Meet the world’s animals.

Photos: 12,038 · Stories: 19,488

• Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus

  

  A falcon that catches birds in flight. In North America it is common around coasts and cliffs and may nest on tall buildings.

• Rhinella mirandaribeiroi

  

  A toad found in the South American Cerrado, a landscape that includes open grasslands and savanna.

• Venus flytrap sea anemone Actinoscyphia aurelia

  

  A deep-sea anemone observed on sandy and muddy seafloors during a Gulf of Alaska survey.

• Gray whale Eschrichtius robustus

  

  A mottled gray whale of the North Pacific, with a low hump in place of a dorsal fin.

• Black-capped Donacobius Donacobius atricapilla

  

  This waterside bird has a black head and back and a long tail with white tips. A Peru-focused species account describes pairs and family groups defending territories along lowland Amazon lakes and rivers.

• Zora silvestris

  

  A small spider with dark bands on the front part of its body, recorded from Europe, the Caucasus and Turkmenistan.

• Common Crane Grus grus

  A large crane that breeds from Europe across northern Asia and winters in southern Europe, Africa, southern Asia and other regions.

• Pronghorn Antilocapra americana

  Pronghorns live in the grasslands and dry country of western North America.

• Cone-head Chameleon Chamaeleo calyptratus

  The veiled chameleon is a large arboreal chameleon with grasping feet and a fully prehensile tail. In an indoor study of nine animals, it used its tail for support when crossing gaps.

• Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius

  A hippopotamus spends much of the day in water and grazes on land at night. It uses rivers, lakes and nearby grassland.

• Common frog Rana temporaria

  A long-legged frog of damp woods and meadows that lays its eggs in water.

• Rough-skinned Sea Anemone Actinostola callosa

  A seafloor anemone. A study off eastern Canada found a diverse range of small food items in its digestive cavity.

• 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.

• Macaroni Penguin Eudyptes chrysolophus

  The yellow crest makes the Macaroni Penguin easy to notice. It breeds on sub-Antarctic islands and elsewhere nearby, and feeds on krill and fish at sea.

• Tapanuli Orangutan Pongo tapanuliensis

  An orangutan of the Tapanuli region in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, where its forest habitat is fragmented; fruit is a major food.

• Common Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus

  A semiaquatic rodent that lives in wetlands and along waterways in North America.

• Hermann's Tortoise Testudo hermanni

  Hermann’s tortoise is a terrestrial turtle found in southern Europe. Its rounded carapace is domed and can range from yellow, olive, or orange to dark brown.

• African Clawed Frog Xenopus laevis

  In captive trials, tadpole growth and development changed in water treated with pesticides.

• Western Cattle Egret Ardea ibis

  A compact white heron with a short neck and legs, it feeds in grassland and pastures, catching insects and small animals disturbed by livestock or farm machinery.

• Cape Sugarbird Promerops cafer

  The Cape Sugarbird is a nectar-feeding bird of South Africa's fynbos. It visits protea flowers for nectar and insects and helps pollinate many proteas.

• Rio Negro Silky Anteater Cyclopes ida

  Cyclopes ida is a silky anteater of the Amazon basin. Its specialist-group account says it is common in seasonally flooded blackwater forest and along small tributaries, and that ants make up almost all of its diet.

• Long-tailed macaque Macaca fascicularis

  A long-tailed monkey that lives in forests and mangroves around Singapore and nearby parts of Southeast Asia.

• Green turtle Chelonia mydas

  A sea turtle with a small head and hard shell. Adults feed mainly on seagrasses and algae.

• Common Midwife Toad Alytes obstetricans

  This frog carries eggs wrapped around the male’s hind legs.