The giant squid (Architeuthis dux ) is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of deep-sea gigantism: recent estimates put the maximum size at around 12–13 m...
The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni ) is part of the family Cranchiidae. It is sometimes called the Antarctic squid or giant cranch squid and is believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass. It is the only recognized member...
The giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini, formerly also Octopus apollyon ), also known as the North Pacific giant octopus, is a large marine cephalopod belonging to the genus Enteroctopus. Its spatial distribution includes the coastal North...
The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris ) is a mollusc belonging to the class Cephalopoda. Octopus vulgaris is one of the most studied of all octopus species, and also one of the most intelligent. It is cosmopolitan, that is, a global species, which...
The African wildcat (Felis lybica) is a small wildcat species. In Cyprus, an African wildcat was found in a burial site next to a human skeleton in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlement Shillourokambos. The graves are estimated to have been...
The mouflon (Ovis gmelini) is a wild sheep native to the Caspian region. It is thought to be the ancestor of all modern domestic sheep breeds.
The Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas ), also known as jumbo squid or jumbo flying squid (EN), and Pota in Peru or Jibia in Chile (ES) is a large, predatory squid living in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the only known species of the genus Dosidicus...
The Frill-necked lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is a species of lizard native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Its common names come from the large frill around its neck, which usually stays folded against the lizard's body....
The Eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) is a highly venomous snake native to the coastal regions of southern East Africa. It was described by Scottish surgeon and zoologist Andrew Smith in 1849. It is a shy and elusive snake that is rarely...
The Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) is one of three species of hamster in the genus Phodopus. It is ball-shaped and typically half the size of the Syrian hamster, so is called a dwarf hamster along with all Phodopus species. As winter...
The Gray ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides) is a species of nonvenomous snake. It is one of about ten species within the American ratsnake genus Pantherophis.
The Pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) is the smallest species of armadillo first described by Richard Harlan in 1825. It is the only armadillo that has a dorsal shell that is almost completely separate from the body. This solitary,...
The Green heron (Butorides virescens) is a small secretive heron that lives along shaded riverbanks or quiet streams in areas of dense vegetation. It is often somewhat secretive but is sometimes to be seen crying "kyow" while flying up a creek. When...
The degu (Octodon degus) is a small rodent found only in Chile. The closest relatives of these highly social and curious animals are chinchilla and guinea pig.
The Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is a small and one of the most abundant gulls in much of Europe and Asia, and also in eastern Canada. It displays a variety of compelling behaviors and adaptations. Some of these include removing...
The Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is one of eight extant species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest species of cetacean. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar porpoise...
The Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) is a large northern hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American trumpeter swan. It is considered the most elegant of the swan family.
The Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a wide-ranging marine mammal of the family Delphinidae. The common bottlenose dolphin is a very familiar dolphin species due to the wide exposure it receives in captivity in marine parks and...
The rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster) is an Australian native rodent first described in 1804. Having adapted to and colonized a unique niche of a semiaquatic and nocturnal lifestyle, this rakali lives in burrows on the banks of rivers, lakes and...
The Great black-backed gull (Larus marinus ) is the largest member of the gull family. Described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as "the king of the Atlantic waterfront", it is a very aggressive hunter, pirate, and scavenger.
The Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in Africa. It is the only extant member of the genus Stigmochelys and is the fourth largest out of the tortoise family. Leopard tortoises are shy and they...
The African civet (Civettictis civetta) is a large type of civet that lives throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It is the last surviving member of its genetic group and is regarded as the largest civet-like species in the African continent. African...
The Common eider is a large sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia.
The Red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius) is a species of tortoise found in northern South America. It is closely related to the Yellow-footed tortoise from the Amazon Basin. Red-footed tortoises are popularly kept as pets, and...
The Common garden skink (Lampropholis guichenoti) is a small species of lizard native to Australia. The part of its scientific name, guichenoti, is in honor of French zoologist Antoine Alphonse Guichenot.
The Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) is a small earless seal that lives in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. It is the most abundant and wide-ranging ice seal in the Northern Hemisphere. Ringed seals are one of the primary prey of Polar bears and Killer...
Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii ), also called the Atlantic ridley sea turtle, is the rarest species of sea turtle and is the world's most endangered species of sea turtle. It is one of two living species in the genus Lepidochelys (the...
The Viviparous lizardn(Zootoca vivipara) is a Eurasian lizard that lives farther north than any other species of non-marine reptile. It is named for the fact that it is viviparous, meaning it not only lays eggs but also gives birth to live young....
The Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) is an aquatic diving bird noted for its elaborate mating display. It is the largest member of the grebe family found in the Old World, with some larger species residing in the Americas. These birds are...
The bharal (Pseudois nayaur) is a caprine native to the high Himalayas. The Helan Mountains of Ningxia have the highest concentration of these animals in the world. Many Buddhist monasteries protect the bharal found around them.
Hydrophis belcheri, commonly known as the faint-banded sea snake or Belcher's sea snake, is an extremely venomous species of elapid sea snake. It has a timid temperament and would normally have to be subjected to severe mistreatment before biting....
The Tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus) is a small swan of the Holarctic. The two taxa within it are usually regarded as conspecific but are also sometimes split into two species: Bewick's swan (Cygnus bewickii) of the Palaearctic and the Whistling...
The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is one of three recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant. Its population is now largely restricted to the dry zone in the north, east and southeast of Sri Lanka. In the past, Sri Lankan elephants...
The Emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus) is a boa species found in the rainforests of South America. Like all other boas, it is nonvenomous and kill their prey by constriction.
The mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus ) is a species of octopus from the Indo-Pacific region. Like other octopuses, it uses its chromatophores to disguise itself with its background. However, it is noteworthy for being able to impersonate a wide...
The Pygmy hog (Porcula salvania) is a suid found in the Himalayas. It is the smallest and the rarest wild pig in the world and is now listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
The Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus) is the smallest known extant mammal by mass, weighing only about 1.8 g (0.063 oz) on average. It is characterized by very rapid movements and a fast metabolism, eating about 1.5-2 times its own body weight per...
The cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti) is an arboreal relative of the raccoon. It is often confused with its cousin the Ring-tailed cat because of the similarity of their appearance, but unlike the Ring-tail cat, the cacomistle does not have...
The Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata) is a species of true fox native to Asia. It lives a solitary life and is widespread in the Tibetan Plateau's steppes and semi-deserts.
Central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) are agamid lizards found in eastern and central Australia. They live in areas where food may be hard to find and need to bask in the sun to maintain elevated body temperatures.
The Black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) is a small Asian passerine bird The species is known for its aggressive behavior towards much larger birds that invade its territory. The Black drongo has been introduced to some Pacific islands, where it has...
The European storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) is a seabird in the northern storm petrel family, Hydrobatidae. These birds nest in crevices and burrows and sometimes share them with other seabirds or even rabbits. The adults share the lengthy...
