Meet the world’s animals.

Photos: 12,636 · Stories: 19,540

• Elfin Myzomela Myzomela adolphinae

  

  A tiny honeyeater of New Guinea's mid-montane forest canopy and village edges. Males show red on the head and rump against a dark back and wings; females have red only at the chin.

• Western Hartebeest Alcelaphus major

  A large West African hartebeest described with short, slightly glossy fawn-brown fur, dark markings on the legs, and black horns that form a U when viewed from the front.

• Three-toed Jacamar Jacamaralcyon tridactyla

  The Three-toed Jacamar occurs in southeastern Brazil. It has fine golden-buff markings on its head, a green gloss on its dark tail, and three toes on each foot.

• Tropical Ground Squirrel Notocitellus adocetus

  The tropical ground squirrel has a grizzled black-and-tan back and a long, slender tail. The genus has an unusually semi-arboreal body plan for ground squirrels; a western Mexican study found this species eating seeds and fruit pulp.

• Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris

  This small seabird lives mostly in Alaska and also in parts of Russia's Far East. The winter adult is mottled brown and white; although it lives at sea, a nest has been documented on a remote alpine ridge.

• White-ankled Deermouse Peromyscus pectoralis

  The White-ankled Deermouse occurs in the Mexican highlands and mountains. It is active at night and eats seeds, fruits, and other foods.

• Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus

  The Southern Bald Ibis has a bare red crown and whitish bare face. It searches grasslands and fields in southern Africa for insects and nests on cliff ledges.

• Barbary Lemniscomys Lemniscomys barbarus

  This small mouse has alternating light and dark stripes along its back. In the wild it is active by day and follows runways from grassy nests or burrows to feeding areas.

• Raja Ampat Pitohui Pitohui cerviniventris

  This bird lives in lowland forest on Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands. Its island forms differ in the color of the underparts, and the species account reports fruit and insects in its diet.

• Brazilian Brown Bat Eptesicus (Eptesicus) brasiliensis

  This bat is recorded from Mexico south to southern South America. It catches insects while flying over tropical streams and habitat edges.

• Brown-winged Parrotbill Suthora brunnea

  This parrotbill occurs in the mountains of southwestern China and northern Myanmar. Its chestnut head and vinous streaking across the throat and upper breast are distinctive.

• West African savanna buffalo Syncerus brachyceros

  This is the West African savanna form of the African buffalo. In W Regional Park, seven breeding herds were tracked; late in the dry season they used areas near permanent rivers, and six shifted southwest as the rains began.

• Auckland Shag Leucocarbo colensoi

  This marine shag is found only in the Auckland Islands. It has black-and-white plumage and pale pink feet; in breeding season it develops a head crest and red facial skin and throat pouch.

• Taurus Ground Squirrel Spermophilus taurensis

  The Taurus ground squirrel is restricted to the Taurus Mountains of Turkey. It inhabits montane areas above 1,000 m and is active by day.

• Great Curassow Crax rubra

  A large forest bird that searches the ground for fruit, seeds, and other food. The glossy black male and chestnut female look very different.

• European hamster Cricetus cricetus

  A wild hamster that carries plants and grains in its cheek pouches and stores them underground.

• Velvet-mantled Drongo Dicrurus modestus

  This dark bird has a long forked tail and red eyes. It catches flying insects in the high canopy and may hunt at dusk.

• Blanford's Madromys Madromys blanfordi

  Surveys in Gujarat, western India, recorded Blanford's Madromys at multiple sites in 2015–2016. White hairs at the tail tip help distinguish its appearance.

• Chestnut-capped Babbler Timalia pileata

  The Chestnut-capped Babbler is a small, skulking bird. A field study in southern West Bengal recorded it in grasslands along the Rupnarayan and Damodar rivers.

• Evening Bat Nycticeius humeralis

  The evening bat has dark brown to black fur and broad ears. It roosts in tree hollows and under loose bark, and sometimes uses buildings.

• Pale-browed Tinamou Crypturellus transfasciatus

  This ground-dwelling bird occurs along the Pacific side from southwestern Ecuador to northwestern Peru. Its pale brow and barred back help identify it.

• Domestic yak Bos grunniens

  A domestic yak kept on the Tibetan Plateau and elsewhere. Its long shaggy coat protects it from the cold.

• Maxwell's Black Weaver Ploceus albinucha

  Glossy black plumage and pale eyes stand out on this weaver. In adults, white feather bases on the nape show as a pale patch.

• Arctic Ground Squirrel Urocitellus parryii

  The Arctic ground squirrel lives in colonies in tundra and other northern habitats across Alaska, northern Canada and eastern Siberia, and overwinters underground.