Below you can find a complete list of Finnish animals. We currently track 242 animals in Finland and are adding more every day!
Finland is a Nordic country with long, cold winters and short, rainy summers. Its border with Russia makes it one of the coldest countries in its region. Finnish animals like the arctic fox, gray seal, brown bear, snowy owl, wolverine, and European otter adapt well to this cold climate. Reindeer are the most famous animals native to this country.
National Animal of Finland
The Eurasian brown bear is the national animal of this country. Ancient Finns considered brown bears sacred, and bears are still an important cultural icon.
The whooper swan is the national bird of Finland. Weighing in at 26 to 31 pounds, it is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
Where To Find The Top Wildlife in Finland
There are many opportunities to see Finnish animals. There are 40 national parks, and all are free to enter and open year-round. These include Nuuksio National Park, Oulanka National Park, and Lemmenjoki National Park.
You can see lynx, great gray wolves, bears, Siberian jays, ermines, minks, and otters in all these wild areas.
Many reindeer farmers offer tours and reindeer rides. These are especially popular during the Christmas season.
The Most Dangerous Animals In this country
The most dangerous animals in Finland are moose, which kill about 100 people in Finland each year. Although moose are not aggressive, they can be dangerous when provoked or protecting their young.
Endangered and Extinct Animals from Finland
Finnish forest reindeer is a rare and threatened subspecies of reindeer. The Finnish and Russian governments are working to restore their populations.
The Saimaa ringed seal is found only in Finland’s Lake Saima. This endangered seal is the rarest species of seal in the world.
The North Atlantic right whale and North Atlantic gray whale are extinct animals from Finland.
Finland’s rugged climate has created a unique ecosystem of animals that thrive in the cold. You can see many Finnish animals in Finland’s forests and national parks.
The Finnish Flag
The flag of Finland is made up of a white background with a Nordic cross on it. While the blue cross embodies the thousands of lakes and bodies of water scattered across Finland, the white color symbolizes Finland’s white winters, with snow encapsulating the entire country.
Finnish Animals

Admiral Butterfly
Stunningly beautiful wings

Ant
First evolved 100 million years ago!

Arctic Char
Arctic char is the northern-most fish; no other fish lives anywhere further north!

Arctic Fox
Extremely thick winter fur!

Armyworm
They are so named because they "march" in armies of worms from one crop to another in search of food

Asian Lady Beetle
Asian lady beetles infest indoor spaces, but they do not reproduce indoors.

Atlantic Cod
One of the most popular food fishes in the world

Aurochs
Extinct ancestor of all domesticated cattle!

Avocet
Has a curved, upturned beak!

Badger
Can reach speeds of 30 km/h!

Barn Owl
Found everywhere around the world!

Barn Swallow
Older offspring help care for new hatchlings.

Bat
Detects prey using echolocation!

Beaver
Builds a dam from sticks and leaves!

Bed Bugs
Bed bugs feed for 4-12 minutes.

Bee
Rock paintings of bees date back 15,000 years

Beetle
There are more than 350,000 different species

Beewolf wasp
They hunt bees

Bird
Not all birds are able to fly!

Biscuit Beetle
The biscuit beetle form a symbiotic relationship with yeast

Black Widow Spider
They typically prey on insects!

Booted Bantam
The feathers on the feet of tiny Booted Bantam chickens can reach up to six inches in length!

Brown Bear
A dominant predator in it's environment!

Brown Dog Tick
Can live its entire life indoors

Bumblebee
The most common species of bee!

Butterfly
There are thought to be up 17,500 species!

Camel Cricket
The camel crickets that are found in the USA are light brown in color. They also have dark streaks all over their body.

Caribou
Males and females grow antlers

Carpenter Ant
Carpenter ants can lift up to seven times their own weight with their teeth!

Cat
May have been domesticated up to 10,000 years ago.

Caterpillar
The larvae of a moth or butterfly!

Catfish
There are nearly 3,000 different species!

Cave Bear
Cave bears may have been worshiped by primitive humans.

Centipede
There are about 3,000 documented species!

Chamois
Natively found in the European mountains!

Chicken
First domesticated more than 10,000 years ago!

Cockroach
Dated to be around 300 million years old!

Codling Moth
Pupae are able to undergo diapause to survive poor fruit yield years and winter.

Common Buzzard
The most common raptor in the UK!

Common European Adder
European adders are the only snake that lives above the Arctic Circle.

Common Frog
Found throughout the European continent!

Common Furniture Beetle
The common furniture beetle feeds exclusively on wood

Common House Spider
House spiders have the ability to eat most insects in a home.

Common Loon
Also known as the Great Northern Diver

Common Raven
A group of ravens is called an unkindness or a conspiracy.

Common Toad
Most active in wet weather!

Cormorant
They can fly 35 mph and dive 150 feet below water.

Cow
There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!

Crab
There are 93 different crab groups

Crab Spider
Crab Spiders can mimic ants or bird droppings

Crane
Many are critically endangered species!

Crow
A group of these birds is called a Murder.

Deer
There are around 40 different species!

Dog
First domesticated in South-East Asia!

Dog Tick
Dog ticks feed on dogs and other mammals

Donkey
First domesticated 5,000 years ago!

Dragonfly
It's larvae are carnivorous!

Duck
Rows of tiny plates line their teeth!

Dung Beetle
The dung beetle can push objects many times its own weight

Eagle
Has exceptional eyesight!

Earthworm
They are hermaphrodites, which means they have male and female organs

Earwig
There are nearly 2,000 different species!

Edible Frog
Are known to guard the muddy banks!

Eel
Eels can be a mere few inches long to 13 feet!

Eider
Eiders are sexually dimorphic, with males being larger and more colorful.

Ermine
A very bold and ferocious predator!

Eurasian Bullfinch
The shy eurasian bullfinch prefers to forage very close to cover.

Eurasian Eagle-owl
The Eurasian Eagle-owl is the second largest owl in the world with a wingspan up to six feet!

Eurasian Jay
The Eurasian jay has the ability to mimic other sounds

Eurasian Nuthatch
Its song has been compared to a toy horn.

European Goldfinch
They are frequent visitors to backyard feeders, especially those containing niger seeds.

European Robin
Male robins are so aggressive and territorial that they will attack their own reflections.

Falcon
The fastest creatures on the planet!

Fallow deer
The fallow deer has more variation in its coat colors than most other deer.

False Widow Spider
False spiders actually prey on black widow spiders and other hazardous spiders

Ferret
Ferrets can be trained to do tricks like dogs!

Finnish Lapphund
The Finnish Lapphund was bred to herd reindeer!

Finnish Spitz
Likes to bark a lot!

Fire-Bellied Toad
Found across mainland Europe and Asia!

Firefly
The firefly produces some of the most efficient light in the world

Flea
Adult fleas can jump up to 7 inches in the air

Fly
There are more than 240,000 different species!

Flying Squirrel
Can glide up to 90 meters!

Fox
Only 12 species are considered "true foxes"

Frog
There are around 7,000 different species!

Fruit Fly
Fruit flies are among the most common research animals in the world

German Cockroach
The most common type of urban roach

Glass Lizard
Can grow up to 4ft long!

Glowworm
Found inhabiting dense woodland and caves!

Gnat
Males form large mating swarms at dusk

Goat
Most closely related to the Sheep!

Goldcrest
The goldcrest never starts moving and needs to consume for most of the day to survive. Therefore, in the colder months, it's best that eat 90% a day.

Golden Eagle
Their calls sound like high-pitched screams, but they are quiet most of the time.

Golden Oriole
Migrates between Europe and Asia!

Goose
There are 29 different species!

Grasshopper
There are 11,000 known species!

Gypsy Moth
One of the most invasive species in the world

Hamster
Able to run as quickly backwards as forwards!

Harbor Porpoise
Surprisingly, not a dolphin!

Hare
Can reach speeds of over 50 mph!

Hawk Moth Caterpillar
Many hawk moth caterpillars eat toxins from plants, but don’t sequester them the way milkweed butterflies do. Most toxins are excreted.

Hedgehog
Thought to be one of the oldest mammals on Earth!

Heron
Inhabits wetlands around the world!

Highland Cattle
Natively found in the Scottish Highlands!

Honey Bee
There are only 8 recognized species!

Honey Buzzard
Honey buzzards are medium-sized raptors that earned their names by raiding the nests of bees and wasps.

Hoopoe
Stunning bird with a stinky way to deter predators!

Horse
Has evolved over 50 million years!

Horsefly
Horseflies have been seen performing Immelmann turns, much like fighter jets.

Housefly
The fly has no teeth

Human
Thought to have orignated 200,000 years ago!

Huntsman Spider
Some huntsman spiders have an interesting way of moving around. Some cartwheel while others do handsprings or backflips.

Insects
There are an estimated 30 million species!

Jumping Spider
Some can jump 50 times the length of their bodies

King Eider
The species name, spectabilis, is Latin for “showy” or “remarkable,” referencing the attractiveness of the adult male’s plumage.

Kingfisher
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!

Ladybug
There are more than 5,000 species worldwide!

Lapponian Herder
This breed is also known as the Lapp Reindeer Dog and the Lapsk Vallhund.

Leech
Has 10 pairs of eyes!

Lemming
Does not hibernate during the bitter Arctic winter!

Linnet
While linnets are monogamous during mating season, they do not mate for life. While breeding pairs are together, the males are highly territorial and will defend the nesting site and the surrounding area.

Lizard
There are around 5,000 different species!

Loach
Have sharp spines below their eyes

Locust
Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day.

Long-Eared Owl
Ear tufts make it look bigger!

Long-Tailed Tit
Often hangs upside down while feeding!

Magpie
They are found across Europe, Asia and Africa!

Marsh Frog
Has bright green skin!

Mayfly
There are 2,500 known species worldwide!

Mealybug
They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.

Merganser
They line their nests with their feathers

Millipede
Some species have a poisonous bite!

Mole
Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!

Mongrel
Has characteristics of two or more breeds!

Moorhen
Feeds on aquatic insects and water-spiders!

Moose
Renews it's enormous antlers every year!

Mosquito
Only the female mosquito actually sucks blood

Moth
There are 250,000 different species!

Mouse
Found on every continent on Earth!

Mule
The offspring of a horse and donkey parents!

Neanderthal
Roamed Asia and Europe for around 100,000 years!

Nematode
Nematodes range in size from 1/10 of an inch to 28 feet long

Newt
Able to regrow lost or damaged limbs!

Nightingale
Named more than 1,000 years ago!

No See Ums
There are more than 5,000 species.

Norrbottenspets
Getting your hands on one of these pups might be a challenging task. At one point, the breed was on the brink of extinction.

Northern Pintail
Northern pintails migrate at night with speeds reaching 48 miles per hour!

Old House Borer
Depending on the habitat and climate, these beetles can live between 2 to 10 years, often staying in their larval stage for several years, making them extremely dangerous to wooden structures.

Orb Weaver
Females are about four times the size of males

Ortolan Bunting
The tradition of hiding your face with a napkin or towel while eating this bird was begun by a priest who was a friend of the great French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.

Osprey
They reuse nesting sites for 70 years!

Otter
There are 13 different species worldwide

Owl
The owl can rotate its head some 270 degrees

Peregrine Falcon
Fastest animal on Earth

Pheasant
Females lay between 8 and 12 eggs per clutch!

Pig
Thought to have been domesticated in 9,000 BC!

Pigeon
They can find their way back to their nests from up to 1300 miles away.

Pika
Found in mountainous regions and rocky areas

Pine Marten
A pine marten can jump from tree to tree similar to a squirrel.

Pink Salmon
The smallest of the North American salmon

Polar Bear
Could be extinct within the next 30 years!

Pond Skater
There are 500 different species!

Pool Frog
The rarest amphibian in the UK!

Porcupine
There are 30 different species worldwide!

Puffin
Can remain in the water for up to 2 minutes!

Purple Emperor Butterfly
Inhabits deciduous forests!

Puss Moth
Caterpillars squirt formic acid!

Quail
Inhabits woodland and forest areas worldwide!

Rabbit
There are more than 300 different species!

Raccoon
Known to wash their food before eating it!

Raccoon Dog
The only hibernating canine!

Rat
Omnivores that eat anything!

Red Kite
This bird moves its tail to steer its body like a rudder on a boat.

Redstart
They build their nests off the ground in tree holes, cavities, stone walls, and roofs

Reindeer
Also known as the Caribou

River Turtle
Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!

Robin
There are more than 45 species in Australia alone!

Rodents
The capybara, the world’s largest rodent, likes to be in and around bodies of water. Because of this, the Catholic Church in South America decided that it was a fish, and people were allowed to eat it during Lent and First Fridays.

Rooster
Will mate with the entire flock!

Rough-Legged Hawk (Rough-Legged Buzzard)
Its scientific name, lagopus, is Ancient Greek for “hare” and “foot,” referring to its feathered feet and toes.

Sable Ferret
Ferrets were used during the Revolutionary War to keep down the rat population.

Salamander
There are more than 700 different species!

Sand Crab
The sand crab burrows beneath the sand with its tail

Sand Lizard
Males turn green in spring!

Scorpion
There are around 2,000 known species!

Sea Eagle
The sea eagle tends to mate for life with a single partner

Seahorse
Males give birth to up to 1,000 offspring!

Sheep
Around 35 million in the English countryside!

Short-Eared Owl
The short-eared owl is one of the most widespread owl species in the world, covering five continents.

Shrew
The spinal column of the shrew Scutisorex somereni is so strong and reinforced that it can support the weight of an adult human.

Shrimp
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!

Skink Lizard
Some skinks lay eggs in some habitats while giving birth to skinklets in other habitats.

Slow Worm
Found widely throughout British gardens!

Slug
They glide around on one foot, which is aided by the slime they produce

Smokybrown Cockroach
Has up to 45 eggs per egg case

Snail
There are nearly 1,000 different species!

Snake
There are around 4,000 known species worldwide

Snowy Owl
One of the largest owl species in the world!

Song Thrush
A male song thrush can have over 100 phrases in his repertoire of songs and can imitate pet birds, telephones and other man-made objects.

Spadefoot Toad
They spend most of their time underground!

Sparrow
There are 140 different species!

Spider Wasp
They prey on spiders to feed their larvae or they parasitize other spider wasps.

Squirrel
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!

Stick Insect
There are more than 3,000 different species!

Stoat
Average adults weigh about 200 grams!

Stork
They can’t sing like other birds.

Swan
Populations have been affected by pollution!

Swedish Elkhound
Swedish Elkhounds existed in prehistoric times!

Tawny Owl
The most widespread owl in Europe!

Termite
Their mounds can be up to 9 meters tall!

Thrush
The American robin is called the robin because its red breast reminded European settlers of the robin back in the old country.

Tick
They inject hosts with a chemical that stops them from feeling the pain of the bite

Tiger Beetle
The adult tiger beetle is one of the fastest land insects in the world

Tiger Moth
The bright colors of this moth are a signal to predators that it has a terrible taste.

Tortoise
Can live until they are more than 150 years old!

Tree Frog
Found in warmer jungles and forests!

Turtles
Some species of aquatic turtles can get up to 70 percent of their oxygen through their butt.

Ural owl
The Ural owl can rotate its head up to 270 degrees

Viper
Vipers are one of the most widespread groups of snakes and inhabit most

Vulture
There are 30 different species worldwide!

Wasp
There are around 75,000 recognised species!

Water Buffalo
Has been domesticated for thousands of years!

Water Vole
The largest Vole species in the UK!

Weasel
The smallest carnivorous mammal in the world!

White Ferret / Albino Ferrets
There are two different types of white ferrets!

Wild Boar
Males have a top tusk to sharpen the bottom one!

Willow Warbler
This bird molts twice a year.

Wolf
Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!

Wolf Spider
Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.

Wolverine
Releases a strong smelling musk in defence!

Woodlouse
This animal can roll up into a ball

Woodlouse Spider
Unlike most spiders, woodlouse spiders don’t build a web.

Woodpecker
There are 200 different species!

Woolly Rhinoceros
The woolly rhinoceros roamed the earth between three and a half million and 14,000 years ago.

Worm
Doesn’t have eyes.

Wryneck
They feign death by making their bodies limp and closing their eyes.

Xeme (Sabine’s Gull)
They follow after seals and whales to eat their scraps.

Yellowhammer
It interbreeds with the pine bunting
Finnish Animals List
- Admiral Butterfly
- Ant
- Arctic Char
- Arctic Fox
- Armyworm
- Asian Lady Beetle
- Atlantic Cod
- Aurochs
- Avocet
- Badger
- Barn Owl
- Barn Swallow
- Bat
- Beaver
- Bed Bugs
- Bee
- Beetle
- Beewolf wasp
- Bird
- Biscuit Beetle
- Black Widow Spider
- Booted Bantam
- Brown Bear
- Brown Dog Tick
- Bumblebee
- Butterfly
- Camel Cricket
- Caribou
- Carpenter Ant
- Cat
- Caterpillar
- Catfish
- Cave Bear
- Centipede
- Chamois
- Chicken
- Cockroach
- Codling Moth
- Common Buzzard
- Common European Adder
- Common Frog
- Common Furniture Beetle
- Common House Spider
- Common Loon
- Common Raven
- Common Toad
- Cormorant
- Cow
- Crab
- Crab Spider
- Crane
- Crow
- Cuckoo
- Deer
- Dog
- Dog Tick
- Donkey
- Dormouse
- Dragonfly
- Duck
- Dung Beetle
- Eagle
- Earthworm
- Earwig
- Edible Frog
- Eel
- Eider
- Ermine
- Eurasian Bullfinch
- Eurasian Eagle-owl
- Eurasian Jay
- Eurasian Nuthatch
- European Goldfinch
- European Robin
- Falcon
- Fallow deer
- False Widow Spider
- Ferret
- Finnish Lapphund
- Finnish Spitz
- Fire-Bellied Toad
- Firefly
- Flea
- Fly
- Flying Squirrel
- Fox
- Frog
- Fruit Fly
- German Cockroach
- Glass Lizard
- Glowworm
- Gnat
- Goat
- Goldcrest
- Golden Eagle
- Golden Oriole
- Goose
- Grasshopper
- Gypsy Moth
- Hamster
- Harbor Porpoise
- Hare
- Hawk Moth Caterpillar
- Hedgehog
- Heron
- Highland Cattle
- Honey Bee
- Honey Buzzard
- Hoopoe
- Horse
- Horsefly
- Housefly
- Human
- Huntsman Spider
- Insects
- Jumping Spider
- King Eider
- Kingfisher
- Ladybug
- Lapponian Herder
- Leech
- Lemming
- Linnet
- Lizard
- Loach
- Locust
- Long-Eared Owl
- Long-Tailed Tit
- Magpie
- Marsh Frog
- Mayfly
- Mealybug
- Merganser
- Millipede
- Mole
- Mongrel
- Moorhen
- Moose
- Mosquito
- Moth
- Mouse
- Mule
- Neanderthal
- Nematode
- Newt
- Nightingale
- No See Ums
- Norrbottenspets
- Northern Pintail
- Old House Borer
- Orb Weaver
- Ortolan Bunting
- Osprey
- Otter
- Owl
- Peregrine Falcon
- Pheasant
- Pig
- Pigeon
- Pika
- Pike Fish
- Pine Marten
- Pink Salmon
- Polar Bear
- Pond Skater
- Pool Frog
- Porcupine
- Puffin
- Purple Emperor Butterfly
- Puss Moth
- Quail
- Rabbit
- Raccoon
- Raccoon Dog
- Rat
- Red Kite
- Redstart
- Reindeer
- River Turtle
- Robin
- Rodents
- Rooster
- Rough-Legged Hawk (Rough-Legged Buzzard)
- Sable Ferret
- Salamander
- Sand Crab
- Sand Lizard
- Scorpion
- Sea Eagle
- Seahorse
- Sheep
- Short-Eared Owl
- Shrew
- Shrimp
- Skink Lizard
- Slow Worm
- Slug
- Smokybrown Cockroach
- Snail
- Snake
- Snowy Owl
- Song Thrush
- Spadefoot Toad
- Sparrow
- Spider Wasp
- Squirrel
- Stick Insect
- Stoat
- Stork
- Swallowtail Butterfly
- Swan
- Swedish Elkhound
- Tawny Owl
- Termite
- Thrush
- Tick
- Tiger Beetle
- Tiger Moth
- Tortoise
- Tree Frog
- Turtles
- Ural owl
- Viper
- Vulture
- Wasp
- Water Buffalo
- Water Vole
- Weasel
- White Ferret / Albino Ferrets
- Wild Boar
- Willow Warbler
- Wolf
- Wolf Spider
- Wolverine
- Woodlouse
- Woodlouse Spider
- Woodpecker
- Woolly Rhinoceros
- Worm
- Wryneck
- Xeme (Sabine’s Gull)
- Yellowhammer
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
How many lakes does Finland have?
Finland has about 187,000 lakes within its borders. The huge number of lakes in Finland is the result of glacial activity at the end of the last ice age.