Meet the world’s animals.

Photos: 12,025 · Stories: 19,293

• King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa

  

  The King Vulture is a large scavenger of tropical lowland forests in Central and South America. It may wait for other birds to open a carcass.

• Sugar glider Petaurus breviceps

  

  A marsupial that glides between trees in eastern Australian forests.

• Domestic dog Canis familiaris

  

  A domestic dog bred for companionship and many kinds of work. Its appearance varies greatly among breeds.

• Northern Screamer Chauna chavaria

  

  A large wetland bird of northern Colombia and eastern Venezuela. Its gray body, black neck and white band around the head stand out.

• Hairy Long-eared Bat Nycteris hispida

  

  The hairy long-eared bat occurs widely in sub-Saharan Africa. Its ears are longer than its head, and the long tail has a T-shaped tip.

• Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus

  

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

• Lesser Jacana Microparra capensis

  The Lesser Jacana is a small jacana of shallow freshwater wetlands with grasses and sedges. It may move as water levels change.

• Gray-bellied Caenolestid Caenolestes caniventer

  The gray-bellied caenolestid is a small marsupial with an elongated face and a grayish belly. It lives in cool, wet Andean habitats of central Ecuador and northwestern Peru.

• Aardvark Orycteropus afer

  An African mammal that searches for ants and termites on the ground at night and uses burrows as shelter.

• Black Guineafowl Agelastes niger

  The Black Guineafowl is a ground-dwelling bird of forests in western and central Africa. It has black plumage and a bare red head, and occurs in small groups.

• Botswanan Mole-rat Fukomys damarensis

  The Damara mole-rat forms underground colonies. A breeding pair is at the center, while other members share tasks such as digging tunnels, gathering food, and caring for young.

• Little egret Egretta garzetta

  A white heron that catches fish in shallow watersides. A black bill and legs with yellow feet are identifying features.

• Buffy Laughingthrush Pterorhinus berthemyi

  The Buffy Laughingthrush occurs in southeastern China, where it uses broadleaf evergreen and bamboo forests as well as plantations. Its head to breast is ochre-brown, with black lores and chin and blue bare skin around the eyes.

• Common Ringtail Pseudocheirus peregrinus

  The common ringtail is a nocturnal Australian marsupial with a grasping tail that helps it move along branches.

• Jaguar Panthera onca

  A jaguar is a heavily built large cat of the Americas. It often lives near water and swims well.

• White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus

  This plover occurs mainly along African coasts from Somalia to South Africa, also using sandy shores of inland rivers and lakes.

• Somali Bushbaby Galago gallarum

  This small nocturnal primate has a pale face, dark eye rings, black ears and tail, and a light buff back.

• Eurasian oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

  A stocky black-and-white shorebird with an orange-red bill.

• Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cucullatus

  A rufous crown, white eyebrow, dark eye-stripe, gray face and breast, and yellow belly make this small bird recognizable.

• Northern California Pocket Gopher Megascapheus laticeps

  Megascapheus laticeps, the Northern California Pocket Gopher, occurs in California and Oregon. Its original description records a broad head and large feet, reddish-yellow-brown fur with dark tips along the back, and a grayish-white tail that is darker above.

• Eurasian beaver Castor fiber

  A large rodent that swims in rivers and lakes and feeds on waterside plants.

• Kagu Rhynochetos jubatus

  The flightless Kagu lives in the humid forests of New Caledonia's Grande Terre. During the day it searches leaf litter and soil for small live prey.

• Indian hare Lepus nigricollis

  The Indian hare is a hare of grasslands, scrub and other open habitats in India and Sri Lanka.

• House sparrow Passer domesticus

  A small bird of towns and farms. Males and females differ in facial and chest markings; males have a black throat bib.