Global Animal Guide Wildlife Encyclopedia

Mammals

The guide features 54 species in the mammal class. Each profile answers the most-searched questions first.

Adult male lion with a full mane resting on the African savanna at golden hour

Mammal

Lion

The social big cat of the African savanna

Golden retriever dog sitting on green grass in a sunny park

Mammal

Dog

Humanity's oldest animal companion

Bengal tiger walking through tall green grass, staring directly forward

Mammal

Tiger

The largest cat species on Earth

Domestic tabby cat with green eyes sitting beside a sunlit window

Mammal

Cat

The world's favorite small predator

African elephant with large tusks and ears walking across a dusty savanna

Mammal

African Elephant

The largest land animal alive today

Giant panda sitting and eating a stalk of bamboo in a green forest

Mammal

Giant Panda

The bamboo-eating bear of China's mountains

Giraffe standing among acacia trees on the African savanna at golden hour

Mammal

Giraffe

The tallest animal on Earth

Blue whale swimming near the ocean surface seen from above, dwarfing the surrounding water

Mammal

Blue Whale

The largest animal that has ever lived

Gray wolf standing alert in a snowy forest, looking into the distance

Mammal

Gray Wolf

The ancestor of the domestic dog

Leopard resting on a tree branch with rosette spots in dappled light

Mammal

Leopard

The stealthy, tree-climbing big cat

Polar bear walking across Arctic sea ice under a pale sky

Mammal

Polar Bear

The largest land carnivore, ruler of the Arctic

Adult silverback gorilla sitting in a green rainforest clearing in dappled sunlight

Critically Endangered

Mammal

Gorilla

The largest living primate

Grizzly bear standing in a shallow river with pine forest behind

Mammal

Grizzly Bear

North America's iconic brown bear

Red panda perched on a mossy branch in a misty Himalayan forest

Mammal

Red Panda

The fiery-furred resident of the Himalayas

Bottlenose dolphin leaping out of sparkling blue ocean water

Mammal

Bottlenose Dolphin

One of the ocean's most intelligent animals

White rhinoceros standing on an African plain at golden hour

Near Threatened

Mammal

Rhinoceros

The armored giant with a horn of keratin

Orca killer whale breaching out of the ocean with a burst of spray

Mammal

Orca

The ocean's top predator

Cheetah sprinting across golden grassland with legs extended mid-stride

Mammal

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth

Plains zebra standing in golden African grassland

Near Threatened

Mammal

Zebra

The striped wild horse of the African plains

Chimpanzee sitting in a lush rainforest with a thoughtful expression

Mammal

Chimpanzee

Our closest living relative

Chestnut brown horse standing in a green meadow at golden hour

Mammal

Horse

The animal that carried human history

Humpback whale breaching out of the open ocean with spray

Mammal

Humpback Whale

The acrobatic singer of the seas

Brown-throated three-toed sloth hanging from a mossy branch in the rainforest canopy

Mammal

Sloth

The slowest mammal on Earth

Koala with fluffy grey fur clinging to a eucalyptus tree trunk

Mammal

Koala

Australia's iconic eucalyptus-eating marsupial

Sea otter floating on its back on calm ocean water

Mammal

Sea Otter

The tool-using keystone of the kelp forest

Jaguar with a rosette-patterned coat walking along a rainforest riverbank

Near Threatened

Mammal

Jaguar

The Americas' largest and most powerful cat

Red fox with a bushy tail standing in a snowy field looking alert

Mammal

Red Fox

The most widespread wild carnivore on Earth

Snow leopard with thick pale spotted fur standing on a rocky Himalayan slope

Mammal

Snow Leopard

The elusive ghost of the mountains

Hippopotamus half-submerged in an African river with its mouth slightly open

Mammal

Hippopotamus

Africa's deadliest large land mammal

Raccoon with a black mask standing on a fallen log in a forest at dusk

Mammal

Raccoon

The masked, clever-handed night raider

Brown rabbit sitting upright in green grass with small wildflowers

Mammal

Rabbit

The fast-breeding pet and classic prey animal

Large red kangaroo standing upright in the Australian outback at golden hour

Mammal

Red Kangaroo

The largest marsupial and a powerful hopper

Meerkat standing upright on sandy ground in the Kalahari at golden hour

Mammal

Meerkat

The cooperative sentinel of the Kalahari

White-tailed deer buck with antlers in a misty forest clearing at dawn

Mammal

White-tailed Deer

The Americas' most familiar deer

European hedgehog walking through autumn leaves and grass at dusk

Near Threatened

Mammal

Hedgehog

The spiny night-time garden visitor

Eastern gray squirrel sitting upright holding a nut with its bushy tail curled behind

Mammal

Squirrel

The agile, tree-climbing rodent of parks and woods

Otter floating on its back in calm water with sleek wet fur and whiskers

Mammal

Otter

The playful, water-loving member of the weasel family

Bat with outstretched skin-membrane wings flying against a dark night sky

Mammal

Bat

The only mammals capable of true flight

Capybara with brown fur sitting at the edge of a river surrounded by greenery

Mammal

Capybara

The world's largest rodent

Dromedary camel with a single hump standing on golden desert sand dunes

Mammal

Camel

The desert traveler that thrives without water

American bison with a shaggy dark brown coat and curved horns standing on open prairie

Near Threatened

Mammal

American Bison

North America's largest land animal

Cougar with tan fur crouched on a rocky outcrop in a mountainous landscape

Mammal

Cougar

The wide-ranging big cat with many names

Quokka, a small round-faced marsupial, sitting on the ground appearing to smile

Mammal

Quokka

The smiling marsupial of Western Australia

Bull moose with large flat antlers standing in a shallow lake surrounded by forest

Mammal

Moose

The largest member of the deer family

Orangutan with shaggy reddish-orange hair hanging from a rainforest tree branch

Critically Endangered

Mammal

Orangutan

The great ape of the Southeast Asian rainforest

Spotted hyena with a sloping back and spotted coat standing alert on dry African grassland

Mammal

Spotted Hyena

The social, powerful hunter of the African savanna

Common vampire bat perched on a branch at night showing its small nose and teeth

Mammal

Vampire Bat

The only mammal that lives entirely on blood

Vaquita porpoise with dark eye and lip markings surfacing in blue-green sea

Critically Endangered

Mammal

Vaquita

The world's most endangered marine mammal

Shaggy yak with long dark hair and curved horns on a high Himalayan plateau

Mammal

Yak

The shaggy ox of the high Himalayas

Male impala with curved lyre-shaped horns standing alert on the African savanna

Mammal

Impala

The acrobatic leaper of the African savanna

Alpine ibex with long ridged curving horns standing on a rocky mountain ledge

Mammal

Ibex

The mountain climber with sweeping ridged horns

Bald uakari monkey with a bright red bald face and shaggy reddish fur in a rainforest tree

Mammal

Uakari

The crimson-faced monkey of the flooded Amazon

Urial wild sheep with curved horns and a dark neck ruff on dry rocky hills

Mammal

Urial

The wild sheep of the Central Asian hills

African ground squirrel (xerus) standing upright on dry ground with a bushy tail

Mammal

Xerus

The African ground squirrel that shades itself with its tail

Frequently asked questions

How many mammals are in the Global Animal Guide?

The Global Animal Guide currently features 54 mammals with full, answer-first profiles covering diet, habitat, size, and conservation status.

What are mammals?

Mammals are animals in the mammal class. Browse the full list below to explore each species in detail.