HideShark

Every animal guide

84 profiles and counting. Search by name, or filter by group.

Mammals NT American Bison Bison bison The American bison is North America's largest land animal and its greatest conservation comeback — from tens of millions to a few hundred, and back. Learn how it shapes the prairie. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Arctic Fox Vulpes lagopus The Arctic fox has the warmest fur of any mammal, changes colour with the seasons, and can raise a litter of 18 in a lemming boom. Learn how it survives −50 °C and follows polar bears for scraps. Read the guide →
Birds LC Barn Owl Tyto alba The barn owl hunts in total darkness by sound alone, guided by its heart-shaped face and lopsided ears. Learn how its silent flight works and why farmers put up nest boxes for it. Read the guide →
Reptiles LC Black Mamba Dendroaspis polylepis The black mamba is Africa's most feared snake — long, fast, and armed with a fast-acting neurotoxic venom. Learn where the name comes from, how dangerous it really is, and why it usually flees. Read the guide →
Invertebrates NE Box Jellyfish Chironex fleckeri The Australian box jellyfish carries enough venom to kill a person in minutes, hunts actively with 24 eyes, and swims rather than drifts. Learn what makes this cube-shaped animal so deadly. Read the guide →
Fish VU Bull Shark Carcharhinus leucas The bull shark is the shark that swims up rivers — hundreds or thousands of kilometres into fresh water. Learn how it survives there, why it's rated among the most dangerous sharks, and its status. Read the guide →
Amphibians LC Cane Toad Rhinella marina The cane toad was released in Australia in 1935 to eat beetles and became one of the worst invasive species in the world. Learn why it is toxic, how far it has spread, and what is being done. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris The capybara is the world's largest rodent — a 50-kilogram, semi-aquatic grazer famous for its calm tolerance of almost every other animal. Learn how it lives in the wetlands of South America. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Cougar Puma concolor The cougar goes by more names than any other animal and roams from the Yukon to Patagonia. Learn why it isn't a "big cat", how far it can leap, and why it screams instead of roars. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Coyote Canis latrans The coyote has expanded across North America and into its cities faster than any other large predator, thriving under intense hunting pressure. Learn how it adapts, hunts, and outlasts persecution. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus The echidna is a spine-covered, egg-laying mammal that has no teeth, senses prey by electric field, and can lower its body temperature almost to freezing. Learn how this ancient oddity survives. Read the guide →
Fish LC Electric Eel Electrophorus electricus The electric eel is not an eel but a knifefish that generates up to 860 volts — the strongest electric discharge of any animal. Learn how it stuns prey, breathes air, and leaps to shock threats. Read the guide →
Invertebrates LC Emperor Scorpion Pandinus imperator The emperor scorpion is one of the largest scorpions on Earth, yet its sting is milder than a bee's — it kills with its massive pincers instead. Learn why it glows under UV and carries its young. Read the guide →
Amphibians LC Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra The fire salamander wears black-and-yellow warning colours, squirts a nerve toxin from glands behind its eyes, and in some populations gives birth to live young. Learn about this striking amphibian. Read the guide →
Birds LC Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua The gentoo penguin is the fastest bird in the water, hitting 36 km/h underwater, and it courts its mate with a gift of pebbles. Learn how gentoos live at the edge of Antarctica. Read the guide →
Birds LC Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos The golden eagle is one of the largest and most widespread birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere, a mountain hunter that stoops on prey at highway speeds. Learn how it lives and hunts. Read the guide →
Amphibians EN Goliath Frog Conraua goliath The goliath frog is the largest frog on Earth, big enough to move rocks its own body weight to build egg nurseries. Learn how it lives in West African waterfalls and why it is Endangered. Read the guide →
Fish CR Great Hammerhead Shark Sphyrna mokarran The great hammerhead is the largest hammerhead shark, using its wing-shaped head to detect and pin stingrays on the seabed. Once common, it is now Critically Endangered from the fin trade. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Honey Badger Mellivora capensis The honey badger has loose armour-like skin, partial resistance to snake venom, and a documented talent for escaping any enclosure. Learn why it takes on cobras, lions, and beehives. Read the guide →
Invertebrates NE Honeybee Apis mellifera The honeybee runs a colony of tens of thousands, navigates by the sun, and tells hivemates where to find flowers with a dance. Learn how the hive works and what's behind the decline in bee health. Read the guide →
Birds LC King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus The king penguin is the second-largest penguin, with the longest breeding cycle of any bird — over a year per chick. Learn how its brown, woolly-looking chicks survive a sub-Antarctic winter. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Koala Phascolarctos cinereus The koala is a marsupial — not a bear — that eats only toxic eucalyptus leaves and sleeps up to 22 hours a day. Learn how it survives that diet and why it's now Endangered in eastern Australia. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Leopard Seal Hydrurga leptonyx The leopard seal is Antarctica's top seal predator — a huge, reptilian-headed hunter that kills penguins and other seals but also filters krill through its teeth. Learn how this loner lives. Read the guide →
Fish EN Manta Ray Mobula birostris The manta ray is the largest ray in the sea — a 7-metre, plankton-eating fish with the biggest brain of any fish and a curiosity about divers. Learn how it feeds, breeds, and why it is Endangered. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Meerkat Suricata suricatta The meerkat lives in tight cooperative gangs where members take turns standing guard, babysitting, and teaching pups to handle scorpions. Learn how a meerkat mob works and survives the Kalahari. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Moose Alces alces The moose is the largest deer on Earth, tall enough to wade chest-deep and dive for water plants. Learn about its two-metre antlers and why warming winters are killing it with ticks. Read the guide →
Mammals LC North American Beaver Castor canadensis The North American beaver is the continent's largest rodent and its most powerful ecosystem engineer, felling trees and damming streams to build the ponds it lives in. Learn how it works. Read the guide →
Birds LC Ostrich Struthio camelus The ostrich is the largest and heaviest bird alive, the fastest thing on two legs, and the layer of the biggest egg of any living animal. Learn how a bird this size survives on the African plains. Read the guide →
Birds LC Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on the planet, hitting nearly 390 km/h in a hunting dive. Learn how its body survives that speed and how it came back from near-extinction. Read the guide →
Mammals NT Plains Zebra Equus quagga The plains zebra is the most common wild horse, famous for stripes no two animals share. Learn what the stripes are actually for, why zebras were never tamed, and how their herds work. Read the guide →
Mammals NT Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus The platypus is a venomous, egg-laying mammal that hunts with its eyes shut, sensing prey by electric field. Learn how this Australian oddity works and why it is now Near Threatened. Read the guide →
Invertebrates NE Praying Mantis Mantis religiosa The praying mantis is an ambush hunter that strikes in under 70 milliseconds, turns its head 180 degrees, and hears bats with a single ear. Learn how it hunts and the truth about sexual cannibalism. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Pronghorn Antilocapra americana The pronghorn is the fastest land animal in the Americas and Earth's best distance runner — built to escape a predator that went extinct 12,000 years ago. Learn about its speed and odd horns. Read the guide →
Mammals EN Red Panda Ailurus fulgens The red panda is not a panda and not a raccoon — it is the sole survivor of its own family, a cat-sized bamboo eater with a false thumb. Learn how it lives in the Himalaya and why it is Endangered. Read the guide →
Mammals EN Sea Otter Enhydra lutris The sea otter has no blubber and survives the cold Pacific on the densest fur of any animal, using rocks to crack shellfish. Learn how it keeps kelp forests alive — and why it is Endangered. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus The sloth bear is a shaggy, termite-slurping bear of the Indian subcontinent that carries its cubs on its back — and is responsible for more human maulings than any other bear. Learn how and why. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Snow Leopard Panthera uncia The snow leopard is the elusive big cat of Asia's highest mountains, with a metre-long tail for balance and warmth. Learn how it survives thin cold air — and why it can't roar. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Sun Bear Helarctos malayanus The sun bear is the smallest bear on Earth, with a 25-centimetre tongue for raiding beehives and a chest patch shaped like a rising sun. Learn how this tree-climbing forest bear lives. Read the guide →
Mammals EN Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii The Tasmanian devil is the world's largest carnivorous marsupial — a bone-crushing scavenger fighting a contagious cancer that has killed most of the wild population. Learn how it's being saved. Read the guide →
Fish NT Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvier The tiger shark eats almost anything — turtles, seabirds, dolphins, other sharks, and the occasional car tyre. Learn how its serrated teeth and roaming lifestyle make it a key ocean predator. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Walrus Odobenus rosmarus The walrus uses its metre-long tusks to haul onto ice and its 700 whiskers to find clams on the dark seabed. Learn how this Arctic giant feeds, why it turns pink, and how ice loss threatens it. Read the guide →
Birds VU Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans The wandering albatross has the longest wingspan of any living bird and can glide for days without flapping, circling the globe on the wind. Learn how it flies so efficiently and why it is Vulnerable. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Wild Boar Sus scrofa The wild boar is the ancestor of the domestic pig, one of the most widespread mammals on Earth, and — as feral hogs — one of the most destructive invasive animals. Learn how it lives and spreads. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Wolverine Gulo gulo The wolverine is a 15-kilogram member of the weasel family that drives bears off carcasses and hunts prey in deep snow. Learn how it survives the far north and why warm winters threaten it. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Wombat Vombatus ursinus The wombat is a burrowing Australian marsupial with a backward-facing pouch, a bum made of armour, and — uniquely in the animal kingdom — cube-shaped droppings. Learn how and why. Read the guide →
Mammals EN African Elephant Loxodonta africana The African elephant is the largest land animal alive, with a 40,000-muscle trunk and a 22-month pregnancy. Learn how herds are led by matriarchs and why ivory poaching still threatens them. Read the guide →
Reptiles LC American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis The American alligator is a freshwater ambush predator and an ecosystem engineer whose "gator holes" keep wetlands alive. Learn how it survives freezing water and how it came back from the brink. Read the guide →
Amphibians CR Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum The axolotl is a salamander that never grows up — it keeps its gills and stays underwater for life, and it can regrow lost limbs. Learn why it's beloved in labs and nearly extinct in the wild. Read the guide →
Birds LC Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus The bald eagle is a fish-hunting sea eagle and a rare conservation success — back from near-extinction in the US. Learn about its huge nests, its eyesight, and why it isn't actually bald. Read the guide →
Mammals EN Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived — bigger than any dinosaur — yet it eats some of the ocean's smallest creatures. Learn how it feeds, communicates, and is recovering. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus The bottlenose dolphin hunts with sound, calls other dolphins by name, and uses tools. Learn how echolocation works, why pods cooperate, and what threatens this widespread ocean mammal. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Brown Bear Ursus arctos The brown bear is the most widespread bear on Earth, from Spain to Alaska, and includes the grizzly and the giant Kodiak. Learn how it hibernates, what it eats, and how a cub is born mid-sleep. Read the guide →
Mammals EN Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes The chimpanzee is one of our two closest living relatives, sharing about 98.8% of our DNA. Learn how chimp societies work, how they use tools and hunt, and why they're Endangered. Read the guide →
Invertebrates LC Common Octopus Octopus vulgaris The common octopus has three hearts, blue blood, and two-thirds of its neurons in its arms. Learn how it changes colour in a heartbeat, solves puzzles, and lives just one to two years. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis The giraffe is the tallest animal on Earth, with a heart built to pump blood two metres straight up. Learn how its neck, tongue, and blood pressure work — and why it faces a "silent extinction". Read the guide →
Invertebrates NE Goliath Birdeater Theraphosa blondi The goliath birdeater is the heaviest spider in the world, with 2-centimetre fangs and a coat of barbed defensive hairs. Learn what it actually eats, how it hisses, and why it rarely bites people. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Gray Wolf Canis lupus The gray wolf is a cooperative pack hunter and the wild ancestor of every domestic dog. Learn how packs work, why wolves howl, and how they reshape whole ecosystems. Read the guide →
Reptiles LC Green Anaconda Eunectes murinus The green anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world, a non-venomous constrictor that ambushes prey from the water. Learn how it kills, why females dwarf males, and how it gives birth. Read the guide →
Reptiles EN Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas The green sea turtle is the only sea turtle that grazes seagrass as an adult, migrates thousands of kilometres, and returns to its birth beach to nest. Learn how it lives and why it's Endangered. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius The hippopotamus spends its days in water and its nights grazing on land, sweats a red antibiotic sunscreen, and is one of Africa's most dangerous animals. Learn how this river giant lives. Read the guide →
Mammals NT Jaguar Panthera onca The jaguar is the biggest cat in the Americas and has the strongest bite of any big cat for its size — it kills by piercing the skull. Learn how it hunts in water and why it's Near Threatened. Read the guide →
Reptiles VU King Cobra Ophiophagus hannah The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake and the only one that builds a nest for its eggs. Learn how it hunts other snakes, why it rears up, and what its venom does. Read the guide →
Reptiles EN Komodo Dragon Varanus komodoensis The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard alive, a venomous ambush predator found on just a few Indonesian islands. Learn how it hunts prey many times its size and why it's now Endangered. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Leopard Panthera pardus The leopard is the most adaptable big cat — a solitary, night-hunting climber that hauls its kills into trees. Learn how it survives almost anywhere and why it's still Vulnerable. Read the guide →
Invertebrates VU Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus The monarch butterfly makes a 4,000 km migration that takes several generations, guided by a sun compass. Learn how milkweed makes it toxic and why monarch numbers have crashed. Read the guide →
Mammals DD Orca Orcinus orca The orca is the ocean's top predator — a giant dolphin that hunts in coordinated family pods and even kills great white sharks. Learn how orca culture works and why some populations are collapsing. Read the guide →
Amphibians EN Poison Dart Frog Phyllobates terribilis Poison dart frogs wear bright warning colours and carry some of nature's most potent toxins — borrowed from their diet. Learn how the poison works and why captive frogs are harmless. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Polar Bear Ursus maritimus The polar bear is the largest land carnivore and a marine mammal that hunts seals from sea ice. Learn how it stays warm, why it needs the ice, and how warming threatens it. Read the guide →
Amphibians LC Red-Eyed Tree Frog Agalychnis callidryas The red-eyed tree frog isn't poisonous — it survives by hiding green all day and flashing shock colours to escape. Learn its startle trick and the eggs that hatch early to dodge snakes. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Red Fox Vulpes vulpes The red fox is the most widespread wild carnivore on Earth, at home in forests, deserts, and city centres alike. Learn how it hunts by the Earth's magnetic field and why it thrives around people. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Red Kangaroo Osphranter rufus The red kangaroo is the largest marsupial alive, built to bounce across Australia's dry interior. Learn how hopping saves energy, how the pouch works, and why females can pause a pregnancy. Read the guide →
Reptiles LC Reticulated Python Malayopython reticulatus The reticulated python is the longest snake in the world, a non-venomous constrictor that swims between islands and lives alongside people across Southeast Asia. Learn how it hunts and breeds. Read the guide →
Reptiles LC Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus porosus The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile and has the strongest bite ever measured. Learn how it ambushes prey, crosses open ocean, and how it recovered from near-extinction. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Sloth Bradypus variegatus The sloth is the slowest mammal on Earth, moving and digesting so slowly that algae grows in its fur. Learn why it only comes down from the canopy once a week — and why that trip is so dangerous. Read the guide →
Birds VU Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus The snowy owl is a heavy, day-hunting owl of the Arctic tundra that lives and breeds on lemmings. Learn how it survives the cold, why some years it flies far south, and why numbers are falling. Read the guide →
Mammals EN Tiger Panthera tigris The tiger is the largest cat on Earth and a solitary ambush hunter. Learn how it stalks prey, why every tiger's stripes are unique, and why fewer than 5,600 remain wild. Read the guide →
Mammals CR Western Gorilla Gorilla gorilla The western gorilla is the largest primate and shares about 98% of its DNA with humans. Learn how silverback-led troops live, what gorillas eat, and why the species is Critically Endangered. Read the guide →
Fish EN Whale Shark Rhincodon typus The whale shark is the largest fish in the sea — a 12-metre, spotted filter feeder that strains plankton and is completely harmless to people. Learn how it feeds, breeds, and why it's Endangered. Read the guide →
Mammals NT White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum The white rhino is the second-largest land animal and a conservation rollercoaster — saved from under 100 animals a century ago, then hammered by a poaching crisis for its horn. Read the guide →
Birds NT Emperor Penguin Aptenodytes forsteri The emperor penguin breeds through the Antarctic winter, the harshest conditions any bird faces. Learn how males incubate eggs at −40 °C and why sea ice loss threatens the species. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus The cheetah is the fastest land animal, built entirely for the sprint. Learn how it hits 100 km/h, why the chase costs so much, and why only about 6,500 remain in the wild. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Giant Panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca The giant panda is a bear that eats almost nothing but bamboo. Learn how it survives on a low-energy diet, why cubs are so tiny, and how it went from Endangered to Vulnerable. Read the guide →
Fish VU Great White Shark Carcharodon carcharias The great white is the largest predatory fish alive. Learn how it senses prey, why it breaches, how slowly it reproduces, and what its Vulnerable status really means. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Lion Panthera leo The lion is the only big cat that lives in social groups. Learn how prides hunt, how cubs are raised, and why lion numbers have fallen by roughly half since 1990. Read the guide →