Articles
The Arctic’s Snowy Owl Isn’t the Biggest—Here’s the Giant That Dwarfs It
Owls are some of the best-known birds in the world, famous for their hooting calls and their excellent eyesight. There are…
Articles
Blog
Think Anacondas Are Huge? Meet the Snake That Made Them Look Tiny
When most people think of massive snakes, the first one that comes to mind is the anaconda. Anacondas might be…
Dog Lists and Rankings
Think All Chihuahuas Are Tiny Lapdogs? Here’s What Breeders Don’t Tell You
The official AKC breed standard states that Chihuahuas should not exceed 6 pounds, standing between 5 to 8 inches. However,…
Articles
Illinois Nearly Lost Its State Animal Before a Remarkable Comeback
White-tailed deer are an integral part of Native American culture. They were also important in the daily lives of early…
Articles
Think Squirrels Are Social? This Solitary Giant Breaks Every Rule
Some see squirrels as adorable, bushy-tailed creatures that run in circles around tree trunks before they finally race up trees…
![Sampson (later renamed Mammoth)[1] was a Shire horse gelding born in 1846 and bred by Thomas Cleaver at Toddington Mills, Bedfordshire, England.](https://a-z-animals.com/media/2022/12/Sampson_horse.jpeg)
Video
Meet Sampson, the Biggest Horse on Earth
When thinking about the world’s most enormous horses, most would envision a team of majestic Clydesdales pulling a wagon. Indeed,…
Articles
From Lifeline to Icon: How Deer Shaped—and Still Shape—New Hampshire
White-capped mountains, wildflower meadows for miles, and lakeside beauty are iconic to New Hampshire. Its landscape is carved by top-of-the-world…
Articles
Wolves Are Quietly Making Wisconsin Roads Safer for Drivers
Gray wolves are currently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in most of the lower 48 states, except…
Articles
Smaller Than a Penny, This Seahorse Hides Better Than Any Chameleon—But Why?
Coral reefs are often described as some of the most colorful places on Earth, bursting with movement, contrast, and life.…
Articles
West Virginia’s State Animal Was Nearly Erased—So Why Did It Win the Vote?
For West Virginians, resilience in the face of adversity is a defining characteristic. As industry and settlers encroached on the…
Tarantula
Cloud Forest Giants vs. Trapdoor Dwarfs: Which Tarantulas Rule Central America?
Central America is the narrow land bridge, or isthmus, between North and South America. It is bordered by the Caribbean…
Video
Where Do Birds Sleep at Night?
Birds are aflutter with activity all day long so they certainly need to rest at night – but where do…
Blog
The Average American Can’t Properly Identify These Common Insects
Insects are everywhere, crawling across sidewalks, hanging out in our gardens, and even invading our homes. Despite inhabiting nearly every…
Video
Where do Hummingbirds Go to Sleep?
Have you ever wondered where the energetic hummingbird goes at night? These tiny birds tend to choose from three different…
Blog
Why Training a Miniature Dachshund Is Harder Than You Think
Miniature dachshunds may be small in size, but they come with big personalities, which can make training more challenging than…
Articles
Rats Outswim Floods, But How Do They Break Into Your Toilet?
No one wants to find a rat swimming around in their toilet bowl. If one turns up, however, it’s best…
Articles
Think Bees Just Sting? The Shocking Truth About Hive Intruders
Mice love to take shelter inside beehives. It’s a perfect spot for a mouse; warm and cozy with plenty of…
Articles
How a Hidden Fungus Outsmarts Spiders—And Why It’s Named for David Attenborough
A fungus that turns spiders into zombies sounds like something straight out of a horror movie. Both arachnophobes and people…
Articles
How Does an Air-Breathing Spider Build a Home Underwater?
The diving bell spider (Argyroneta aquatica) is the only spider species known to live almost entirely underwater. This is quite…
Articles
George Washington Engineered a Dog Breed—But Not for the Reasons You Think
The American foxhound may look like a relaxed, floppy-eared dog, but in Virginia, it carries centuries of meaning. In 1966,…
Blog
Zombie Snake Rises: Why This Harmless Reptile Fakes Its Own Death
As we head into spring and snakes begin emerging from their winter sleep, be on the lookout for one snake…
Blog
Deep Blue or Deep Myth? The Record-Breaking Shark That Changed What Scientists Knew
The eerie movie Jaws (1975) by Steven Spielberg was inspired by the dreadful reputation of the great white shark. It…
Articles
Birds Vanish First: Why Ecosystems Collapse Before We Notice
Birds are a barometer of the health of water sources, habitats, and air quality. A notable example is the use…
Articles
Why 2025 Was the “Year of the Octopus” and a Massive Octopus Bloom
Off the coast of the UK, fishermen and marine biologists are witnessing something not seen in generations. Sightings of the…
Articles
Tytan and Notty: How a Zebra Foal and Baby Rhino Forge a Bond Stronger Than Instinct
It’s unusual to see animals of different species become friends — especially in the wild. Sure, we’ve seen farm animals…
Articles
Think Whales Were Always Ocean Giants? The Land Mammal Myth That Changes Everything
For tens of millions of years, whales have been a part of the oceans. Because of this, it would be…
Video
Watch Terrifying Moment an Angry Grizzly Charges River Rafters
Nothing ruins a peaceful rafting trip like an angry, charging grizzly! It is hard to imagine such terror – but…
Video
Sharks Mysteriously Show Up in Unexpected California Spot
Sharks Mysteriously Show Up in Unexpected California Spot
Blog
These Rare Deep-Sea Creatures Are the Stuff of Nightmares
Far below the ocean’s surface, where sunlight disappears and pressure reaches crushing levels, some of the planet’s strangest life forms…
Articles
Inside the Split-Second Survival Dance of Starlings
A murmuration is the collective noun for a group of starlings, but the birds in this incredible YouTube clip are…
Articles
Blue Whale vs. Jumbo Jet: Which Giant Actually Wins on Size?
The biggest whale species on Earth is a monster! There are plenty of large creatures within the Cetacea order (which…
Articles
What Happens When a Dog Weighs More Than You? The Truth Behind ‘Gentle Giants’
We love giant dogs. All of us. Have you ever not stopped to gawk at a Great Dane or Saint…
Articles
This Deserted Island Is Now an Iguana Haven
For one native species of iguana, an uninhabited island near Anguilla has turned into their own personal matchmaking paradise. The…
Articles
Why the Morgan Horse Is Central to Vermont’s Identity
When lawmakers in Vermont selected the Morgan horse as its state animal in 1961, they formally recognized that this compact,…
Articles
Inside the Ocean’s Nerve Center: How 100 Species Collide on a Single Map
With the 2025 release of the Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO) interactive map, scientists, conservationists, and marine enthusiasts get…
Articles
How Holistic Veterinary Care Helped Save My Dog’s Life
In June of 2022, I rushed my 3-year-old chihuahua mix to my local emergency vet at 4 a.m. I had…
Articles
Bad Breath Signals a Hidden Battle: When Your Dog’s Mouth Turns Against Them
Although it may not be anyone’s favorite activity, ensuring that your dog receives proper dental care is a must. In…
Articles
The Plastic Pony Myth: What Most People Get Wrong About New Jersey’s State Animal
If you were to ask me to guess what New Jersey’s state animal is, there would be dozens of guesses…
Articles
Porcupine or Doppelgänger? DNA Unravels a Forest Impostor
You’d think that porcupines climbing trees would be visible and therefore well-studied. Roughly the size of housecats with thousands of…
Articles
Walking on Ice: How Blue-Spotted Salamanders Defy Freezing Death
While tromping around chilly places in Ontario, Canada during the winter, the last creature you might expect to see is…
Video
Should Your Family Get a Male or a Female Cat? Here’s How to Decide
Should Your Family Get a Male or a Female Cat? Here’s How to Decide
Video
Beware of These Wickedly Venomous Animals
Beware of These Wickedly Venomously Animals
Articles
The TikTok Trap: How Viral Videos Are Driving a Beloved Bird to Extinction
On the glowing screen of a smartphone, an African grey parrot correctly identifies a color, cracks a joke, or mimics…
Video
These Are the States Where Millions of Ducks Come to Breed
There are numerous species of ducks living in many parts of the world and the U.S. is no exception. Some…
Articles
Why Anti-Vaxxers are Also Skeptical of Pet Vaccines
Vaccine skepticism and distrust is extending beyond humans and into animal care. In the past few years, veterinarians and veterinary…
Articles
Think Rescued Foxes Go Free? Sadie and Seth’s Story Shatters the Myth
Meet Sadie and Seth, two foxes born into unfortunate circumstances that were rescued by ZooTampa. As part of a fur…
Articles
Connecticut’s Sperm Whale: The Predator That Built a State’s Fortune
Connecticut’s choice of the sperm whale as its official state animal might seem surprising. After all, this massive marine mammal…
Articles
When Dogs Flip Belly-Up, What Are They Really Risking?
A dog’s sleeping posture is one of the easiest ways to gauge how safe a dog feels, no matter how…
Articles
England’s Lobster Law: What Makes Crustaceans More Protected Than Chickens?
England is proposing a unique, new animal welfare plan that protects one animal in particular: the humble lobster. The proposal…
Video
See the Biggest Venomous Snakes on Every Continent!
The seven continents on Earth – Europe, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, South America, North America, and Africa – are often compared…