Explore Wildlife

Trees

Red Maple

Acer rubrum

One of the most common trees in eastern North America; brilliant red foliage in fall.

Least Concern

Crawling Insects

House Cricket

Acheta domesticus

Commonly kept as pet food; chirps continuously; has a worldwide distribution.

Least Concern

Carnivores

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

The fastest land animal, reaching 70 mph in short bursts; they are the only big cats that cannot ret...

Status Unknown

Flying Insects

Luna Moth

Actias luna

Adults have no mouths and live only one week; their long hindwing tails spin in flight, confusing ba...

Status Unknown

Trees

Baobab

Adansonia digitata

Known as the 'Tree of Life,' it can store up to 32,000 gallons of water in its trunk. Some specimens...

Status Unknown

Amphibians

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Agalychnis callidryas

Their red eyes are a defense mechanism-when startled, they flash open, startling predators and givin...

Status Unknown

Arachnids

Grass Spider

Agelenopsis

Builds funnel-shaped webs; common in lawns; fast runners; not dangerous to humans.

Least Concern

Venomous Reptiles

Cottonmouth

Agkistrodon piscivorus

A semi-aquatic pit viper; often opens its white mouth to warn; found in southeastern US.

Least Concern

Flying Insects

Small Tortoiseshell

Aglais urticae

Striking orange and black pattern; common in European gardens; larvae feed on nettles.

Least Concern

Mammals

Giant Panda

Ailuropoda melanoleuca

Pandas spend 10-16 hours a day eating bamboo; they have a pseudo-thumb (an extended wrist bone) for ...

Status Unknown

Songbirds

Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Famous for its continuous song sung during aerial display; nests on the ground.

Least Concern

Reptiles

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

Alligators have been around for 150 million years; they can regrow lost teeth up to 50 times through...

Status Unknown

Medicinal Plants

Garlic

Allium sativum

Contains allicin; used for cardiovascular health and as an antimicrobial; cultivated for millennia.

Least Concern

Madagascar Species

Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur

Allocebus trichotis

Very rare; has hairy ears; found in eastern Madagascar.

Data Deficient

Cephalopods

Narrow-shelled Nautilus

Allonautilus scrobiculatus

Rare nautilus with a distinctive, bumpy shell; lives in deep waters off the South Pacific.

Near Threatened

Medicinal Plants

Aloe Vera

Aloe barbadensis miller

Used medicinally for 6,000 years; Cleopatra used it in her beauty regimen. The gel contains 75 activ...

Status Unknown

Sharks

Thresher Shark

Alopias vulpinus

Uses its long, whip-like tail (as long as its body) to stun schools of fish by slapping the water be...

Status Unknown

Medicinal Plants

Marshmallow

Althaea officinalis

Root mucilage soothes sore throats; the plant gave its name to the confectionery.

Least Concern

Tropical Fish

Convict Cichlid

Amatitlania nigrofasciata

Easy to breed; striped black-and-white pattern; very aggressive parents.

Least Concern

Amphibians

Spotted Salamander

Ambystoma maculatum

Relies on vernal pools; has symbiotic algae inside its eggs that provide oxygen; mass migrations on ...

Least Concern

Amphibians

Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum

Axolotls remain in their larval form their entire lives, retaining gills; they can regenerate entire...

Status Unknown

Grasses

Marram Grass

Ammophila arenaria

Vital for dune stabilization-its roots can extend 20 feet deep. It was intentionally planted on coas...

Status Unknown

Flowers

Corpse Flower

Amorphophallus titanum

Produces the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world (up to 10 ft). It smells like rotting fle...

Status Unknown

Sea Creatures

Clownfish

Amphiprioninae

All clownfish are born male; the dominant one in a group becomes female. They live symbiotically in ...

Status Unknown

Water Birds

Duck

Anas platyrhynchos

Duck feathers are completely waterproof due to an oil gland near their tail; they have webbed feet w...

Status Unknown

Tropical Fish

Green Terror

Andinoacara rivulatus

A beautiful, aggressive cichlid from South America; its iridescent green scales are stunning.

Least Concern

Amphibians

Giant Salamander

Andrias davidianus

The world's largest amphibian, reaching 6 feet; they have poor eyesight and hunt primarily by sensin...

Status Unknown

Grasses

Big Bluestem

Andropogon gerardi

One of the dominant grasses of the North American tallgrass prairie; also called \

Least Concern

Insects

Dragonfly

Anisoptera

Dragonflies have a 95% hunting success rate, the highest of any predator; they can fly in all six di...

Status Unknown

Water Birds

Goose

Anser

Geese mate for life and mourn their partners; they fly in V-formations to reduce wind resistance by ...

Status Unknown

Flying Insects

Polyphemus Moth

Antheraea polyphemus

Large silk moth with eyespots on hindwings; adults have no functional mouthparts.

Least Concern

Tropical Birds

Oriental Pied Hornbill

Anthracoceros albirostris

A widely distributed hornbill in Asia; males have a larger casque than females.

Least Concern

Tropical Birds

Blue Crane

Anthropoides paradiseus

The national bird of South Africa; a tall, pale-grey crane with a long neck.

Vulnerable

Reptiles

Softshell Turtle

Apalone spinifera

Leathery, pancake-like shell; can breathe underwater through skin and pharynx; fast swimmer.

Least Concern

Insects

Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

A hive contains up to 60,000 bees; they communicate flower locations via a 'waggle dance' encoding d...

Status Unknown

Water Birds

Emperor Penguin

Aptenodytes forsteris

The deepest-diving bird, reaching 1,850 feet; males incubate eggs on their feet for 64 days in -60°F...

Status Unknown

Birds

Kiwi

Apteryx

Wingless, nocturnal birds with nostrils at the tip of their beak; their eggs are the largest relativ...

Status Unknown

Birds of Prey

Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos

They can spot prey from 2 miles away and dive at 150 mph; pairs mate for life and perform dramatic a...

Status Unknown

Tropical Birds

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

They can live 75+ years and mate for life; their strong beaks can crack hard nuts, and they have zyg...

Status Unknown

Arachnids

Barn Spider

Araneus cavaticus

Orb-weaver that builds large vertical webs; often found near buildings; bites are harmless.

Least Concern

Fish

Arapaima

Arapaima gigas

One of the world's largest freshwater fish (up to 10 feet). It surfaces every 10-20 minutes to breat...

Status Unknown

Trees

Monkey Puzzle Tree

Araucaria araucana

Dinosaurs once grazed beneath these trees. Their sharp, triangular leaves overlap like scales, and e...

Status Unknown

Mammals

Binturong

Arctictis binturong

Smells like buttered popcorn; has a fully prehensile tail; lives in Southeast Asian forests.

Vulnerable

Water Birds

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

They can strike prey with lightning speed, using their dagger-like bill as a spear; they often swall...

Status Unknown

Insects

North American Wheel Bug

Arilus cristatus

A type of assassin bug; has a cog-wheel-shaped crest; delivers a painful bite; beneficial predator.

Least Concern

Flowers

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Arisaema triphyllum

A unique hooded flower (spathe) with a spadix inside; berries are bright red.

Least Concern

Crawling Insects

Pill Woodlouse

Armadillidium vulgare

Rolls into a tight ball when disturbed (like an armadillo); found in gardens worldwide.

Least Concern

Insects

Venezuelan Poodle Moth

Artace sp.

Discovered in 2009, this fluffy white moth looks like a cross between a poodle and an angora sweater...

Status Unknown

Trees

Jackfruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus

Produces the largest tree-borne fruit (up to 100 lbs); native to South Asia.

Least Concern

Venom in Medicine

Starfish

Asterias rubens

Steroidal glycosides studied for anti-cancer activity.

Least Concern