Animals of the World (A to Z)

Browse through our verified wildlife database. Use the letter pills below or search to find any creature.

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ReptiliaVU

Indian Star Tortoise

Geochelone elegans

Diet: Mostly herbivorous
Wild lifespan: Long-lived, but dependable wild lifespan estimates are limited

ReptiliaLC

Indigo Snake

Drymarchon couperi

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: About 8–12 years reported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

ReptiliaLC

Inland Taipan

Oxyuranus microlepidotus

Diet: Specialized mammal predator
Wild lifespan: Wild longevity is uncertain; captive taipans may live well over a decade

ReptiliaLC

Inland Taipan

Oxyuranus microlepidotus

Diet: Carnivore; specialist predator of small mammals
Wild lifespan: Not well established in the wild; captive individuals may live for more than a decade

MalacostracaAnimal group

Isopod

Isopoda

Diet: Detritivores, scavengers, grazers, predators or parasites depending on lineage
Wild lifespan: Depends on the individual species and environment

AvesAnimal group

Jacana

Jacanidae

Diet: Mostly aquatic invertebrates plus seeds and plant material
Wild lifespan: Species-specific; no reliable family-wide figure

ReptiliaLC

Jackson's Chameleon

Trioceros jacksonii

Diet: Primarily insectivore
Wild lifespan: About 5–10 years, varying by sex and conditions

MammaliaNT

Jaguar

Panthera onca

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Often 10–15 years in the wild

ReptiliaVU

Jamaican Boa

Chilabothrus subflavus

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Not reliably quantified in the wild

InsectaNE

Japanese Beetle

Popillia japonica

Diet: Herbivore
Wild lifespan: Usually one generation per year; adults live several weeks

ReptiliaLC

Japanese Rat Snake

Elaphe climacophora

Diet: Carnivorous constrictor of small vertebrates
Wild lifespan: Often 10–15 years in the wild; managed individuals may exceed 20 years

ReptiliaLC

Jaragua Dwarf Gecko

Sphaerodactylus ariasae

Diet: Tiny invertebrate predator
Wild lifespan: No dependable wild lifespan estimate is available

ReptiliaLC

Javan Flying Dragon

Draco volans

Diet: Insectivore; mainly small ants and termites
Wild lifespan: Not reliably established

Multiple medusozoan classesAnimal group

Jellyfish

Medusozoa

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: From weeks to several years, depending on species and life stage

ArachnidaNE

Joro Spider

Trichonephila clavata

Diet: Insectivore
Wild lifespan: One annual generation; adults die after the autumn breeding season in the documented U.S. range

AvesCR

Kakapo

Strigops habroptilus

Diet: Strict herbivore
Wild lifespan: Estimated around 60–90 years

AvesLC

Keel-billed Toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

Diet: Omnivore, mainly fruit
Wild lifespan: Often 15–20 years

ReptiliaAnimal group

Keelback

Rhabdophis

Diet: Carnivore, often specializing on amphibians
Wild lifespan: Not reliably quantified across the genus

ReptiliaLC

Kenyan Sand Boa

Eryx colubrinus

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Not reliably quantified in the wild

MammaliaDD

Killer Whale

Orcinus orca

Diet: Carnivore
Wild lifespan: Females may live 50–80 years or more; males often 30–60 years

ReptiliaVU

King Cobra

Ophiophagus hannah

Diet: Carnivore specialized on snakes
Wild lifespan: Possibly 15–20 years in the wild

AvesAnimal group

Kiwi Bird

Apteryx

Diet: Omnivore; mainly soil and litter invertebrates plus fruit and seeds
Wild lifespan: Often 25–50 years; varies by species and conditions

MammaliaVU

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

Diet: Herbivore
Wild lifespan: Often 10–15 years in the wild; some females may live longer

ReptiliaEN

Komodo Dragon

Varanus komodoensis

Diet: Carnivore and scavenger
Wild lifespan: Often estimated at 20–30 years

InsectaAnimal group

Ladybug

Coccinellidae

Diet: Mostly predatory as a family, with fungal-feeding and plant-feeding exceptions
Wild lifespan: From months to more than a year depending on species and climate

ReptiliaVU

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Dermochelys coriacea

Diet: Carnivore specialized on gelatinous prey
Wild lifespan: Uncertain; likely several decades

ReptiliaLC

Leopard Gecko

Eublepharis macularius

Diet: Insectivore
Wild lifespan: Often 10–20 years in managed care

MammaliaLC

Leopard Seal

Hydrurga leptonyx

Diet: Carnivore with both filter-feeding and active predation
Wild lifespan: At least 26 years in the wild

AvesLC

Little Penguin

Eudyptula minor

Diet: Carnivore; pursuit-diving seabird
Wild lifespan: Commonly six to seven years, although banded individuals can live much longer

MammaliaAnimal group

Lynx

Diet: Obligate carnivore
Wild lifespan: Species-specific; often roughly 7–15 years for surviving adults

MammaliaVU

Mandrill

Mandrillus sphinx

Diet: Omnivore with fruit as a major component
Wild lifespan: Wild longevity is poorly documented; managed individuals can live 30–40 years

MammaliaNT

Maned Wolf

Chrysocyon brachyurus

Diet: Omnivore
Wild lifespan: Wild lifespan uncertain; up to roughly 12–15 years in managed care

ReptiliaVU

Marine Iguana

Amblyrhynchus cristatus

Diet: Herbivore specialized on marine algae
Wild lifespan: Often estimated at five to twelve years, with some individuals living longer

MammaliaNT

Markhor

Capra falconeri

Diet: Herbivore and ruminant
Wild lifespan: Commonly about 11–13 years in the wild

ReptiliaLC

Mata Mata

Chelus fimbriata

Diet: Aquatic carnivore and suction-feeding specialist
Wild lifespan: Wild lifespan is poorly known; managed animals can live for decades, and older 15-year figures are minimum records rather than a firm maximum

MammaliaLC

Meerkat

Suricata suricatta

Diet: Omnivore dominated by animal prey
Wild lifespan: Often five to ten years in the wild; around ten years in managed care

ReptiliaEN

Mexican Alligator Lizard

Abronia graminea

Diet: Arboreal predator of invertebrates and small animals
Wild lifespan: Wild longevity is poorly known; managed individuals may live more than a decade

ReptiliaCR

Mojave Desert Tortoise

Gopherus agassizii

Diet: Herbivore; native grasses, wildflowers, leaves, cactus pads and fruit
Wild lifespan: Roughly 50–80 years, sometimes longer

InsectaVU

Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Diet: Herbivore as a larva; nectar feeder as an adult
Wild lifespan: Most breeding adults live two to five weeks; migratory overwintering adults may live six to nine months

MammaliaLC

Moose

Alces alces

Diet: Herbivore and browser
Wild lifespan: Commonly 10–15 years in the wild; some exceed 20

ActinopterygiiAnimal group

Moray Eel

Muraenidae

Diet: Carnivorous family including fish, crustacean and mollusk specialists
Wild lifespan: Species-specific and incompletely documented; some large morays live for decades

ReptiliaLC

Mossy Leaf-Tailed Gecko

Uroplatus sikorae

Diet: Nocturnal predator of small forest animals
Wild lifespan: Wild longevity is poorly measured; well-managed captive individuals may live for a decade or more