Meet the world’s animals.

Photos: 12,038 · Stories: 19,488

• Narwhal Monodon monoceros

  

  A whale without a dorsal fin that lives in Arctic seas. Males commonly develop a long tusk from a tooth.

• Etendeka Round-eared Sengi Macroscelides micus

  

  This small sengi has been recorded near the Etendeka volcanic formation in northwestern Namibia. It has rust-colored fur and a hairless gland on the underside of the tail. It is nocturnal and uses the space beneath rocks as a daytime shelter.

• Western Nicator Nicator chloris

  

  The Western Nicator has golden spots on its wings and moves through dense forest cover. This account focuses on records from Upper Guinea rather than presenting a complete range for the species.

• Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus

  

  A bird arriving in Japan in late spring, when males give the familiar cuckoo call.

• Grevy’s zebra Equus grevyi

  

  A Grevy’s zebra has large ears and a long, narrow head. It lives in dry parts of Ethiopia and northern Kenya.

• Sunbittern Eurypyga helias

  

  The Sunbittern is reported in watery habitats in Guatemala and northern Brazil. When frightened, it spreads its wings and tail to reveal hidden orange and chestnut patches.

• Guinea pig Cavia porcellus

  A domesticated rodent originating in South America and now kept worldwide. It has a compact body and stays close to companions.

• Side-striped Jackal Lupulella adustus

  A slender jackal of western, central and southern Africa that also eats fruit and insects.

• Horned Curassow Pauxi unicornis

  The Horned Curassow is a large bird of central Bolivian forests. A blue-grey casque rises above its red bill, and it feeds on fruit.

• Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus

  A small bird with a blue crown and yellow underside, found from woodland to parks and gardens.

• Red Viscacha Rat Tympanoctomys barrerae

  The red viscacha rat burrows in dune belts around saline lakes and feeds on salt-tolerant plants. It has a yellow-brown back, white underside, and long, bicolored tail.

• Streaked Scrub Warbler Scotocerca inquieta

  This small warbler lives in dry wadis and scrubby desert plains in the Middle East. It walks on the ground while searching for food, often in pairs or small groups.

• House mouse Mus (Mus) musculus

  A small mouse living in houses, farms and cultivated fields.

• Narrow-ridged finless porpoise Neophocaena asiaeorientalis

  A small porpoise without a dorsal fin, found along parts of the Japanese coast.

• Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone rufiventer

  Males have a black head, chestnut body and long tail streamers. The species lives in wooded parts of western, central and eastern Africa south of the Sahara, and eats insects.

• Eurasian wren Troglodytes troglodytes

  A tiny brown bird with a loud, extended song. In Japan it breeds in habitats such as woodland beside mountain streams.

• Purple-necked Rock Wallaby Petrogale purpureicollis

  The purple-necked rock-wallaby lives among rocky country in Queensland, Australia. Its purple appearance comes from pigment on the fur, not a permanent coat colour, and varies among individuals.

• White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos

  The black bird has a white wing patch, red eyes and a slightly curved bill. It forms groups in eastern and southeastern Australia and forages on the ground.

• Walrus Odobenus rosmarus

  A northern marine mammal recognized by long tusks and sturdy whiskers around its muzzle.

• Longman's Beaked Whale Indopacetus pacificus

  Longman's beaked whale lives offshore in tropical Indian and Pacific waters. It is difficult to identify at sea, and much of its biology remains poorly known.

• Lettered Aracari Pteroglossus inscriptus

  The Lettered Araçari is a toucanet with letter-like markings on its upper bill. Males have a black head, females a chestnut head, and the species uses the Amazonian forest canopy.

• Common Swift Apus apus

  A summer visitor to the UK, the Common Swift spends almost all its life on the wing, catching small insects and spiders in the air.

• Smith's Red Rock Hare Pronolagus rupestris

  This hare lives in rocky country. It hides in crevices or beneath rocks by day and feeds on grasses and shrub shoots at night.

• Hamerkop Scopus umbretta

  The hamerkop is an African wetland bird whose flat crest makes its head look like a hammer. Pairs build a large, domed nest.