Global Animal Guide Wildlife Encyclopedia

Least Concern animals

130 species in the guide are widespread and abundant, with no immediate threat. Each profile leads with a direct answer to the most-searched questions.

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

Mammal

Gray Wolf

The ancestor of the domestic dog

Grizzly bear standing in a shallow river with pine forest behind

Mammal

Grizzly Bear

North America's iconic brown bear

Common octopus on a coral reef with curling arms and textured skin

Invertebrate

Octopus

The shape-shifting genius of the sea

Bottlenose dolphin leaping out of sparkling blue ocean water

Mammal

Bottlenose Dolphin

One of the ocean's most intelligent animals

Greater flamingo standing in shallow water at golden hour with reflection

Bird

Flamingo

The pink filter-feeder that stands on one leg

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

Orange and white clownfish nestled among sea anemone tentacles

Fish

Clownfish

The reef fish that lives among stinging tentacles

Bald eagle with a white head and yellow beak perched on a branch

Bird

Bald Eagle

The fish-hunting raptor and national bird of the United States

Bearded dragon basking on a warm desert rock with spiny beard

Reptile

Bearded Dragon

The friendly desert lizard and favorite pet reptile

Translucent moon jellyfish drifting in deep blue ocean water

Invertebrate

Jellyfish

The ancient, brainless drifter of the seas

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

Mammal

Red Fox

The most widespread wild carnivore on Earth

American alligator resting at the edge of a sunlit swamp with reeds

Reptile

American Alligator

The armored survivor of the southern swamps

Colorful chameleon gripping a thin branch with curled tail

Reptile

Chameleon

The color-changing lizard with 360-degree eyes

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

Mammal

Raccoon

The masked, clever-handed night raider

Male peacock displaying its full iridescent blue and green tail fan

Bird

Peacock

The dazzling showman of the bird world

Large saltwater crocodile resting at the edge of a tropical river with mouth open

Reptile

Saltwater Crocodile

The largest living reptile and most powerful bite on Earth

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

Mammal

Red Kangaroo

The largest marsupial and a powerful hopper

Tarantula on rocky desert ground with detailed hairy legs

Invertebrate

Tarantula

The large, hairy spider with a gentle reputation

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

Mammal

Meerkat

The cooperative sentinel of the Kalahari

Bright orange goldfish swimming in clear aquarium water

Fish

Goldfish

The world's most popular pet fish

Barn owl with a heart-shaped white face perched on a wooden post at dusk

Bird

Barn Owl

The ghostly, heart-faced night hunter

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

Mammal

White-tailed Deer

The Americas' most familiar deer

Adult ostrich standing on dry African grassland with long neck and large eyes

Bird

Ostrich

The largest and fastest bird on land

Bright blue and black poison dart frog sitting on a wet green leaf

Amphibian

Poison Dart Frog

Tiny, brilliantly colored, and among the most toxic animals alive

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

Red ladybug with black spots resting on a green leaf

Insect

Ladybug

The spotted beetle gardeners love

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

Ruby-throated hummingbird hovering beside a red flower with wings blurred in motion

Bird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

A tiny hovering bird with a blazing throat

Silver Atlantic salmon leaping up a rushing river

Fish

Atlantic Salmon

The fish that swims upriver to spawn

Close-up of a black ant standing on soil

Insect

Ant

The tireless team-working insect

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

Mammal

Camel

The desert traveler that thrives without water

Nile crocodile with armored skin basking with jaws open on a muddy riverbank

Reptile

Nile Crocodile

Africa's largest and most formidable predator of the rivers

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

Mammal

Cougar

The wide-ranging big cat with many names

Red-bellied piranha with a silvery body and reddish belly in murky river water

Fish

Red-bellied Piranha

The sharp-toothed fish of the Amazon

Green anaconda with dark blotches coiled at the edge of a murky Amazon swamp

Reptile

Green Anaconda

The heaviest snake in the world

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

Mammal

Moose

The largest member of the deer family

Orange, white, and black koi carp swimming near the surface of a garden pond

Fish

Koi

The ornamental carp of garden ponds

Boa constrictor with brown saddle markings coiled around a tree branch

Reptile

Boa Constrictor

The powerful constricting snake of the Americas

Atlantic bluefin tuna with a streamlined metallic blue body swimming in open ocean

Fish

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

The warm-blooded ocean speedster

Close-up of a mosquito with slender legs resting on skin

Insect

Mosquito

The tiny insect with an outsized impact

Fuzzy black and yellow bumblebee gathering pollen on a purple flower

Insect

Bumblebee

The fuzzy, hard-working pollinator of meadows and gardens

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

Swordfish with a long flat bill and tall dorsal fin swimming in deep blue water

Fish

Swordfish

The ocean hunter armed with a sword

Stingray gliding over a sandy seabed with its broad flat body and long tail

Fish

Stingray

The flat-bodied ray with a venomous tail

Long dark electric eel swimming through murky freshwater near submerged plants

Fish

Electric Eel

The fish that generates powerful electric shocks

Yellow and black common wasp resting on a wooden surface

Insect

Wasp

The yellow-and-black predator and scavenger of summer

Cuttlefish hovering above the seabed with a patterned mantle and wavy fins

Invertebrate

Cuttlefish

The color-changing master of camouflage

Glossy black widow spider hanging in its web showing the red hourglass marking

Invertebrate

Black Widow Spider

The glossy black spider with the red hourglass

Large green American bullfrog sitting at the edge of a pond among reeds

Amphibian

American Bullfrog

North America's largest and loudest frog

Toco toucan with a large orange bill and black body perched on a branch

Bird

Toco Toucan

The rainforest bird with the giant colorful bill

Bright royal blue tang fish with a yellow tail swimming over a coral reef

Fish

Blue Tang

The bright blue reef fish from Finding Nemo

Brightly colored male guppy with a flowing fan-shaped tail in a planted aquarium

Fish

Guppy

The colorful beginner's aquarium fish

Firefly glowing yellow-green on a leaf in the dark

Insect

Firefly

The glowing beetle of warm summer nights

Large Asian giant hornet with orange head and striped body on a wooden surface

Insect

Asian Giant Hornet

The world's largest hornet

Orange five-armed starfish resting on a rocky tidal seabed

Invertebrate

Starfish

The five-armed drifter that regrows its limbs

Blue crab with bright blue claws and a broad shell on a sandy estuary bottom

Invertebrate

Blue Crab

The swift swimming crab of Atlantic estuaries

Peacock mantis shrimp with vivid green, red, and blue body peering out of a reef burrow

Invertebrate

Peacock Mantis Shrimp

The reef brawler with the fastest punch in nature

Colorful coral colony with many tiny polyps on a sunlit tropical reef

Invertebrate

Coral

The tiny reef-building animals of tropical seas

Western diamondback rattlesnake coiled with raised rattle on dry desert ground

Reptile

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

The venomous pit viper with a warning rattle

Corn snake with orange and red blotched pattern coiled on a wooden surface

Reptile

Corn Snake

The gentle, colorful beginner's pet snake

Common snapping turtle with a rugged shell and hooked jaws standing on a muddy bank

Reptile

Snapping Turtle

The powerful-jawed freshwater turtle of North America

Green moray eel peering out from a crevice in a coral reef with mouth open

Fish

Moray Eel

The reef-dwelling eel with hidden jaws

Cicada with clear veined wings clinging to a tree trunk

Insect

Cicada

The loud summer singer with a long underground youth

Close-up of a fuzzy jumping spider with large round front eyes on a leaf

Invertebrate

Jumping Spider

The big-eyed spider that pounces on its prey

Frilled lizard standing with its large neck frill flared open and mouth gaping

Reptile

Frilled Lizard

The lizard that flares a dramatic neck frill

Asian water monitor with dark scaly skin and yellow markings walking near water

Reptile

Asian Water Monitor

One of the largest lizards in the world

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

Brown warty common toad with copper eyes sitting on damp soil among leaves

Amphibian

Common Toad

The warty garden toad of Europe

Green and yellow budgerigar parakeet with black barring perched on a branch

Bird

Budgerigar

The little Australian parakeet and world's most popular pet bird

Peregrine falcon perched on a cliff ledge with slate-grey back and barred chest

Bird

Peregrine Falcon

The fastest animal on the planet

Pufferfish inflated into a spiky round ball underwater

Fish

Pufferfish

The fish that inflates into a spiky ball

Green praying mantis perched on a stem with front legs raised

Insect

Praying Mantis

The patient ambush predator with folded arms

Pale termites clustered on dark decaying wood

Insect

Termite

The colony-building recycler of dead wood

Common housefly with red eyes and clear wings resting on a surface

Insect

Housefly

The familiar fly found wherever people live

Giant squid with long tentacles and huge eye in deep dark ocean water

Invertebrate

Giant Squid

The elusive deep-sea giant with enormous eyes

Chambered nautilus with a spiral striped shell and many small tentacles in dark water

Invertebrate

Chambered Nautilus

The living-fossil cephalopod in a spiral shell

Reddish-brown centipede with long antennae and many legs on damp leaf litter

Invertebrate

Centipede

The fast, venomous predator with many legs

Leopard gecko with yellow skin and dark spots standing on sandy desert ground

Reptile

Leopard Gecko

The spotted desert gecko and beginner-friendly pet

Garter snake with yellow stripes along a dark body resting in green grass

Reptile

Garter Snake

One of North America's most common and widespread snakes

Golden eagle perched on a rocky crag showing golden-brown nape feathers and powerful talons

Bird

Golden Eagle

One of the largest and fastest birds of prey

Black dung beetle rolling a ball of dung across the ground

Insect

Dung Beetle

The strong beetle that rolls balls of dung

Pale green luna moth with long curved tails on its hindwings resting on bark

Insect

Luna Moth

The large, pale-green silk moth with long tails

Dark blue-green American lobster with large front claws on a rocky seabed

Invertebrate

American Lobster

The long-lived clawed crustacean of cold seas

Dark cylindrical millipede curled on the forest floor with many short legs

Invertebrate

Millipede

The slow, many-legged recycler of the forest floor

Red-eyed tree frog with vivid red eyes and orange feet clinging to a green leaf

Amphibian

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

The bright-eyed icon of the rainforest canopy

Mottled gray tree frog with large toe pads clinging to a tree branch

Amphibian

Gray Tree Frog

The color-changing tree frog of eastern forests

Common kingfisher with bright blue back and orange chest perched over a river

Bird

Common Kingfisher

A jewel-colored diver of rivers and streams

Scarlet macaw with red, yellow, and blue plumage perched on a rainforest branch

Bird

Scarlet Macaw

The brilliant red parrot of the rainforest

Blue dragonfly with outstretched transparent wings resting on a reed

Insect

Dragonfly

The agile aerial hunter of ponds and streams

Close-up of a dark, flattened flea with long hind legs

Insect

Flea

The wingless parasite famous for jumping

Green iguana with spiny crest and dewlap perched on a tree branch in the rainforest

Reptile

Green Iguana

The large tree-dwelling lizard of the tropics

Smooth olive-gray African clawed frog floating in water with limbs splayed out

Amphibian

African Clawed Frog

The fully aquatic lab and pet frog

Small green and black fire-bellied toad showing its bright red and black underside

Amphibian

Oriental Fire-bellied Toad

The green toad with a warning-red belly

Plump bright red-orange tomato frog sitting on damp forest leaf litter

Amphibian

Tomato Frog

The plump, bright-red frog of Madagascar

Red-tailed hawk perched on a branch showing its rust-red tail and hooked beak against a blue sky

Bird

Red-tailed Hawk

North America's most familiar soaring hawk

Glossy black common raven perched on a weathered branch with a thick beak

Bird

Common Raven

One of the world's most intelligent birds

Dark deep-sea anglerfish with a glowing lure and large toothy mouth

Fish

Anglerfish

The deep-sea hunter with a glowing lure

Large glossy black emperor scorpion with raised tail and big pincers

Invertebrate

Emperor Scorpion

The large, glowing arachnid with a stinging tail

Black spotted salamander with two rows of bright yellow spots on the forest floor

Amphibian

Spotted Salamander

The yellow-spotted salamander of eastern forests

Grey cockatiel with yellow crest and orange cheek patches perched on a wooden perch

Bird

Cockatiel

The crested Australian parrot known for whistling

Male mallard duck with iridescent green head and yellow bill floating on calm water

Bird

Mallard

The familiar wild duck found around the world

Green grasshopper with long hind legs perched on a blade of grass

Insect

Grasshopper

The jumping insect of fields and meadows

Hermit crab peeking out of a spiral snail shell on wet sand

Invertebrate

Hermit Crab

The crustacean that wears borrowed shells

Great horned owl with prominent ear tufts and yellow eyes perched in a forest at dusk

Bird

Great Horned Owl

The powerful nocturnal hunter with feathered tufts

Blue jay with vivid blue crest and black necklace markings perched on an oak branch

Bird

Blue Jay

The bold, noisy blue songbird of North America

Large brown warty cane toad sitting on damp soil at night

Amphibian

Cane Toad

A large, toxic toad turned invasive pest

Smooth limbless caecilian resembling a large earthworm crawling across damp soil

Amphibian

Caecilian

The limbless, burrowing amphibians

Brilliant red male northern cardinal with black face mask perched on a snowy branch

Bird

Northern Cardinal

The bright red songbird of North American gardens

American robin with orange-red breast standing on green grass

Bird

American Robin

The orange-breasted herald of spring

Large black rhinoceros beetle with a curved horn on a log

Insect

Rhinoceros Beetle

One of the strongest animals for its size

Brown-shelled garden snail gliding across a green leaf

Invertebrate

Garden Snail

The slow, shell-carrying garden mollusk

Brown cockroach with long antennae on a flat surface

Insect

Cockroach

The hardy survivor that lives almost anywhere

Dark purple spiny sea urchin clinging to a rocky reef surface

Invertebrate

Sea Urchin

The spiny ball that grazes the seabed

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

Mammal

Impala

The acrobatic leaper of the African savanna

Glossy black fire salamander with bright yellow markings on a mossy forest floor

Amphibian

Fire Salamander

The black-and-yellow salamander of European forests

Brown cricket with long antennae and hind legs on the ground

Insect

Cricket

The chirping insect of warm evenings

Reddish-brown earthworm on dark moist soil

Invertebrate

Earthworm

The soil engineer that enriches the earth

Tiny translucent glass frog on a leaf with internal organs visible through its skin

Amphibian

Glass Frog

The frog with see-through skin

Stout dark tiger salamander with yellow blotches crawling across damp soil

Amphibian

Tiger Salamander

A stout, burrowing salamander of North America

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

Mammal

Ibex

The mountain climber with sweeping ridged horns

Brown wood frog with a dark eye mask sitting on damp leaf litter in a forest

Amphibian

Wood Frog

The frog that freezes solid to survive winter

Bright orange red eft, the juvenile stage of the eastern newt, on a mossy log

Amphibian

Eastern Newt

The newt with a bright orange land stage

Close-up of a yellowjacket wasp with bold yellow and black stripes on a leaf

Insect

Yellowjacket

The bold black-and-yellow social wasp

Small plump common quail with mottled brown plumage standing in grass

Bird

Quail

The small, secretive ground bird of fields and grassland

Sacred ibis with white body, black head, and long curved bill wading in shallow water

Bird

Ibis

The long-billed wading bird of marsh and river

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

Small translucent X-ray tetra with a visible silvery skeleton swimming in a planted aquarium

Fish

X-ray Tetra

The see-through fish of the Amazon

Frequently asked questions

What does "Least Concern" mean?

A species classified as Least Concern is widespread and abundant, with no immediate threat. It is one of the conservation categories used to communicate extinction risk.

Which animals are Least Concern?

The Global Animal Guide lists 130 species as Least Concern, including Gray Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Octopus, Bottlenose Dolphin, Flamingo. See the full list below.