Meet the world’s animals.

Photos: 12,825 · Stories: 19,540

• Alexander's Bush Squirrel Paraxerus alexandri

  

  This small squirrel lives in lowland forests of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Its back has orange, black, and cream stripes, and it searches for food on trees by day.

• Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

  A small plover that winters in Hong Kong. Breeding males show black markings on the head.

• Rustic Pipistrelle Pipistrellus rusticus

  This very small bat weighs about 4 g on average. It occurs in savannah woodland and near water, catching insects along cluttered forest edges.

• Western barn owl Tyto alba

  An owl with a heart-shaped face, seen over farmland and grassland in Britain.

• Brazilian White-eared Opossum Didelphis albiventris

  The Brazilian white-eared opossum is a marsupial from northern and eastern South America. Its white ears and dark line between the eyes stand out; it forages on the ground at night and can climb trees.

• Heuglin's Masked Weaver Ploceus heuglini

  This weaver ranges from the Sahel to western East Africa. It uses dry savanna woodland, thickets, scrub, and areas around farms and villages, and is thought to feed mostly on arthropods.

• Tiny Big-eared Bat Micronycteris (Schizonycteris) minuta

  The tiny big-eared bat has pale brown-orange fur above and white fur below. A Bolivian account describes an insect diet and roosts in tree hollows and other cavities.

• Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarcticus

  A penguin with a narrow black line running beneath the chin like a strap. It breeds on the Antarctic Peninsula and islands in the South Atlantic.

• Black Sumatran Langur Presbytis sumatrana

  This leaf-eating monkey lives on Sumatra. In a 2024 study at Batang Toru, groups were observed in two secondary-forest sites beside mining, staff housing and gardens, where they ate native plants.

• Chopi Blackbird Gnorimopsar chopi

  This all-black icterid has records in protected areas across Argentina. It is seen alone or in pairs and sometimes gathers in groups.

• Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

  The saola is a wild relative of cattle that lives in the forests of the Annamite Mountains in Laos and Viet Nam. Both sexes have long horns and white facial markings.

• Sri Lanka Woodshrike Tephrodornis affinis

  Endemic to Sri Lanka, it is commonest in lowland dry-zone woodland and local in parts of the wet zone. It searches open woodland for insects and spiders.

• Crete Spiny Mouse Acomys (Acomys) minous

  This spiny mouse lives on Crete. It has a gray back, reddish-yellow flanks with fine spines, and uses dry scrub and rocky crevices.

• Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur

  The Fairy Prion breeds on islands around New Zealand and forages in flocks near ocean fronts. It has blue-gray upperparts, white underparts, and a blue bill and feet.

• Western Brush Wallaby Notamacropus irma

  This wallaby is marked by black paws, a brush-like tail, and a white stripe on the face. It is active around dawn and dusk and is found in heathland at Whiteman Park.

• Green-headed Oriole Oriolus chlorocephalus

  The Green-headed Oriole has green across its head, throat, upper breast, and lower mantle. A forest survey in Tanzania often recorded pairs feeding on fruit high in the trees.

• Greater Musky Fruit Bat Ptenochirus jagorii

  This fruit-eating bat is endemic to the Philippines. It feeds in forests and was frequently captured in a lowland forest survey on Mount Makiling, Luzon.

• Grey-headed Bushshrike Malaconotus blanchoti

  The Grey-headed Bushshrike lives in sub-Saharan Africa. In a southern African atlas it was recorded as a large, brightly coloured bird that often hides in foliage and gives far-carrying calls.

• Black-wristed Deermouse Peromyscus melanocarpus

  This small mouse lives in mountain forests of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Dark fur on its wrists and lower forelegs stands out; it forages at night for seeds and other foods on the forest floor.

• Red-winged Laughingthrush Trochalopteron formosum

  This large laughingthrush ranges from southwestern China to northern Vietnam. Its red wings and tail stand out, and it occurs in evergreen broadleaf forest and nearby scrub or bamboo.

• Maritime Striped Squirrel Tamiops maritimus

  The maritime striped squirrel is a small squirrel with bold black stripes along its back. The traits described here are for the subspecies found in Taiwan.

• Crested ibis Nipponia nippon

  A wetland bird whose pink flight feathers show when it flies.

• Big Brown Bat Eptesicus (Eptesicus) fuscus

  The big brown bat has a robust build. The Texas account describes it using varied habitats and roosting in buildings as well as natural sites.

• Southern Surucua Trogon Trogon surrucura

  This trogon lives in humid forests and wooded river corridors in South America. Males have blue chests and green backs, while females are mostly grey; both sexes take insects and other prey from perches.