Mammal
Lion
The social big cat of the African savanna
Carnivores
218 species whose profiles list a carnivore diet — ranked by popularity, each with an answer-first guide.
Quick answer
Carnivores are animals whose diet is built mainly on other animals — from apex predators that hunt large prey to specialised fish-eaters and scavengers. Sharp teeth, claws, beaks, or venom help them catch and process meat. In food webs they sit near the top, shaping prey populations and ecosystem balance.
How we group by diet
Facets are built from structured Diet facts on each species page — not from a separate taxonomy dump. Open any card for habitat, range, and IUCN status in one place. Also browse by habitat or biome hubs.
Mammal
Tiger
The largest cat species on Earth
Mammal
Cat
The world's favorite small predator
Fish
Great White Shark
The ocean's most famous apex predator
Mammal
Arctic Fox
The white fox of the frozen tundra
Bird
Wandering Albatross
The widest wingspan on Earth
Mammal
Blue Whale
The largest animal that has ever lived
Reptile
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The giant jellyfish specialist
Mammal
Gray Wolf
The ancestor of the domestic dog
Mammal
Leopard
The stealthy, tree-climbing big cat
Mammal
Brown Bear
The widespread bear of the Northern Hemisphere
Mammal
Polar Bear
The largest land carnivore, ruler of the Arctic
Invertebrate
Octopus
The shape-shifting genius of the sea
Mammal
Leopard Seal
Antarctica's apex predator
Reptile
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
The tortoiseshell turtle
Mammal
Clouded Leopard
The tree-climbing cat of Asian rainforests
Mammal
Sperm Whale
The deep-diving giant with the largest brain
Mammal
Tasmanian Devil
Australia's feisty marsupial scavenger
Reptile
Alligator Snapping Turtle
The prehistoric lure-fishing giant of American rivers
Mammal
Philippine Tarsier
The wide-eyed nocturnal primate
Fish
Ocean Sunfish
The heaviest bony fish
Fish
Rainbow Trout
The colourful fly-fisher's favourite
Mammal
Bottlenose Dolphin
One of the ocean's most intelligent animals
Bird
California Condor
North America's largest flying land bird
Mammal
Orca
The ocean's top predator
Mammal
Northern Elephant Seal
The deep-diving seal giant
Mammal
Cheetah
The fastest land animal on Earth
Fish
Thresher Shark
The whip-tailed hunter
Mammal
Walrus
The tusked giant of the Arctic ice
Fish
Betta
Labyrinth fish famous for vivid fins
Fish
Coelacanth
Living-fossil lobe-finned fish
Mammal
Beluga Whale
The white whale of the Arctic
Reptile
Black Mamba
Africa's fast and feared elapid snake
Bird
Emperor Penguin
The largest penguin, built for the Antarctic winter
Mammal
African Wild Dog
Africa's cooperative pack hunter
Reptile
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
The powerful-jawed sea turtle
Mammal
Eurasian Lynx
The tufted forest hunter of Europe and Asia
Fish
Channel Catfish
North America's whiskered bottom feeder
Bird
Osprey
The fish-hunting raptor of coasts and lakes
Reptile
Inland Taipan
World's most venomous snake by lab toxicity
Mammal
Humpback Whale
The acrobatic singer of the seas
Mammal
Fin Whale
The sleek greyhound of the seas
Reptile
Copperhead
Common US pit viper with hourglass bands
Amphibian
Axolotl
The salamander that never grows up and can regrow body parts
Fish
Sand Tiger Shark
The toothy aquarium shark
Mammal
Bobcat
North America's adaptable wild cat
Mammal
Dingo
Australia's wild dog of the outback
Bird
Bald Eagle
The fish-hunting raptor and national bird of the United States
Bird
Secretary Bird
Long-legged raptor that stamps snakes
Reptile
Reticulated Python
World's longest snake
Mammal
Sea Otter
The tool-using keystone of the kelp forest
Mammal
Ferret
The playful domestic mustelid
Fish
Nurse Shark
The docile reef bottom-dweller
Invertebrate
Black Widow
Venomous cobweb spider with a red hourglass
Bird
Andean Condor
Giant New World vulture of the Andes
Fish
Leafy Seadragon
Seaweed-camouflaged relative of seahorses
Mammal
Jaguar
The Americas' largest and most powerful cat
Invertebrate
Jellyfish
The ancient, brainless drifter of the seas
Mammal
Ocelot
The spotted cat of the Americas
Fish
Great Barracuda
Torpedo-shaped reef ambush predator
Reptile
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Largest rattlesnake of North America
Amphibian
Chinese Giant Salamander
World's largest amphibian
Mammal
Snow Leopard
The elusive ghost of the mountains
Reptile
American Alligator
The armored survivor of the southern swamps
Mammal
Platypus
The egg-laying, duck-billed mammal of Australia
Mammal
Caracal
The tufted hunter of Africa and Asia
Mammal
Serval
Africa's long-legged pounce specialist
Fish
Largemouth Bass
America's favourite freshwater game fish
Bird
Shoebill
Giant swamp bird with a shoe-shaped bill
Reptile
Puff Adder
Heavy African viper linked to many snakebites
Bird
Common Loon
Iconic diving bird of northern lakes
Bird
Brown Pelican
The plunge-diving fisher
Bird
Common Kestrel
Hovering falcon of fields and roadsides
Mammal
Fossa
Cat-like apex predator of Madagascar
Fish
Largetooth Sawfish
Giant ray with a toothed rostral saw
Bird
Blue-footed Booby
Plunge-diving seabird with vivid blue feet
Reptile
Gaboon Viper
Heavy rainforest viper with huge fangs
Reptile
Saltwater Crocodile
The largest living reptile and most powerful bite on Earth
Reptile
Ball Python
The gentle constrictor that curls into a ball
Mammal
Sea Lion
The agile, barking acrobat of the coast
Mammal
Narwhal
The tusked unicorn of the sea
Reptile
Spectacled Caiman
The common crocodilian of the Americas
Mammal
Grey Seal
The horse-faced seal of the Atlantic
Fish
Atlantic Cod
The fish that built Atlantic nations
Reptile
Nile Monitor
Large African water monitor and egg predator
Reptile
Common Garter Snake
Familiar harmless snake of North American yards
Fish
Weedy Seadragon
Australia's colourful weedy seadragon
Invertebrate
Tarantula
The large, hairy spider with a gentle reputation
Reptile
Eastern Coral Snake
Brightly banded venomous elapid of the Southeast
Fish
Goblin Shark
Deep-sea shark with a protrusible jaw
Reptile
King Cobra
The world's longest venomous snake
Bird
White Stork
Europe's chimney-nesting messenger
Reptile
Painted Turtle
The pond slider of North America
Mammal
Minke Whale
The smallest and most abundant rorqual
Reptile
Sidewinder
Horned rattlesnake that sidewinds across dunes
Bird
Magnificent Frigatebird
Aerial pirate with a scarlet throat pouch
Fish
Oarfish
World's longest bony fish
Bird
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Europe's drumming carpenter
Mammal
Spotted-tailed Quoll
Largest mainland Australian marsupial carnivore
Reptile
Boomslang
Arboreal African snake with potent venom
Reptile
Komodo Dragon
The largest lizard on Earth
Bird
Barn Owl
The ghostly, heart-faced night hunter
Mammal
American Mink
The semi-aquatic mustelid
Bird
Grey Heron
The patient wetland hunter
Invertebrate
Brown Recluse Spider
The violin-marked spider of the American South
Bird
Northern Goshawk
Powerful forest hawk of the north
Fish
Seahorse
The tiny fish where fathers give birth
Mammal
Pine Marten
The agile forest mustelid
Mammal
Harbor Seal
The shy, spotted true seal of northern coasts
Fish
Whale Shark
The largest fish in the world
Mammal
Stoat
The ermine in winter white
Amphibian
Smooth Newt
Widespread European pond newt
Amphibian
Olm
Blind cave salamander of European karst
Mammal
Fisher
Arboreal mustelid that can prey on porcupines
Insect
Army Ant
Nomadic swarm-raiding ants of the Neotropics
Fish
Shortfin Mako Shark
The fastest shark in the ocean
Fish
Betta Fish
The colorful fighter of Southeast Asian waters
Insect
Ladybug
The spotted beetle gardeners love
Mammal
Otter
The playful, water-loving member of the weasel family
Amphibian
Mudpuppy
Fully aquatic salamander with external gills
Fish
Atlantic Salmon
The fish that swims upriver to spawn
Reptile
Nile Crocodile
Africa's largest and most formidable predator of the rivers
Mammal
Cougar
The wide-ranging big cat with many names
Fish
Hammerhead Shark
The shark with a head like a hammer
Insect
Orchid Mantis
The Southeast Asian insect that mimics a flower to lure and ambush prey
Invertebrate
Giant House Spider
Britain's large but harmless funnel-weaving house spider
Reptile
Green Anaconda
The heaviest snake in the world
Fish
Tiger Shark
The wide-ranging scavenger of warm seas
Fish
Blobfish
The deep-sea fish that only looks like a blob out of water
Reptile
Boa Constrictor
The powerful constricting snake of the Americas
Bird
Northern Harrier
Owl-faced hawk of North American marshes
Bird
Roseate Spoonbill
Pink wader with a sweeping spoon bill
Bird
American White Ibis
Red-billed white wader of the Southeast
Bird
Wood Stork
Tactile-fishing stork of southern swamps
Bird
Jabiru
Giant stork of Neotropical wetlands
Bird
Northern Gannet
Plunge-diving giant of Atlantic cliffs
Bird
Common Murre
Pear-egg diver of northern sea cliffs
Mammal
European Polecat
Wild ancestor of the domestic ferret
Mammal
Eastern Quoll
Spotted Tasmanian survivor lost from the mainland
Reptile
Coastal Taipan
Lightning-fast elapid of Australian cane fields
Reptile
Emerald Tree Boa
Emerald coil of the Amazon canopy
Reptile
Green Tree Python
Lime-green python of Papuan rainforests
Amphibian
Surinam Toad
Flat frog that grows babies in its back
Fish
Lemon Shark
Yellow coastal shark of mangrove nurseries
Fish
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
Critically Endangered lord of the open ocean
Fish
Porbeagle
Warm-blooded hunter of cold Atlantic seas
Fish
Cookiecutter Shark
Bioluminescent plug-biter of the deep
Fish
Lanternfish
Bioluminescent commuter of the twilight zone
Fish
Viperfish
Fang-faced ambusher of the abyss
Fish
Gulper Eel
Pelican-jawed phantom of the abyss
Fish
Common Guitarfish
Critically Endangered shovel ray of sandy coasts
Fish
Common Torpedo
Mediterranean voltage trap of the sandy seabed
Invertebrate
Box Jellyfish
Cube-shaped killer of Australian shallows
Invertebrate
Moon Jellyfish
Glass-disc drifter of harbours worldwide
Invertebrate
Pistol Shrimp
Cavitation snapper of reef burrows
Invertebrate
Japanese Spider Crab
Record-span scavenger of Pacific depths
Invertebrate
Dumbo Octopus
Fin-flapping octopus of the abyssal plain
Invertebrate
Giant Pacific Octopus
Largest octopus of the North Pacific
Invertebrate
Water Bear
Near-indestructible moss dweller under the microscope
Invertebrate
Velvet Worm
Slime-shooting living fossil of leaf litter
Invertebrate
Sea Angel
Shell-less winged hunter of polar seas
Invertebrate
Crown-of-thorns Starfish
Spiny coral scourge of Indo-Pacific reefs
Bird
Snowy Owl
The white owl of the Arctic tundra
Fish
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
The warm-blooded ocean speedster
Fish
Bull Shark
The shark that swims into freshwater
Invertebrate
Sea Bunny
The tiny nudibranch that went viral for looking like a miniature rabbit
Mammal
Spotted Hyena
The social, powerful hunter of the African savanna
Fish
Swordfish
The ocean hunter armed with a sword
Fish
Stingray
The flat-bodied ray with a venomous tail
Fish
Electric Eel
The fish that generates powerful electric shocks
Invertebrate
Cuttlefish
The color-changing master of camouflage
Invertebrate
Black Widow Spider
The glossy black spider with the red hourglass
Amphibian
American Bullfrog
North America's largest and loudest frog
Fish
European Eel
The 100-year reproductive mystery that baffled scientists from Aristotle to the 21st century
Insect
Asian Giant Hornet
The world's largest hornet
Invertebrate
Starfish
The five-armed drifter that regrows its limbs
Invertebrate
Blue Crab
The swift swimming crab of Atlantic estuaries
Invertebrate
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
The reef brawler with the fastest punch in nature
Reptile
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
The venomous pit viper with a warning rattle
Reptile
Corn Snake
The gentle, colorful beginner's pet snake
Fish
Moray Eel
The reef-dwelling eel with hidden jaws
Invertebrate
Jumping Spider
The big-eyed spider that pounces on its prey
Reptile
Frilled Lizard
The lizard that flares a dramatic neck frill
Reptile
Asian Water Monitor
One of the largest lizards in the world
Amphibian
Common Toad
The warty garden toad of Europe
Bird
Atlantic Puffin
The colorful 'sea parrot' of the North Atlantic
Bird
Peregrine Falcon
The fastest animal on the planet
Fish
Pufferfish
The fish that inflates into a spiky ball
Insect
Praying Mantis
The patient ambush predator with folded arms
Invertebrate
Giant Squid
The elusive deep-sea giant with enormous eyes
Invertebrate
Chambered Nautilus
The living-fossil cephalopod in a spiral shell
Invertebrate
Centipede
The fast, venomous predator with many legs
Reptile
Gila Monster
One of the few venomous lizards
Reptile
Garter Snake
One of North America's most common and widespread snakes
Reptile
Adder
Britain's only venomous snake
Amphibian
Pacman Frog
The round, big-mouthed horned frog
Bird
Golden Eagle
One of the largest and fastest birds of prey
Invertebrate
American Lobster
The long-lived clawed crustacean of cold seas
Reptile
Gharial
The fish-eating crocodilian with a long, narrow snout
Mammal
Weasel
Britain's smallest carnivore, built for chasing prey into burrows
Bird
Common Kingfisher
A jewel-colored diver of rivers and streams
Insect
Dragonfly
The agile aerial hunter of ponds and streams
Amphibian
African Clawed Frog
The fully aquatic lab and pet frog
Amphibian
Oriental Fire-bellied Toad
The green toad with a warning-red belly
Amphibian
Tomato Frog
The plump, bright-red frog of Madagascar
Bird
Red-tailed Hawk
North America's most familiar soaring hawk
Fish
Anglerfish
The deep-sea hunter with a glowing lure
Invertebrate
Emperor Scorpion
The large, glowing arachnid with a stinging tail
Mammal
Vaquita
The world's most endangered marine mammal
Amphibian
Spotted Salamander
The yellow-spotted salamander of eastern forests
Bird
Great Horned Owl
The powerful nocturnal hunter with feathered tufts
Amphibian
Caecilian
The limbless, burrowing amphibians
Amphibian
Goliath Frog
The largest frog on Earth
Amphibian
Fire Salamander
The black-and-yellow salamander of European forests
Amphibian
Tiger Salamander
A stout, burrowing salamander of North America
Amphibian
Eastern Newt
The newt with a bright orange land stage
Amphibian
Hellbender
North America's giant, fully aquatic salamander
Bird
Ibis
The long-billed wading bird of marsh and river
Frequently asked questions
What are carnivores?
Carnivores are animals whose diet is built mainly on other animals — from apex predators that hunt large prey to specialised fish-eaters and scavengers. Sharp teeth, claws, beaks, or venom help them catch and process meat. In food webs they sit near the top, shaping prey populations and ecosystem balance.
How many carnivores are in the Global Animal Guide?
The guide currently features 218 carnivores with answer-first profiles covering diet, habitat, size, and conservation status.
How do you decide an animal's diet category?
Diet facets are derived from each species' Diet fact on its profile (for example Carnivore, Herbivore, or more detailed notes). An animal can appear in more than one facet when its diet spans categories, such as omnivores that also eat insects.