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Monday, 5 October 2026

Global Animal Guide

Animals A–Z index Conservation Wildlife help

Animals of Europe

Europe's woodlands, mountains, and coastlines are home to adaptable survivors like the red fox and gray wolf, alongside the honey bees that pollinate its farmland and wild landscapes.

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144 animal profiles from Europe

Golden retriever dog sitting on green grass in a sunny park

Mammal

Dog

Humanity's oldest animal companion

Free-range chicken foraging in farmyard

Bird

Chicken

The world's most common bird

Arctic fox in thick white winter coat sitting on snow-covered tundra

Mammal

Arctic Fox

The white fox of the frozen tundra

Leatherback sea turtle with ridged leathery shell

Reptile

Leatherback Sea Turtle

The giant jellyfish specialist

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

Mammal

Gray Wolf

The ancestor of the domestic dog

Brown bear standing in a mountain meadow with forest behind

Mammal

Brown Bear

The widespread bear of the Northern Hemisphere

Domestic cow grazing in a green pasture at sunrise

Mammal

Cow

The domestic cattle that feeds the world

Polar bear walking across Arctic sea ice under a pale sky

Mammal

Polar Bear

The largest land carnivore, ruler of the Arctic

Sperm whale with wrinkled head breaching in open ocean

Mammal

Sperm Whale

The deep-diving giant with the largest brain

Ocean sunfish basking at sea surface

Fish

Ocean Sunfish

The heaviest bony fish

Rainbow trout with pink stripe in clear mountain stream

Fish

Rainbow Trout

The colourful fly-fisher's favourite

Reindeer herd migrating across snowy Arctic tundra

Mammal

Reindeer

The Arctic migrator and both-sex antlered deer

Thresher shark with extremely long tail fin

Fish

Thresher Shark

The whip-tailed hunter

Walrus with long tusks resting on Arctic sea ice

Mammal

Walrus

The tusked giant of the Arctic ice

White beluga whale swimming in Arctic water

Near Threatened

Mammal

Beluga Whale

The white whale of the Arctic

Red deer stag with branched antlers in misty woodland

Mammal

Red Deer

The roaring stag of Eurasian woodlands

Chestnut brown horse standing in a green meadow at golden hour

Mammal

Horse

The animal that carried human history

Greater flamingo standing in shallow water at golden hour with reflection

Bird

Flamingo

The pink filter-feeder that stands on one leg

Loggerhead sea turtle swimming in ocean

Reptile

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

The powerful-jawed sea turtle

Eurasian lynx with tufted ears in snowy forest

Mammal

Eurasian Lynx

The tufted forest hunter of Europe and Asia

Wild boar with bristly coat and tusks in European woodland

Mammal

Wild Boar

The ancestor of the domestic pig

Osprey diving talons-first toward water with white head and dark eye stripe visible

Bird

Osprey

The fish-hunting raptor of coasts and lakes

Fin whale surfacing with asymmetric jaw in cold ocean waters

Mammal

Fin Whale

The sleek greyhound of the seas

Basking shark with cavernous open mouth filtering near the surface of a green coastal sea

Fish

Basking Shark

Second-largest fish; gentle plankton feeder

Domestic pig rooting in pasture

Mammal

Domestic Pig

The intelligent farm mammal

Sand tiger shark showing protruding teeth

Fish

Sand Tiger Shark

The toothy aquarium shark

Rooster with red comb crowing at sunrise in a farmyard

Bird

Rooster

The crowing guardian of the barnyard flock

Wolverine with thick brown fur crossing snow in boreal forest

Mammal

Wolverine

The fierce scavenger of the boreal north

Domestic ferret with playful expression

Mammal

Ferret

The playful domestic mustelid

Goat standing on rocky outcrop

Mammal

Domestic Goat

The agile browser

Saiga antelope ram with translucent horns and swollen snout on Central Asian steppe

Critically Endangered

Mammal

Saiga Antelope

Bulbous-nosed steppe antelope of Central Asia

Male ring-necked pheasant with long tail in autumn field

Bird

Common Pheasant

The ring-necked game bird of field and forest

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

Mammal

Red Fox

The most widespread wild carnivore on Earth

Colorful chameleon gripping a thin branch with curled tail

Reptile

Chameleon

The color-changing lizard with 360-degree eyes

Water buffalo wallowing in muddy pool

Mammal

Water Buffalo

The wallowing bovine of Asia

Sheep flock grazing on hillside pasture

Mammal

Domestic Sheep

Humanity's oldest livestock

Largemouth bass with open mouth near lily pads

Fish

Largemouth Bass

America's favourite freshwater game fish

Breeding common loon with black head and white-checkered back floating on a still boreal lake

Bird

Common Loon

Iconic diving bird of northern lakes

Brown lemming on Arctic tundra

Mammal

Brown Lemming

The tundra rodent of myth

Yellow canary perched on a cage bar singing

Bird

Canary

The singing island finch of parlours worldwide

Common kestrel hovering with fanned tail and pointed wings against a pale sky

Bird

Common Kestrel

Hovering falcon of fields and roadsides

Brown rabbit sitting upright in green grass with small wildflowers

Mammal

Rabbit

The fast-breeding pet and classic prey animal

Narwhal surfacing in cold Arctic water near pack ice, showing its mottled body and long spiraled ivory tusk

Mammal

Narwhal

The tusked unicorn of the sea

Grey seal pup with white lanugo coat

Mammal

Grey Seal

The horse-faced seal of the Atlantic

Golden jackal standing alert in dry savanna grass

Mammal

Golden Jackal

The adaptable wild dog of Europe and Asia

Atlantic cod with barbel on chin over sandy seabed

Fish

Atlantic Cod

The fish that built Atlantic nations

Male house sparrow with grey crown and black bib perched on a brick wall

Bird

House Sparrow

Ubiquitous sparrow of towns and farms

Goblin shark with pinkish body and protruded jaws beneath an elongated snout in deep water

Fish

Goblin Shark

Deep-sea shark with a protrusible jaw

Bright orange goldfish swimming in clear aquarium water

Fish

Goldfish

The world's most popular pet fish

White stork standing on nest atop building

Bird

White Stork

Europe's chimney-nesting messenger

Minke whale surfacing with pointed snout in cold coastal waters

Mammal

Minke Whale

The smallest and most abundant rorqual

Muskrat with scaly tail swimming in a cattail marsh

Mammal

Muskrat

North America's pond-building rodent

Silver oarfish with red dorsal crest swimming vertically in open blue water

Fish

Oarfish

World's longest bony fish

Great spotted woodpecker on tree trunk

Bird

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Europe's drumming carpenter

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

Bird

Barn Owl

The ghostly, heart-faced night hunter

American mink on riverbank

Mammal

American Mink

The semi-aquatic mustelid

Grey heron standing still at water edge

Bird

Grey Heron

The patient wetland hunter

Donkey standing in a sunny pasture with long ears forward

Mammal

Donkey

The hardy working companion of arid lands

Northern goshawk with barred grey underparts launching through a mature pine forest

Bird

Northern Goshawk

Powerful forest hawk of the north

Blue tit with cobalt cap and yellow breast hanging upside-down on a peanut feeder

Bird

Blue Tit

Acrobatic garden tit of Europe

Pine marten in woodland with creamy throat patch

Mammal

Pine Marten

The agile forest mustelid

Bed bug on mattress seam beside a penny for scale

Insect

Bed Bug

The blood-feeding pest of mattresses worldwide

Barn swallow in flight showing deeply forked tail streamers and rufous throat

Bird

Barn Swallow

Fork-tailed aerial insectivore of farms

Great tit with black head, white cheeks, and yellow belly striped with a black ventral line

Bird

Great Tit

Bold black-capped tit of Eurasian gardens

Harbor seal resting on a sandy beach, showing its spotted silver-grey coat and large dark eyes with no external ears

Mammal

Harbor Seal

The shy, spotted true seal of northern coasts

European robin with a bright orange-red breast perched on a frosty twig in winter

Bird

European Robin

Britain's beloved red-breasted garden bird

Stoat in brown summer coat

Mammal

Stoat

The ermine in winter white

Male smooth newt in breeding dress with wavy crest swimming in a clear garden pond

Amphibian

Smooth Newt

Widespread European pond newt

Pale pinkish olm with external gills swimming in a clear limestone cave pool

Amphibian

Olm

Blind cave salamander of European karst

Nightingale perched in dense scrub with plain brown plumage and large dark eye

Bird

Nightingale

Famed nocturnal songster of European spring

Honey bee covered in pollen landing on a bright yellow flower

Insect

Honey Bee

The pollinator that powers much of the food we eat

European hedgehog walking through autumn leaves and grass at dusk

Near Threatened

Mammal

Hedgehog

The spiny night-time garden visitor

Common shrew on forest floor

Mammal

Common Shrew

The tiny insectivore with a fierce appetite

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

Eurasian magpie with black-and-white plumage and iridescent wings perched on a fence

Bird

Magpie

The bold, brilliant problem-solver of the crow family

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

Rock pigeon with blue-grey plumage and iridescent green-purple neck standing on stone

Bird

Pigeon

The city bird with an extraordinary sense of direction

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

Mute swan gliding on calm water with wings arched, white plumage and orange beak

Bird

Swan

The graceful giant of lakes and rivers

Male common blackbird with glossy black plumage and orange-yellow beak on a mossy branch

Bird

Blackbird

The glossy garden thrush with a golden song

Giant house spider with long brown legs resting on a pale surface showing its large size

Invertebrate

Giant House Spider

Britain's large but harmless funnel-weaving house spider

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

Mammal

Moose

The largest member of the deer family

European badger with a black-and-white striped face foraging on a woodland floor at dusk

Mammal

Badger

The striped night-digger of British woodlands

Northern gannet plunge-diving into grey Atlantic water with wings folded and yellow head

Bird

Northern Gannet

Plunge-diving giant of Atlantic cliffs

Common murre standing upright on narrow cliff ledge beside pear-shaped speckled egg

Bird

Common Murre

Pear-egg diver of northern sea cliffs

Willow ptarmigan in white winter plumage with black tail and red eyebrow on snowy tundra

Bird

Willow Ptarmigan

Snow-white grouse of Arctic willows

Grey partridge pair walking through stubble field with chestnut face patches and barred flanks

Bird

Grey Partridge

Stubble-dwelling partridge of old farmlands

Male chaffinch perched on branch showing pink breast, blue-grey cap, and white wing bars

Bird

Common Chaffinch

Pink-breasted songbird of European woods

Flock of starlings swirling in dense murmuration against an orange winter sunset sky

Bird

Common Starling

Speckled invader of global cityscapes

Common swift with scythe-shaped wings screaming over red roof tiles at dusk

Bird

Common Swift

Screaming aerialist of summer rooftops

European polecat emerging from hedgerow with bandit mask and dark brown fur

Mammal

European Polecat

Wild ancestor of the domestic ferret

Porbeagle shark with white flank patch and stout body gliding through cold Atlantic water

Fish

Porbeagle

Warm-blooded hunter of cold Atlantic seas

Lanternfish with silver flank and glowing photophore dots in deep Atlantic water

Fish

Lanternfish

Bioluminescent commuter of the twilight zone

Sloane's viperfish with needle teeth, gaping jaws, and green photophores along flank

Fish

Viperfish

Fang-faced ambusher of the abyss

Gulper eel with enormous dark mouth and thread-like glowing tail tip in black water

Fish

Gulper Eel

Pelican-jawed phantom of the abyss

Common guitarfish resting on sandy seabed with shark-like tail and ray-like flattened front

Critically Endangered

Fish

Common Guitarfish

Critically Endangered shovel ray of sandy coasts

Common torpedo ray buried in sand with rounded disc and small eyes on Mediterranean seabed

Fish

Common Torpedo

Mediterranean voltage trap of the sandy seabed

Feather star perched on reef with feathery arms extended and clawed cirri gripping substrate

Invertebrate

Feather Star

Filter-feeding crinoid that walks on cirri

Brittle star with spiny arms raised off gravel seabed in dense aggregation

Invertebrate

Brittle Star

Arm-dropping filter feeder of Atlantic gravel

Moon jellyfish pulsing with four pink horseshoe gonads visible through transparent bell

Invertebrate

Moon Jellyfish

Glass-disc drifter of harbours worldwide

Dumbo octopus hovering above abyssal mud with ear-like fins flapping beside pale body

Invertebrate

Dumbo Octopus

Fin-flapping octopus of the abyssal plain

Water bear tardigrade with eight stubby legs and barrel body viewed under microscope

Invertebrate

Water Bear

Near-indestructible moss dweller under the microscope

Transparent sea angel with wing-like parapodia and orange gut visible in cold polar water

Invertebrate

Sea Angel

Shell-less winged hunter of polar seas

Snowy owl with white plumage and yellow eyes perched on snow-covered ground

Bird

Snowy Owl

The white owl of the Arctic tundra

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

Yellow and black common wasp resting on a wooden surface

Insect

Wasp

The yellow-and-black predator and scavenger of summer

European eel swimming in clear water showing its long snake-like body and smooth skin

Critically Endangered

Fish

European Eel

The 100-year reproductive mystery that baffled scientists from Aristotle to the 21st century

Firefly glowing yellow-green on a leaf in the dark

Insect

Firefly

The glowing beetle of warm summer nights

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

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

Amphibian

Common Toad

The warty garden toad of Europe

Atlantic puffin with a colorful orange and blue bill standing on a grassy cliff

Bird

Atlantic Puffin

The colorful 'sea parrot' of the North Atlantic

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

Bird

Peregrine Falcon

The fastest animal on the planet

Green praying mantis perched on a stem with front legs raised

Insect

Praying Mantis

The patient ambush predator with folded arms

Large male stag beetle with antler-like jaws on a piece of dead wood

Near Threatened

Insect

Stag Beetle

The large beetle with antler-like jaws

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

Insect

Housefly

The familiar fly found wherever people live

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

Invertebrate

Centipede

The fast, venomous predator with many legs

European adder with a dark zigzag pattern coiled on heathland among heather

Reptile

Adder

Britain's only venomous snake

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

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

Invertebrate

Millipede

The slow, many-legged recycler of the forest floor

Weasel standing upright on its hind legs in a grassy field showing its slender brown body and white underside

Mammal

Weasel

Britain's smallest carnivore, built for chasing prey into burrows

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

Bird

Common Kingfisher

A jewel-colored diver of rivers and streams

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

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

Bird

Common Raven

One of the world's most intelligent birds

European brown hare with long black-tipped ears sitting alert in a green farmland field

Mammal

Hare

The long-legged sprinter of open fields

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

European mole with velvety black fur and large pink digging claws emerging from a molehill

Mammal

Mole

The tunnelling insectivore behind every molehill

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

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

Griffon vulture with broad wings and pale bald head perched on a rocky crag

Bird

Vulture

Nature's clean-up crew on broad soaring wings

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

Mammal

Ibex

The mountain climber with sweeping ridged horns

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