The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (Alces alces) is a member of the New World deer subfamily. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Hunting and other human activities have caused a reduction in the size of...
The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is a giant cavy rodent native to South America. It is the largest living rodent and a member of the genus Hydrochoerus. Its close relatives include guinea pigs and Rock cavies, and it is more distantly...
The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the second-largest living bird by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. Emus can travel...
The elk (Cervus canadensis) is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range. The common name elk, used in North America, creates confusion because the larger Alces alces,...
The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is one of only three living species of elephants or elephantids anywhere in the world, the others being the African bush elephant and African forest elephant. The Asian elephant is the largest living land animal...
The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) is one of two living African elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal and is distributed across 37 African countries. Since 2021, it has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red...
The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is the biggest of the three rhinos in Asia, and, along with the African white rhino, is the biggest of all rhino species. Its single black horn identifies it, along with its gray-brown hide and skin...
Rhinos are very ancient animals. In fact, these mammals do resemble some prehistoric species. They appeared millions of years ago, during the Miocene era. One of the most conspicuous characteristics of these animals is the two horns of their head....
The Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is a rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant species of rhinoceros. It is now critically endangered, with only five substantial populations in the wild. Sumatran rhinos,...
The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a semiaquatic animal native to North America. It is one of the official national wildlife of Canada symbols and is the official state mammal of Oregon and New York.
The African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is one of the two living African elephant species. It is the smallest of the three living elephant species. The first scientific description of the species was published in 1900. During the 20th...
The Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), is a species of tortoise native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Desert tortoises grow slowly and live about 50 to 80 years. They can tolerate water, salt, and energy imbalances on...
The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is the second largest rodent in North America, after the North American beaver. In addition, the range of this species is the northernmost of all porcupines. Its ancestors crossed the Atlantic from...
The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) is one of the three species of orangutans. Critically Endangered, and found only in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, it is rarer than the Bornean orangutan but more common than the recently...
The Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus) (otherwise known as Asian tapir) is the only living species of Old World tapir. There are only 4 tapir species around the globe, and this animal is the largest of them. Meanwhile, the Asian tapir is the most...
The Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) is a secretive forest-dwelling mammal found only in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and...
The Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America.
The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is a beaver species that was once widespread in Eurasia but was hunted to near-extinction for both its fur and castoreum. At the turn of the 20th century, only about 1,200 beavers survived in eight relict...
The Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is the world’s tallest living animal native to North Africa. The giraffe has intrigued various ancient and modern cultures for its peculiar appearance and has often been featured in paintings, books, and...
Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) is a subspecies of the giraffe. It is one of the most endangered distinct populations of giraffe, with 1,399 mature individuals estimated in the wild in 2018.
The Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant. In 2011, IUCN upgraded the conservation status of the Sumatran elephant from endangered to critically endangered in its Red List as the...
The smallest elephant in Asia, the Borneo elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis), or otherwise known as the Pygmy elephant is a rather charming and adorable creature. Compared to other Asian elephants, Borneo elephants are more gentle-natured...
The Swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) is a large cottontail rabbit found in the southern United States. As its name implies it has a strong preference for wet areas, and it will readily take to the water and swim.
Teredo navalis, commonly called the naval shipworm or turu, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Teredinidae. This species is the type species of the genus Teredo. Like other species in this family, this bivalve is...
The Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) is a subspecies of giraffe native to East Africa. The Masai giraffe is the tallest land animal on Earth and is currently the national animal of Tanzania.
The Crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) is a species of rodent native to Italy, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the largest rodents in the world. Crested porcupines live up to 28 years, the second-longest of any rodent after the...
The common vole (Microtus arvalis ) is a European rodent.
The Eastern meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) is a North American rodent. It is active year-round, usually at night. It also digs burrows, where it stores food for the winter and females give birth to their young.
Abert's squirrel (Sciurus aberti) is a tree squirrel native to North America. It lives in pine forests and favors the seeds and cones of the Mexican pinyon and the ponderosa pine. It is named in honor of the American naturalist John James Abert.
The Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica ) is a hystricomorph rodent species native to southern Asia and the Middle East. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It belongs to the Old World porcupine family, Hystricidae.
The dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas ), also known as the ariel gazelle, is a small and common gazelle. The dorcas gazelle stands about 55–65 cm (1.8–2.1 feet) at the shoulder, with a head and body length of 90–110 cm (3–3.5 feet) and a weight of...
The Japanese dwarf flying squirrel (Pteromys momonga ; Japanese: ニホンモモンガ, Hepburn: Nihon momonga ) is one of two species of Old World flying squirrels in the genus Pteromys. It is native to Japan where it inhabits sub-alpine forests and boreal...
The Norway lemming, also known as the Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus ) is a common species of lemming found in northern Fennoscandia, where it is the only vertebrate species endemic to the region. The Norway lemming dwells in tundra and fells, and...
The pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis ) is a rabbit species native to the United States. It is also the only native rabbit species in North America to dig its own burrow. The pygmy rabbit differs significantly from species within either the Lepus...
The tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus ) is a small species of deer characterized by a prominent tuft of black hair on its forehead and fang-like canines for the males. It is a close relative of the muntjac, living somewhat further north over a wide...
The Nilgiri langur (Semnopithecus johnii ) is a langur (a type of Old World monkey). This primate has glossy black fur on its body and golden brown fur on its head. It is similar in size and long-tailed like the gray langurs. Females have a white...
The pacarana (Dinomys branickii ) is a rare and slow-moving hystricognath rodent indigenous to South America. Native Tupi people call it the pacarana (false paca) because it is superficially similar to the paca, a different rodent which is not in...
The Cape hare (Lepus capensis ), also called the desert hare, is a hare native to Africa and Arabia extending into India.
The hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus ), also called Assam rabbit and bristly rabbit, is a leporid native to South Asia, whose historic range extended along the southern foothills of the Himalayas. Today, its habitat is highly fragmented with an area...
The Nubian giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis) is the nominate subspecies of giraffe. It used to be widespread everywhere on Northeast Africa. It is currently extinct in the wild of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Eritrea.
The silky sifaka (Propithecus candidus ) is a large lemur characterized by long, silky, white fur. It has a very restricted range in northeastern Madagascar, where it is known locally as the simpona. It is one of the rarest mammals on Earth. The...
The South African giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa) is a subspecies of giraffe. South African giraffes are uncommon in captivity. As of 2010, there are around 45 South African giraffes breeding in zoos. Approximately 12,000 privately owned...
