Bird
Chicken
The world's most common bird
Animals of North America
North America stretches from Arctic sea ice to Central American rainforest. It is home to bald eagles, gray wolves, polar bears, and the critically endangered axolotl of Mexico.
Test yourself: Where in the World game
Mammal
Arctic Fox
The white fox of the frozen tundra
Bird
Mallard
The familiar puddle duck
Reptile
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The giant jellyfish specialist
Mammal
Gray Wolf
The ancestor of the domestic dog
Mammal
Brown Bear
The widespread bear of the Northern Hemisphere
Mammal
Cow
The domestic cattle that feeds the world
Mammal
Polar Bear
The largest land carnivore, ruler of the Arctic
Mammal
Grizzly Bear
North America's iconic brown bear
Reptile
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
The tortoiseshell turtle
Mammal
Sperm Whale
The deep-diving giant with the largest brain
Reptile
Alligator Snapping Turtle
The prehistoric lure-fishing giant of American rivers
Fish
Ocean Sunfish
The heaviest bony fish
Mammal
American Black Bear
North America's adaptable forest bear
Fish
Rainbow Trout
The colourful fly-fisher's favourite
Bird
California Condor
North America's largest flying land bird
Mammal
Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
The long-limbed acrobat of Central American forests
Mammal
Northern Elephant Seal
The deep-diving seal giant
Mammal
Reindeer
The Arctic migrator and both-sex antlered deer
Fish
Thresher Shark
The whip-tailed hunter
Mammal
Elk
The bugling giant of North American meadows
Mammal
Walrus
The tusked giant of the Arctic ice
Mammal
Beluga Whale
The white whale of the Arctic
Mammal
Red Deer
The roaring stag of Eurasian woodlands
Mammal
Giant Anteater
South America's two-metre tongue specialist
Bird
Scarlet Macaw
Iconic red-and-blue rainforest parrot
Reptile
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
The powerful-jawed sea turtle
Mammal
Wild Boar
The ancestor of the domestic pig
Fish
Channel Catfish
North America's whiskered bottom feeder
Bird
Osprey
The fish-hunting raptor of coasts and lakes
Mammal
North American Beaver
Nature's engineer of wetlands
Mammal
Fin Whale
The sleek greyhound of the seas
Reptile
Copperhead
Common US pit viper with hourglass bands
Bird
Atlantic Puffin
Clown-billed seabird of North Atlantic cliffs
Fish
Basking Shark
Second-largest fish; gentle plankton feeder
Amphibian
Axolotl
The salamander that never grows up and can regrow body parts
Mammal
Sloth
The slowest mammal on Earth
Mammal
Domestic Pig
The intelligent farm mammal
Fish
Sand Tiger Shark
The toothy aquarium shark
Mammal
Bobcat
North America's adaptable wild cat
Bird
Rooster
The crowing guardian of the barnyard flock
Bird
Whooping Crane
Tallest North American bird and conservation icon
Bird
Bald Eagle
The fish-hunting raptor and national bird of the United States
Mammal
Wolverine
The fierce scavenger of the boreal north
Bird
Canada Goose
The honking V-formation flyer
Mammal
Mule Deer
The big-eared deer of western North America
Mammal
Sea Otter
The tool-using keystone of the kelp forest
Mammal
Manatee
The gentle sea cow of warm coastal waters
Mammal
Ferret
The playful domestic mustelid
Mammal
Capuchin Monkey
The clever New World monkey
Mammal
Domestic Goat
The agile browser
Fish
Nurse Shark
The docile reef bottom-dweller
Invertebrate
Black Widow
Venomous cobweb spider with a red hourglass
Mammal
Jaguar
The Americas' largest and most powerful cat
Mammal
Howler Monkey
The loudest land animal in the Americas
Mammal
Ocelot
The spotted cat of the Americas
Bird
Common Pheasant
The ring-necked game bird of field and forest
Fish
Great Barracuda
Torpedo-shaped reef ambush predator
Reptile
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Largest rattlesnake of North America
Mammal
Red Fox
The most widespread wild carnivore on Earth
Reptile
American Alligator
The armored survivor of the southern swamps
Mammal
Water Buffalo
The wallowing bovine of Asia
Bird
Sandhill Crane
North America's dancing crane
Mammal
Domestic Sheep
Humanity's oldest livestock
Mammal
Nine-Banded Armadillo
North America's armoured digger
Fish
Largemouth Bass
America's favourite freshwater game fish
Mammal
Pronghorn
Fastest land mammal in the Americas
Bird
Common Loon
Iconic diving bird of northern lakes
Mammal
Raccoon
The masked, clever-handed night raider
Mammal
Muskox
The Ice Age survivor of the Arctic
Mammal
Brown Lemming
The tundra rodent of myth
Bird
Brown Pelican
The plunge-diving fisher
Fish
Largetooth Sawfish
Giant ray with a toothed rostral saw
Bird
Blue-footed Booby
Plunge-diving seabird with vivid blue feet
Mammal
Sea Lion
The agile, barking acrobat of the coast
Mammal
Narwhal
The tusked unicorn of the sea
Reptile
Spectacled Caiman
The common crocodilian of the Americas
Mammal
Grey Seal
The horse-faced seal of the Atlantic
Bird
Wild Turkey
North America's ground bird
Reptile
Eastern Box Turtle
North America's hinged turtle
Fish
Atlantic Cod
The fish that built Atlantic nations
Mammal
Bighorn Sheep
Mountain sheep with massive curling horns
Bird
House Sparrow
Ubiquitous sparrow of towns and farms
Reptile
Common Garter Snake
Familiar harmless snake of North American yards
Invertebrate
Tarantula
The large, hairy spider with a gentle reputation
Mammal
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
The keystone burrower of the plains
Reptile
Eastern Coral Snake
Brightly banded venomous elapid of the Southeast
Mammal
Mountain Goat
Sure-footed climber of North American peaks
Fish
Goblin Shark
Deep-sea shark with a protrusible jaw
Fish
Goldfish
The world's most popular pet fish
Reptile
Painted Turtle
The pond slider of North America
Mammal
Minke Whale
The smallest and most abundant rorqual
Mammal
Muskrat
North America's pond-building rodent
Reptile
Sidewinder
Horned rattlesnake that sidewinds across dunes
Bird
Magnificent Frigatebird
Aerial pirate with a scarlet throat pouch
Fish
Oarfish
World's longest bony fish
Insect
Monarch Butterfly
The insect that migrates thousands of miles
Mammal
Groundhog
North America's weather-watching marmot
Mammal
North American Porcupine
The quilled climber of northern forests
Insect
Leafcutter Ant
Ant farmers that cut leaves to grow fungus
Mammal
Snowshoe Hare
Colour-changing hare of northern forests
Bird
Barn Owl
The ghostly, heart-faced night hunter
Mammal
American Mink
The semi-aquatic mustelid
Mammal
Donkey
The hardy working companion of arid lands
Invertebrate
Brown Recluse Spider
The violin-marked spider of the American South
Bird
Northern Goshawk
Powerful forest hawk of the north
Reptile
Green Basilisk
Jesus Christ lizard that runs on water
Insect
Bed Bug
The blood-feeding pest of mattresses worldwide
Bird
Barn Swallow
Fork-tailed aerial insectivore of farms
Mammal
White-tailed Deer
The Americas' most familiar deer
Mammal
Harbor Seal
The shy, spotted true seal of northern coasts
Mammal
Northern Flying Squirrel
North America's gliding rodent
Mammal
Stoat
The ermine in winter white
Invertebrate
Blacklegged Tick
The Lyme disease vector of eastern forests
Bird
American Goldfinch
Bright yellow finch of North American fields
Mammal
Fisher
Arboreal mustelid that can prey on porcupines
Insect
Army Ant
Nomadic swarm-raiding ants of the Neotropics
Mammal
Coyote
North America's adaptable 'song dog'
Bird
Crow
The glossy black genius of the bird world
Reptile
Green Anole
Colour-changing lizard of southern US gardens
Mammal
Squirrel
The agile, tree-climbing rodent of parks and woods
Insect
Ladybug
The spotted beetle gardeners love
Reptile
Chuckwalla
Rock-dwelling desert lizard that inflates to wedge itself
Mammal
Otter
The playful, water-loving member of the weasel family
Amphibian
Mudpuppy
Fully aquatic salamander with external gills
Mammal
Bat
The only mammals capable of true flight
Bird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
A tiny hovering bird with a blazing throat
Fish
Atlantic Salmon
The fish that swims upriver to spawn
Insect
Ant
The tireless team-working insect
Mammal
American Bison
North America's largest land animal
Mammal
Cougar
The wide-ranging big cat with many names
Mammal
Moose
The largest member of the deer family
Reptile
Boa Constrictor
The powerful constricting snake of the Americas
Bird
Northern Harrier
Owl-faced hawk of North American marshes
Bird
Roseate Spoonbill
Pink wader with a sweeping spoon bill
Bird
American White Ibis
Red-billed white wader of the Southeast
Bird
Wood Stork
Tactile-fishing stork of southern swamps
Bird
Jabiru
Giant stork of Neotropical wetlands
Bird
Northern Gannet
Plunge-diving giant of Atlantic cliffs
Bird
Common Murre
Pear-egg diver of northern sea cliffs
Bird
Willow Ptarmigan
Snow-white grouse of Arctic willows
Bird
Ruffed Grouse
Drumming phantom of northern woods
Bird
Common Starling
Speckled invader of global cityscapes
Mammal
Nine-banded Armadillo
Armoured digger marching through the Americas
Mammal
Collared Peccary
Collared herd animal of American scrublands
Mammal
Dall Sheep
White horned climber of northern peaks
Amphibian
Spring Peeper
Thumb-sized herald of eastern spring
Amphibian
Pacific Tree Frog
West Coast chorus frog behind the movie ribbit
Fish
Megamouth Shark
Deep-sea filter ghost discovered in 1976
Fish
Lemon Shark
Yellow coastal shark of mangrove nurseries
Fish
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
Critically Endangered lord of the open ocean
Fish
Porbeagle
Warm-blooded hunter of cold Atlantic seas
Fish
Cookiecutter Shark
Bioluminescent plug-biter of the deep
Fish
Lanternfish
Bioluminescent commuter of the twilight zone
Fish
Viperfish
Fang-faced ambusher of the abyss
Fish
Gulper Eel
Pelican-jawed phantom of the abyss
Fish
Bonnethead
Seagrass-munching hammerhead of warm shallows
Invertebrate
Red Abalone
Critically Endangered nacre snail of Pacific kelp
Invertebrate
Sand Dollar
Buried flower of Atlantic sand flats
Invertebrate
Gumboot Chiton
Leathery giant of Pacific tidepools
Invertebrate
Moon Jellyfish
Glass-disc drifter of harbours worldwide
Invertebrate
Vampire Squid
Detritus-eating cape of the oxygen minimum zone
Invertebrate
Dumbo Octopus
Fin-flapping octopus of the abyssal plain
Invertebrate
Giant Pacific Octopus
Largest octopus of the North Pacific
Invertebrate
Water Bear
Near-indestructible moss dweller under the microscope
Invertebrate
Sea Angel
Shell-less winged hunter of polar seas
Insect
Carpenter Bee
Wood-boring giant bee of eastern gardens
Bird
Snowy Owl
The white owl of the Arctic tundra
Insect
Mosquito
The tiny insect with an outsized impact
Insect
Bumblebee
The fuzzy, hard-working pollinator of meadows and gardens
Insect
Wasp
The yellow-and-black predator and scavenger of summer
Invertebrate
Black Widow Spider
The glossy black spider with the red hourglass
Mammal
Chipmunk
The striped, cheek-stuffing squirrel of North America
Amphibian
American Bullfrog
North America's largest and loudest frog
Fish
European Eel
The 100-year reproductive mystery that baffled scientists from Aristotle to the 21st century
Insect
Firefly
The glowing beetle of warm summer nights
Invertebrate
Blue Crab
The swift swimming crab of Atlantic estuaries
Reptile
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
The venomous pit viper with a warning rattle
Reptile
Corn Snake
The gentle, colorful beginner's pet snake
Reptile
Snapping Turtle
The powerful-jawed freshwater turtle of North America
Insect
Cicada
The loud summer singer with a long underground youth
Invertebrate
Atlantic Horseshoe Crab
The ancient living fossil with blue blood
Invertebrate
Jumping Spider
The big-eyed spider that pounces on its prey
Mammal
Vampire Bat
The only mammal that lives entirely on blood
Mammal
Skunk
The black-and-white mammal with a chemical defence
Bird
Atlantic Puffin
The colorful 'sea parrot' of the North Atlantic
Bird
Peregrine Falcon
The fastest animal on the planet
Insect
Praying Mantis
The patient ambush predator with folded arms
Insect
Termite
The colony-building recycler of dead wood
Insect
Housefly
The familiar fly found wherever people live
Invertebrate
Centipede
The fast, venomous predator with many legs
Reptile
Gila Monster
One of the few venomous lizards
Reptile
Garter Snake
One of North America's most common and widespread snakes
Bird
Golden Eagle
One of the largest and fastest birds of prey
Insect
Luna Moth
The large, pale-green silk moth with long tails
Invertebrate
American Lobster
The long-lived clawed crustacean of cold seas
Invertebrate
Millipede
The slow, many-legged recycler of the forest floor
Mammal
Weasel
Britain's smallest carnivore, built for chasing prey into burrows
Mammal
Opossum
North America's only marsupial
Amphibian
Red-Eyed Tree Frog
The bright-eyed icon of the rainforest canopy
Amphibian
Gray Tree Frog
The color-changing tree frog of eastern forests
Bird
Scarlet Macaw
The brilliant red parrot of the rainforest
Bird
Northern Mockingbird
The bird that learns 200+ songs and sings through the night
Insect
Dragonfly
The agile aerial hunter of ponds and streams
Insect
Flea
The wingless parasite famous for jumping
Reptile
Green Iguana
The large tree-dwelling lizard of the tropics
Bird
Red-tailed Hawk
North America's most familiar soaring hawk
Bird
Common Raven
One of the world's most intelligent birds
Mammal
Vaquita
The world's most endangered marine mammal
Amphibian
Spotted Salamander
The yellow-spotted salamander of eastern forests
Bird
Mallard
The familiar wild duck found around the world
Insect
Grasshopper
The jumping insect of fields and meadows
Bird
Great Horned Owl
The powerful nocturnal hunter with feathered tufts
Bird
Blue Jay
The bold, noisy blue songbird of North America
Amphibian
Cane Toad
A large, toxic toad turned invasive pest
Bird
Northern Cardinal
The bright red songbird of North American gardens
Bird
American Robin
The orange-breasted herald of spring
Insect
Rhinoceros Beetle
One of the strongest animals for its size
Invertebrate
Garden Snail
The slow, shell-carrying garden mollusk
Insect
Cockroach
The hardy survivor that lives almost anywhere
Insect
Cricket
The chirping insect of warm evenings
Invertebrate
Earthworm
The soil engineer that enriches the earth
Amphibian
Glass Frog
The frog with see-through skin
Amphibian
Tiger Salamander
A stout, burrowing salamander of North America
Amphibian
Wood Frog
The frog that freezes solid to survive winter
Amphibian
Eastern Newt
The newt with a bright orange land stage
Amphibian
Hellbender
North America's giant, fully aquatic salamander
Insect
Yellowjacket
The bold black-and-yellow social wasp