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 Australian Labradoodle
Animals that Start with B
Example: The Booby
Animals that Start with C
Example: The Coral
Animals that Start with D
Example: The Dusky Dolphin
Animals that Start with E
Example: The Elephant
Animals that Start with F
Example: The Fire salamander
Animals that Start with G
Example: The Great Dane
Animals that Start with H
Example: The Huskydoodle
Animals that Start with I
Example: The Indian Elephant
Animals that Start with J
Example: The Jellyfish
Animals that Start with K
Example: The Keel-Billed Toucan
Animals that Start with L
Example: The Lizard
Animals that Start with M
Example: The Moray Eel
Animals that Start with N
Example: The Newt
Animals that Start with O
Example: The Otter
Animals that Start with P
Example: The Pigeon
Animals that Start with Q
Example: The Quetzal
Animals that Start with R
Example: The Russell Terrier
Animals that Start with S
Example: The Shepweiler
Animals that Start with T
Example: The Taco Terrier
Animals that Start with U
Example: The Uakari
Animals that Start with V
Example: The Vampire Squid
Animals that Start with W
Example: The White-Faced Capuchin
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 Zebu
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 Top 9 Smallest Dogs in the World
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the smallest dog alive is Milly, who stands 3.8-inches tall at her shoulders. If you think it would be fun to own a dog about the same size as Milly, then there are several choices to consider. When compiling our list of the smallest dog, the dog […] Read More
Top 9 Largest Eagles in the World
While some birds of prey, such as condors and pelicans, are bigger, the eagle is one of the largest birds of prey. There are over 60 eagle species in the world, with most living in Asia and Africa. Some eagles living in forests have small wingspans while those living in the open country have large […] Read More
The Top 9 Largest Alligators Ever
The alligator is part of the Crocodylia family. The alligator is closely related to the crocodile. What distinguishes the former is its rounded, wide snout and black color. Also, with its jaw tight, you can only see the alligator’s upper teeth. Plus, it’s unlikely you’ll ever find the alligator and crocodile in the same habitat. […] Read More
Top 10 World’s Largest Dinosaurs Ever
Have you ever wonder what is the largest dinosaur ever was? Determining the size of the largest one is difficult, says paleontologist Alejandro Otero. After all, there was no giant scale that they could step on when alive. In most cases, paleontologists have to guess based on incomplete fossil records. Then, as they learn more […] Read More
Top 8 Largest Crocodiles Ever
Have you ever wondered what the largest crocodile ever was? Based on fossil evidence, the longest crocodile ever to live was a Sarcosuchus imperator, who measured 40 feet long and weighed 17,600 pounds. The largest one ever officially measured was Lolong, who was a saltwater crocodile who measured 20 feet 3 inches long and weighed […] Read More
Top 10 Smallest Snakes in the World
Snakes have always fascinated human beings for all sorts of reasons, including their lack of limbs, their cold-bloodedness, and the fact that some of them wield venom powerful enough to kill a grown man. A few snakes grow to an intimidating size, and the bigger and longer the snake is, the more they enthrall people. […] Read More
Which Animal Has the Longest Tail?
Which animal has the longest tail? While lots of animals have long tails, there are some with a tail measuring the same length as their body. Furthermore, there are animals with tails that are two, three, or even four times the size of their body! This list ranks a variety of animals with a tail […] Read More
Cicada Brood X 2021: What is it and should you be concerned?
If you live in the eastern part of the United States, you’ve probably heard a lot of news about Brood X 2021 and Cicadas recently. Given the odd, red-eyed appearance of the periodical type of this insect, and because they are sometimes erroneously referred to as Locusts, it is not surprising that you may wonder […] Read More
Top 10 Biggest Snakes in the World
What is the biggest snake in the world? With more than 3,000 species of snakes living around the globe, there are a lot of candidates to consider. The largest snakes listed here were chosen because of their extraordinary length. The snakes with tremendous length combined with a large weight ranked even higher on the list. […] Read More
Elephant Lifespan: How Long Do Elephants Live?
“If anyone wants to know what elephants are like,” Pierre Corneille once explained, “they are like people only more so.” It was a prescient observation for a man who lived in the 1600s, as over the centuries, researchers have learned that elephants, in many ways, are just like us. They mourn their dead, cry tears […] Read More
