Meet the world’s animals.

Photos: 12,673 · Stories: 19,540

• Mediterranean Monk Seal Monachus monachus

  

  A rare seal found in the Mediterranean and along northwest Africa; it feeds on fish, octopus and other prey.

• White-tailed Swallow Hirundo megaensis

  A swallow restricted to southern Ethiopia's Acacia–Commiphora woodland. A study recorded many nests in homes occupied by villagers.

• Heart-nosed Bat Cardioderma cor

  The heart-nosed bat has a heart-shaped nose leaf and large eyes. It leaves its roost around dusk and catches insects from a low perch.

• Eurasian teal Anas crecca

  A small duck seen on Japanese waters in winter. Breeding males have a chestnut head with a dark green band around the eye.

• Kea Nestor notabilis

  The Kea is a parrot of the mountains of New Zealand’s South Island. It has olive-green feathers edged in black and orange-red underwings. It eats both plants and animals, and the elevations it uses vary by season.

• Southern tamandua Tamandua tetradactyla

  An anteater that forages both in trees and on the ground, with a tail that can grip branches.

• Mountain zebra Equus zebra

  Hartmann's mountain zebras are adapted to dry, rocky country.

• Rufous-naped Whistler Aleadryas rufinucha

  This resident bird lives in New Guinea's mountain forests and secondary growth. It searches the ground and lower vegetation for insects, worms, and fruit.

• Lesser Marmoset Rat Hapalomys delacouri

  The lesser marmoset rat has a tail longer than its body, ending in a tuft. A Vietnam guide reports it using bamboo internodes.

• Grey heron Ardea cinerea

  A large heron that waits in shallow water to catch fish and other prey. In flight it draws its long neck back toward the body.

• Russet-crowned Warbler Myiothlypis coronata

  In the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia, this warbler is reported at elevations of 1,500–3,000 metres.

• Malayan Pygmy Shrew Suncus malayanus

  This small shrew occurs on the Thai-Malay Peninsula. A male captured in the Cameron Highlands had notably large ears and dark, fine fur.

• Siberian Flying Squirrel Pteromys volans

  A small squirrel of southern and central Finland that glides between trees on a membrane joining its front and hind legs.

• Dusky Megapode Megapodius freycinet

  The Dusky Megapode is a dark, ground-dwelling bird that builds a mound and buries its eggs in it. Body size varies greatly among islands, and details of its breeding biology and diet remain poorly known.

• Cape Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis

  The Cape Scrub Hare has mottled grey and black fur above and white fur below. It forages at night in scrub and eats grasses and other plant parts.

• Common Linnet Linaria cannabina

  The Common Linnet is a slim finch that eats small seeds. Breeding males show red foreheads and breasts, and the birds may gather in winter flocks.

• Blue-banded Toucanet Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis

  This green toucanet has a blue breast band and a chestnut-red rump. It forages for fruit and other food in humid mountain forest on the eastern Andes.

• Arabian Mouse-tailed Bat Rhinopoma cystops

  This long-tailed bat has also been recorded in southwestern Algeria. About half of its tail lies within the narrow membrane between the hind legs. A survey there found groups in rocky cavities and a cave.

• Chinese White Dolphin Sousa chinensis

  This dolphin lives along coasts of the Indian and western Pacific oceans and also uses estuaries. Hong Kong has carried out long-term monitoring of the Pearl River Estuary population.

• Malagasy Brush Warbler Nesillas typica

  The Malagasy Brush Warbler is common in suitable cover on Madagascar and is also recorded on Mohéli. Checklists differ over whether the Anjouan Brush Warbler belongs in the same species.

• Gray Mouse Opossum Tlacuatzin canescens

  This small opossum lives in Mexico. It is nocturnal and eats mainly insects, along with fruit and small animals.

• Black kite Milvus migrans

  A familiar raptor in Japan, with long wings and a long tail that has a shallow notch at its tip.

• Crested Jayshrike Platylophus galericulatus

  This bird has a black-and-white body and a long crest that curves forward. It occurs in Southeast Asian forests, often in pairs or small family groups.

• Mountain Beaver Aplodontia rufa

  The mountain beaver is a rodent distinct from true beavers. It digs burrows in moist forest soils and eats plants.