Animals!
You love them, and we do too. In fact, we’ve made it our life’s work to share with you every detail about every animal on our planet.
Click to view all our animals or scroll to see some of the more popular animal lists!
Search for Any Animal
Each day we add new animals to our site. Search or scroll to see our progress!
Most Popular Animals
Lion
Lives in small groups called prides!
Panther
Prefers to hunt at night than during the day!
Amur Leopard
The Amur leopard may be the rarest big cat on Earth!
Polar Bear
Could be extinct within the next 30 years!
White Tiger
None have been seen in the wild for 50 years!
Wolf
Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!
A-Z Animals was founded on three guiding principles: accurate content you can trust, spreading knowledge on the animal kingdom, and giving back.
Today, more than 30,000 species are threatened with extinction, and thousands would already be lost without tireless conservation efforts. Knowing that the first step toward conservation is spreading knowledge of the incredible animals species across our planet, A-Z Animals was founded in 2008 to offer an online encyclopedic resource across animals of all kinds. Read More
Most Popular Pet Dogs
Boston Terrier: Complete Pet Guide
Friendly, lovable and very strong!
Irish Setter Complete Pet Guide
Can live for up to 16 years!
Golden Retriever Complete Pet Guide
Trusting, kind and gentle!
Most Popular Pet Cats
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
Our Newest Animals
Pileated Woodpecker
Pairs establish territories and remain all year
House Finch
The house finch can become redder depending on what it eats
Gouldian Finch
The male Gouldian finch bobs its head and fluffs its feathers to court a female.
Loach
Have sharp spines below their eyes
Toadfish
Can be heard out of water
Codfish
They eat other fish
Most Recently Updated Animals
Pileated Woodpecker
Pairs establish territories and remain all year
Loach
Have sharp spines below their eyes
Spixs Macaw
One of earth's rarest animals!
Gouldian Finch
The male Gouldian finch bobs its head and fluffs its feathers to court a female.
Olm
Inhabits dark underwater caves
Snapping Turtle
Only found in North America!
Animals By Letter: Explore A to Z Animal Lists
Animals that Start with A
Example: The Australian Cattle Dog
Animals that Start with B
Example: The Beluga Sturgeon
Animals that Start with C
Example: The Cooper’s Hawk
Animals that Start with D
Example: The Desert Tortoise
Animals that Start with E
Example: The English Cocker Spaniel
Animals that Start with F
Example: The False Killer Whale
Animals that Start with G
Example: The Gorilla
Animals that Start with H
Example: The Hyena
Animals that Start with I
Example: The Indri
Animals that Start with J
Example: The Japanese Macaque
Animals that Start with K
Example: The King Crab
Animals that Start with L
Example: The Little Penguin
Animals that Start with M
Example: The Macaroni Penguin
Animals that Start with N
Example: The Nurse Shark
Animals that Start with O
Example: The Opossum
Animals that Start with P
Example: The Pufferfish
Animals that Start with Q
Example: The Quokka
Animals that Start with R
Example: The Red Fox
Animals that Start with S
Example: The Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Animals that Start with T
Example: The Termite
Animals that Start with U
Example: The Uguisu
Animals that Start with V
Example: The Vulture
Animals that Start with W
Example: The Wolffish
Animals that Start with X
Example: The Xerus
Animals that Start with Y
Example: The Yellow-Eyed Penguin
Animals that Start with Z
Example: The Zebra Shark
Frequently Asked Questions About 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.
Our Endangered Animals Lists
Reference
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, Behaviour and much more...
Top 10 World’s Smallest Animals
What are the smallest animals in the world? Before we begin, let’s define “smallest.” After all, single-celled organisms, which can only be seen with microscopes, are crawling over everything — including our bodies! So, for our smallest animals in the world list, we’re limiting it to animals viewable with unaided human eyes. Smallest Rabbit: Pygmy […] Read More
The 10 Stinkiest Animals in the World
What are the most stinky animals on Earth? Which animals will make your olfactory system weep? We’ve considered all the candidates and came up with a list. So light a scented candle and strap on a gas mask. We’re diving into Mother Nature’s pit of aroma-challenged animals! #10 Stinkiest Animal: Sea Hare The sea hare […] Read More
Top 10 Smartest Animals on Earth
What are the 10 smartest animals on Earth? We’ve given it some thought and compiled a list. So, without further ado, let the countdown begin! #10 Smartest Animal on Earth: Raccoon Raccoon Reaches For Flower Raccoons may gravitate to the garbage, but they’re also super smart. In the early 20th century, research conducted by ethologist […] Read More
The Complete Guide to the IUCN: The Basics, History, and Red List Explained
While researching endangered animals, you stumbled upon the acronym IUCN and may have thought: What is the IUCN? So let’s answer your questions. IUCN: The Basics The IUCN — which stands for International Union for Conservation of Nature — is the world’s largest global environmental network. Established in 1948, the organization develops sustainable solutions to […] Read More
The 15 Laziest Animals on Earth
Sure, last weekend, you enjoyed a 32-hour stream-a-thon and are now social media friends with the delivery driver. Still, you’re probably more active than the layabouts who made our 15 laziest animals list! #15 Laziest Animal: Cuckoo Bird Cuckoo birds do a lot of flapping around, but they’re lazy parents! Instead of incubating their own […] Read More
Marble Fox: Your Questions Answered
What is a marble fox? Do they make good pets? Are marble Arctic foxes the same as marble foxes? A reader recently asked these questions, so we got to work and found the answers. Let’s dive in! What Is a Marble Fox? Marble foxes aren’t a naturally occurring species. Instead, they’re the offspring of red […] Read More
Top 10 Animals that Hibernate (Excluding Bears)
Bears sleep through winter, but are there other animals that hibernate? The answer is yes! And today, we’re counting them down. Ready? Let’s go! #10 Hibernating Animal: Ground Squirrel Unlike tree squirrels, many ground squirrels are all about burrowing. With their brown fur and long claws, ground squirrels look near-identical to their arboreal-dwelling cousins. But […] Read More
Presidential Dogs: The Complete Guide to the First Dogs of The U.S.
A reader recently asked: Which U.S. presidents had dogs and what were their breeds? Never ones to ignore animal-related questions, we immediately got to work, dove into research, and emerged with a list of presidential dogs. Which president had eight dogs but no children? Which first family had over 30 pets and gave the White […] Read More
Best Dogs for City Living: The Definitive List
What are the best dogs for city living? Good candidates can’t be frequent, loud barkers that drive the neighbors mad. Additionally, they must be comfortable in smaller spaces and able to saunter through crowded city streets on a leash — or in a bag — without freaking out. So which breeds fit these needs? Let’s […] Read More
Are Insects Animals?
To date, scientists have identified about 1,744,204 (or 1.74 million) species. That’s an impressive number, but a mere drop in the bucket compared to the number of species waiting to be discovered. Recent estimates place the number of species in the natural world anywhere between 8.7 million and over a trillion! But the estimate includes […] Read More
