The Cockapoo
Animals that Start with D
Example: The Dhole
Animals that Start with E
Example: The Eskimo Dog
Animals that Start with F
Example: The Frilled Lizard
Animals that Start with G
Example: The Gerbil
Animals that Start with H
Example: The Honduran White Bat
Animals that Start with I
Example: The Indian Elephant
Animals that Start with J
Example: The Javanese
Animals that Start with K
Example: The Kookaburra
Animals that Start with L
Example: The Lobster
Animals that Start with M
Example: The Mastador
Animals that Start with N
Example: The North American Black Bear
Animals that Start with O
Example: The Oyster
Animals that Start with P
Example: The Pocket Pitbull
Animals that Start with Q
Example: The Quail
Animals that Start with R
Example: The Rhinoceros
Animals that Start with S
Example: The Salmon Shark
Animals that Start with T
Example: The Tree Kangaroo
Animals that Start with U
Example: The Umbrellabird
Animals that Start with V
Example: The Vampire Bat
Animals that Start with W
Example: The Wolffish
Animals that Start with X
Example: The Xerus
Animals that Start with Y
Example: The Yorkie Bichon
Animals that Start with Z
Example: The Zebra
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.
Gorillas are the largest apes around and have been on Earth for approximately 7 million years. These huge mammals are usually found in forests and mountain regions and are easily distinguished by their large size and thick black hair. Gorillas are closely related to humans and have a lifespan of 40 to 50 years, although […] Read More
Have you ever had a tiny animal buzz by your head, tickle the back of your neck, or crawl out of your shoe? Well, it may have been one of the 900,000 different species of insects! Many people turn away in disgust at the sight of various bugs and insects. Unfortunately, they may not realize […] Read More
While some dog breeds can run fast, you’ll occasionally come across a dog that can run like the wind. These lightning-quick canines really know how to put the pedal to the metal and can accelerate to insane speeds. Most of these speedy pups started out as sighthounds bred to course or track down agile game […] Read More
In a new study out of China, researchers have made some significant discoveries linking habitat fragmentation and giant panda reproduction and ultimately conservation. Giant pandas are one of the world’s most beloved species. Native to China’s temperate forests, this black and white mammal is part of the bear family. They primarily eat bamboo and take […] Read More
In recent years, the worsening California wildfires raging across the Golden State have eaten up millions of acres of forestland. The resulting loss erases the habitat of forest dwelling wildlife, forcing them to vacate if they don’t succumb to the flames and heat. Already in 2021, more than 10 fires have scorched nearly 2 million […] Read More
Mosasaurus vs Megalodon; in a fight between these giant aquatic predators, who would emerge victoriously? Hypothetical scenarios like these always require us to bend our imagination to allow such a fight to happen in the first place. Mosasaurus, or “lizard of the Meuse River,” is an extinct species of squamate reptile. It lived 82 to […] Read More
Chickens are not mammals. They are birds. They have feathers as opposed to hair or fur, and they have wings, even though they don’t fly very well. They lack the teeth that most mammals have, they exclusively lay eggs, and they don’t nurse their chicks with milk. It is true that a few birds do […] Read More
Nature makes many odd creatures, but one of the strangest on earth must be the armadillo. This animal looks like it’s wearing a suit of armor, and its name means “little armored one.” Some people think armadillos are amphibians or reptiles, but they’re not. They’re mammals. 5 Amazing Facts About Armadillos Armadillos eat many insects, […] Read More
Have you ever watched a video of a group of dolphins swimming next to a boat? If so, you probably saw them leaping, diving, splashing and having a ball. As you watched this display you may have wondered: Why do dolphins follow boats? Do they do it just for fun or is there another reason? […] Read More
In North America, bigger is usually better. Both Canada and the United States are amongst the 10 largest countries in the world by area! In these big countries, there are many very big animals. From bison grazing in golden plains to polar bears traversing barren ice fields, incredibly large animals are found throughout North America. […] Read More
