Conservation status · 174 species
Least Concern animals
Species assessed by the IUCN Red List as widespread and abundant, at low risk of extinction for now.
Species profiles
American alligator
Alligator mississippiensis
The American alligator is a large crocodilian of southeastern US wetlands. Facts on its size, diet, nesting, gator holes and its comeback from near extinction.
American black bear
Ursus americanus
The American black bear is North America's most common bear, a tree-climbing omnivore of forests from Alaska to Mexico. Size, colors, diet, denning and cubs.
American bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
The American bullfrog is North America's largest true frog, up to 20 cm long and 500 g. Its size, deep call, diet, tadpoles, range and spread as an invasive.
American crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
The American crow is a glossy black, highly intelligent bird found across North America. Facts on its size, calls, diet, family life, roosts and lifespan.
American flamingo
Phoenicopterus ruber
The American flamingo is the brightest pink flamingo, a filter feeder of Caribbean lagoons. Facts on its size, color, diet, mud nests, range and lifespan.
American goldfinch
Spinus tristis
The American goldfinch is a small North American finch that molts twice a year and eats almost only seeds. Facts on its size, colors, diet, nesting and range.
American lobster
Homarus americanus
The American lobster is a big-clawed crustacean of the northwest Atlantic and the heaviest on record. Its claws, size, diet, molting, colors and long life.
American robin
Turdus migratorius
The American robin is North America's most widespread thrush, known for its orange breast and blue eggs. Facts on its size, diet, nests, song and range.
American toad
Anaxyrus americanus
The American toad is the common warty toad of eastern North America: its size, colors, long musical trill, garden and woodland habitat, breeding and lifespan.
Arctic fox
Vulpes lagopus
The Arctic fox is a small fox of the Arctic tundra with some of the warmest fur of any mammal. Facts on its size, color morphs, range, diet, cubs and lifespan.
Arctic tern
Sterna paradisaea
The Arctic tern is a small gray-and-white seabird that flies from the Arctic to Antarctica and back each year. Facts on its size, diet, colonies and lifespan.
Atlantic bluefin tuna
Thunnus thynnus
The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a giant, warm-bodied ocean fish of up to 679 kg (1,496 lb). Its size, migrations, spawning, diet and recovery from overfishing.
Bald eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
The bald eagle is North America's sea eagle and the US national bird. Facts on its size, white head, fish diet, giant nests, range, lifespan and DDT recovery.
Barn swallow
Hirundo rustica
The barn swallow is the world's most widespread swallow: a fork-tailed insect hunter that nests in barns and migrates between continents. Size, diet, lifespan.
Beluga whale
Delphinapterus leucas
The beluga is a white Arctic whale with a bulging melon, a bendy neck and a huge range of calls. Its size, color change, diet, range, lifespan and threats.
Bighorn sheep
Ovis canadensis
The bighorn sheep is a wild mountain sheep of western North America, famous for the huge curled horns of its rams. Size, climbing, rut, range and recovery.
Black mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
The black mamba is Africa's longest venomous snake, usually 2–3 m long and gray-brown, not black. Facts on its size, real speed, habitat, diet and venom.
Black-capped chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
The black-capped chickadee is a tiny, bold North American songbird with a black cap and bib, noted for its alarm calls, food caching and surviving hard winters.
Blue wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
The blue wildebeest, or brindled gnu, is a large grazing antelope of East and southern Africa, famed for the Serengeti's Great Migration. Size, diet and calves.
Boa constrictor
Boa constrictor
The boa constrictor is a large, nonvenomous snake of tropical America, usually 1.8–3 m long. Facts on its size, red tail, habitat, diet, birth and taxonomy.
Brown bear
Ursus arctos
The brown bear is the most widespread bear, found across North America, Europe and Asia, and includes grizzly and Kodiak bears. Size, diet, dens, life, status.
Brown pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
The brown pelican is the smallest pelican and the only one that plunge-dives for fish. Facts on its size, pouch, colonies, range and recovery from DDT.
Brown-throated sloth
Bradypus variegatus
The brown-throated sloth is the most common three-toed sloth of Central and South America. Facts on its size, leaf diet, green fur, slow life and lifespan.
Budgerigar
Melopsittacus undulatus
The budgerigar is a small green-and-yellow parrot of Australia's dry interior that roams in nomadic flocks. Wild facts on its size, diet, nests and lifespan.
Buff-tailed bumblebee
Bombus terrestris
The buff-tailed bumblebee is one of Europe's commonest bumblebees: an early-flying pollinator with a yearly colony, used in greenhouses and invasive abroad.
California sea lion
Zalophus californianus
The California sea lion is a clever, noisy eared seal of the Pacific coast. Its size, diet, breeding, barking, toxic algae threats and Least Concern status.
Canada goose
Branta canadensis
The Canada goose is a large black-necked goose native to North America and introduced to Europe. Facts on size, migration, diet, nesting, lifespan and status.
Canada lynx
Lynx canadensis
The Canada lynx is a long-legged wild cat of northern forests with huge snowshoe paws and black ear tufts. Facts on size, range, hare diet, kittens and status.
Cane toad
Rhinella marina
The cane toad is a huge, toxic toad native to the Americas that became a notorious invader in Australia, Florida and Pacific islands. Size, toxins, life cycle.
Central bearded dragon
Pogona vitticeps
The central bearded dragon is a spiny Australian lizard of dry woodland and desert. Facts on its size, beard display, arm-waving, diet, breeding and range.
Common bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
The common bottlenose dolphin is a large, social toothed whale of warm and temperate seas. Facts on its size, whistles, hunting, lifespan, range and threats.
Common cuttlefish
Sepia officinalis
The common cuttlefish is a European cephalopod that changes color, pattern and skin texture in under a second. Size, cuttlebone, hunting, range and lifespan.
Common eastern firefly
Photinus pyralis
The common eastern firefly is North America's best-known lightning bug, a beetle that draws J-shaped flashes at dusk. Facts on its light, larvae and lifespan.
Common European adder
Vipera berus
The European adder is Britain's only venomous snake and the world's most widespread viper. Facts on its zigzag pattern, size, habitat, venom and life cycle.
Common frog
Rana temporaria
The common frog is Europe's most widespread frog, from Ireland to the Urals and beyond the Arctic Circle. Its colors, spawn, tadpoles, diet and winter habits.
Common garter snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
The common garter snake is a striped, harmless snake found across most of North America. Facts on its size, color forms, diet, live birth and winter dens.
Common green darner
Anax junius
The common green darner is a large North American dragonfly with a green thorax and blue abdomen. Its size, hunting, nymphs and multigeneration migration.
Common kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
The common kingfisher is a sparrow-sized blue and orange bird of rivers in Europe, Asia and North Africa. Its size, fishing dives, burrow nests and lifespan.
Common loon
Gavia immer
The common loon, or great northern diver, is a large diving bird of northern lakes famous for its haunting calls. Size, diving, nesting, range and lifespan.
Common octopus
Octopus vulgaris
The common octopus is a clever, eight-armed mollusk of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic. Its size, three hearts, camouflage, diet, dens and short life.
Common ostrich
Struthio camelus
The common ostrich is the largest living bird, up to 2.75 m tall and 130 kg. Facts on its speed, two-toed feet, giant eggs, shared nests, range and status.
Common pipistrelle
Pipistrellus pipistrellus
The common pipistrelle is a tiny European bat weighing 3.5–8.5 g that eats up to thousands of midges a night. Facts on its size, calls, roosts and protection.
Common raven
Corvus corax
The common raven is a huge all-black songbird of the Northern Hemisphere, famous for deep croaks, play and problem-solving. Size, diet, nests, lifespan, myths.
Common snapping turtle
Chelydra serpentina
The common snapping turtle is a big, rough-shelled freshwater turtle of North America. Facts on its size, powerful bite, diet, nesting, lifespan and range.
Common swift
Apus apus
The common swift is a dark, sickle-winged bird that feeds, drinks and sleeps on the wing for most of the year. Size, diet, nesting, migration and decline.
Common toad
Bufo bufo
The common toad is Europe's familiar warty brown toad, up to 12 cm long. Its copper eyes, skin toxins, night hunting, spring migrations, spawn and lifespan.
Common vampire bat
Desmodus rotundus
The common vampire bat is a small Latin American bat that feeds only on blood, mostly from livestock. Facts on its size, heat-sensing nose, range and colonies.
Common warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
The common warthog is a wild African pig of savannas, with facial warts, curved tusks and a habit of grazing on its knees. Size, diet, burrows and predators.
Common wombat
Vombatus ursinus
The common wombat is a stocky burrowing marsupial of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, famous for cube-shaped droppings. Size, diet, burrows and lifespan.
Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
The copperhead is a camouflaged pit viper of the eastern US. How to identify its hourglass bands, plus its size, range, diet, live young and real bite risk.
Corn snake
Pantherophis guttatus
The corn snake is a harmless orange-red rat snake of the southeastern US, usually 0.6–1.2 m long. Facts on its colors, range, habitat, diet, eggs and lifespan.
Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
The cottonmouth, or water moccasin, is a venomous semi-aquatic pit viper of the southeastern US. Its size, white-mouth display, fish diet, live young and range.
Eastern chipmunk
Tamias striatus
The eastern chipmunk is a small striped ground squirrel of eastern North America that hoards seeds in its burrow. Size, diet, pouches, winter torpor and calls.
Eastern coral snake
Micrurus fulvius
The eastern coral snake is a shy, venomous elapid of the southeastern US. Its red, yellow and black rings, size, range, snake-eating diet, eggs and real risk.
Eastern cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
The eastern cottontail is North America's most common wild rabbit. Facts on its cotton-ball tail, size, diet, grass nests, fast breeding, lifespan and enemies.
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus
The eastern diamondback is the largest rattlesnake: a heavy pit viper of southeastern US pine forests. Size, diamond pattern, diet, birth, venom and decline.
Eastern gray squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
The eastern gray squirrel is the familiar park squirrel of eastern North America, invasive in Britain and Italy. Size, diet, nut caching, nests and lifespan.
Electric eel
Electrophorus electricus
The electric eel is an air-breathing South American knifefish, not a true eel, that stuns prey with shocks of hundreds of volts. Size, habitat, diet and life.
Eurasian blue tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
The Eurasian blue tit is a tiny blue-and-yellow songbird of European woods and gardens, famous for acrobatic feeding and huge clutches. Size, diet, nesting.
Eurasian eagle-owl
Bubo bubo
The Eurasian eagle-owl is one of the largest owls on Earth, with orange eyes, ear tufts and a wingspan near 1.9 m. Size, diet, range, breeding and status.
Eurasian lynx
Lynx lynx
The Eurasian lynx is Europe's largest wild cat, a spotted forest hunter with black ear tufts that preys on roe deer. Size, diet, range and its return to Europe.
Eurasian magpie
Pica pica
The Eurasian magpie is a long-tailed black-and-white crow of Europe and Asia. Facts on its size, diet, domed nests, intelligence, lifespan and famous myths.
European badger
Meles meles
The European badger is a stocky, black-and-white striped mammal that lives in family clans in underground setts and eats mostly earthworms. Size, diet, range.
European hare
Lepus europaeus
The European or brown hare is a fast, long-eared hare of open farmland. Facts on its size, speed, spring boxing, leverets, diet, lifespan and status.
European robin
Erithacus rubecula
The European robin is a small orange-breasted songbird of Europe's gardens and woods. Facts on its size, song, fierce territories, nests, lifespan and range.
European starling
Sturnus vulgaris
The European starling is a glossy, speckled songbird famous for mimicry and huge murmurations. Facts on its size, diet, nests, lifespan and spread to America.
Fennec fox
Vulpes zerda
The fennec fox is the world's smallest fox, a Sahara desert specialist with huge ears. Facts on its size, burrows, diet, water, family life and status.
Giant African millipede
Archispirostreptus gigas
The giant African millipede is the largest living millipede, up to 33.5 cm long. Its legs, slow detritus diet, curling defense, mites and lifespan explained.
Giant Pacific octopus
Enteroctopus dofleini
The giant Pacific octopus is the world's largest octopus, a clever North Pacific mollusk. Its size, range, dens, diet, brooding mothers and 3 to 5 year life.
Giant squid
Architeuthis dux
The giant squid is a deep-sea squid up to 12–13 m long with tentacles and eyes as big as dinner plates. Its real size, diet, sperm whale foes and first films.
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
The golden eagle is the most widespread eagle in the world, a dark brown hunter of hares and ground squirrels with 2 m wings. Size, range, diet and threats.
Grass snake
Natrix natrix
The grass snake is Europe's harmless, water-loving snake with a yellow collar. Its size, frog diet, compost-heap eggs, playing dead and the 2017 species split.
Gray whale
Eschrichtius robustus
The gray whale is a mottled North Pacific baleen whale that sucks prey from the seafloor and migrates between Arctic seas and Mexico. Size, diet and threats.
Great blue heron
Ardea herodias
The great blue heron is North America's largest heron. Facts on its size, slow flight, fish diet, treetop colonies, the white Florida form, migration and range.
Great crested newt
Triturus cristatus
The great crested newt is Britain's largest newt, with warty dark skin, an orange belly and a jagged male crest. Its size, ponds, life cycle and legal status.
Great horned owl
Bubo virginianus
The great horned owl is a big, tufted owl found from Alaska to Central America. Facts on its size, deep hoots, strong grip, skunk-eating diet and winter nests.
Greater flamingo
Phoenicopterus roseus
The greater flamingo is the largest and most widespread flamingo, found from Spain and France to Africa and India. Its size, diet, colonies and lifespan.
Greater roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
The greater roadrunner is a fast-running ground cuckoo of the US Southwest and Mexico. Facts on its speed, size, diet of lizards and snakes, nesting and status.
Green anaconda
Eunectes murinus
The green anaconda is the world's heaviest snake, a giant boa of South American swamps and rivers. Facts on its size, hunting, breeding balls and live birth.
Green iguana
Iguana iguana
The green iguana is a large, plant-eating tree lizard of Central and South America that can top 1.5 m. Size, colors, diet, swimming, nesting and lifespan.
Green moray
Gymnothorax funebris
The green moray is the largest moray eel of the tropical Atlantic, up to 2.5 m long. Why it looks green, how it breathes and hunts, and how dangerous it is.
Green sea turtle
Chelonia mydas
The green sea turtle is a large, plant-eating sea turtle of warm seas, named for its green body fat. Its size, seagrass diet, migrations, nesting and status.
Harbor porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
The harbor porpoise is a small, shy toothed whale of cool coastal seas. Its size, clicks, diet, North Sea and Baltic range, short lifespan and bycatch threats.
Harbor seal
Phoca vitulina
The harbor seal is a spotted true seal of northern coasts in Europe, North America and Asia. Its size, fish diet, pups, diving, threats and conservation status.
Herring gull
Larus argentatus
The herring gull is the large gray-backed seagull of European coasts and towns. Facts on its size, plumage, diet, rooftop nests, chicks, lifespan and decline.
Hoffmann's two-toed sloth
Choloepus hoffmanni
Hoffmann's two-toed sloth is a nocturnal, tree-dwelling sloth of Central and South America. Facts on its size, claws, diet, babies, lifespan and how it lives.
Honey badger
Mellivora capensis
The honey badger, or ratel, is a tough mustelid of Africa and southern Asia. Facts on its loose skin, size, diet of snakes and bee larvae, range and lifespan.
House sparrow
Passer domesticus
The house sparrow is a small, chirpy seed-eater that lives alongside people on every inhabited continent. Facts on its size, plumage, diet, nesting and decline.
Humpback anglerfish
Melanocetus johnsonii
The humpback anglerfish is a small deep-sea fish with a glowing lure, a huge toothy mouth and tiny males. Its size, depth, diet, mating and first live filming.
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
The humpback whale is a 14–17 m baleen whale famous for its long flippers, breaching, bubble nets and male song. Facts on size, diet, migration and recovery.
Indian peafowl
Pavo cristatus
The Indian peafowl is the peacock of India and Sri Lanka, famous for the male's eyespot train. Facts on its size, calls, diet, breeding, lifespan and range.
Inland taipan
Oxyuranus microlepidotus
The inland taipan has the most toxic snake venom in mouse tests, yet it is shy and rarely seen. Size, color change, outback range, rat diet and real risk.
King penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus
The king penguin is the second-largest penguin, with bright orange ear patches and huge sub-Antarctic colonies. Size, diving, diet, chicks, range and status.
Laughing kookaburra
Dacelo novaeguineae
The laughing kookaburra is a giant Australian kingfisher famous for its laughing call. Facts on its size, family groups, diet of snakes and lizards, and range.
Least weasel
Mustela nivalis
The least weasel is the world's smallest carnivoran, weighing as little as 25 g. Its size, vole hunting, white winter coat, breeding, range and status.
Leopard gecko
Eublepharis macularius
The leopard gecko is a spotted, ground-dwelling gecko of dry grassland and rocky hills in South Asia. Wild facts on its eyelids, fat tail, diet and breeding.
Leopard slug
Limax maximus
The leopard slug is a large spotted land slug of Europe, now also in North America. Facts on its size, hidden shell, diet, mating on a slime rope and lifespan.
Monarch butterfly
Danaus plexippus
The monarch is an orange-and-black milkweed butterfly famous for flying up to 4,800 km to winter in Mexico. Its looks, size, life cycle, toxins and status.
Mourning dove
Zenaida macroura
The mourning dove is a slender gray-brown North American dove known for its soft, sad cooing and whistling wings. Facts on size, diet, nests and lifespan.
Nile crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
The Nile crocodile is Africa's largest reptile and second-largest crocodile. Its size, range, hunting, nesting, danger to people and the West African split.
Nine-banded armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus
The nine-banded armadillo is an armored, insect-eating mammal and the only armadillo in the US. Its shell, size, diet, quadruplet births and spread north.
North American beaver
Castor canadensis
The North American beaver is the largest rodent in North America, a dam-building wetland engineer. Its size, teeth, lodges, bark diet, family life and comeback.
North American porcupine
Erethizon dorsatum
The North American porcupine is a large, tree-climbing rodent covered in about 30,000 barbed quills. Its size, bark diet, salt cravings, predators and range.
North American river otter
Lontra canadensis
The North American river otter is a playful, fish-eating otter of rivers, lakes and coasts in Canada and the US. Its size, fur, diet, family life and comeback.
Northern cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
The northern cardinal is a crested red songbird of eastern North America and the state bird of seven US states. Facts on its size, song, diet, nests and range.
Northern elephant seal
Mirounga angustirostris
The northern elephant seal is a giant true seal of the eastern Pacific. Its size, trunk-like nose, harems, record dives, molt and comeback from near extinction.
Northern mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
The northern mockingbird is a gray songbird famous for copying other sounds. Facts on its size, songs, night singing, nest defense, range and lifespan.
Northern water snake
Nerodia sipedon
The northern water snake is a harmless banded snake of ponds and streams in eastern North America. Its size, range, fish diet, live young and cottonmouth ID.
Ocellaris clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
The ocellaris clownfish is an orange-and-white reef fish that lives inside sea anemones. Its size, range, diet, sex change, egg care and the real Nemo story.
Painted lady
Vanessa cardui
The painted lady is the most widespread butterfly on Earth, found on every continent except Antarctica. Its looks, host plants, life cycle and migration.
Panther chameleon
Furcifer pardalis
The panther chameleon is Madagascar's most colorful chameleon. Facts on its color forms, rival displays, tongue, eyes, size, short wild life and breeding.
Peregrine falcon
Falco peregrinus
The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on Earth, diving at over 300 km/h. Facts on its size, bird diet, worldwide range, city nests and recovery from DDT.
Pileated woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
The pileated woodpecker is North America's largest common woodpecker, a crow-sized bird with a red crest. Facts on its size, carpenter ant diet, nests, range.
Praying mantis
Mantis religiosa
The praying mantis is a green or brown ambush hunter 5–8 cm long with spiny grasping forelegs. How it hunts, sees in 3D, mates and survives winter as an egg.
Red kangaroo
Osphranter rufus
The red kangaroo is the largest living marsupial, a fast hopper of Australia's dry interior. Size, speed, boxing males, joeys, diet and surviving drought.
Red lionfish
Pterois volitans
The red lionfish is a striped, venomous reef fish of the Indo-Pacific that now invades Atlantic and Caribbean reefs. Its size, hunting, breeding and impact.
Red squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris
The red squirrel is Eurasia's native tree squirrel, with ear tufts and a red to near-black coat. Size, diet, nests, lifespan and why it declined in Britain.
Red-bellied piranha
Pygocentrus nattereri
The red-bellied piranha is a South American river fish with razor-sharp teeth, a varied diet and a fearsome but exaggerated reputation. Size, range and habits.
Red-eyed tree frog
Agalychnis callidryas
The red-eyed tree frog is a small nocturnal frog of Central American rainforests. Its size, colors, startle display, diet, eggs on leaves, lifespan and status.
Red-tailed hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
The red-tailed hawk is North America's most common large hawk. How to identify it, plus facts on its size, rodent diet, nests, migration, scream and lifespan.
Reticulated python
Malayopython reticulatus
The reticulated python of Southeast Asia is the world's longest snake, measured at almost 7 m in the wild. Facts on its size, net-like pattern, diet and range.
Rock pigeon
Columba livia
The rock pigeon is the wild cliff bird behind every city pigeon and homing pigeon. Facts on its size, range, nests, crop milk, intelligence and history.
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird that breeds in eastern North America. Facts on its size, wingbeats, diet, nest, migration and lifespan.
Saltwater crocodile
Crocodylus porosus
The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile. Its size, range from India to Australia, life at sea, hunting, nesting, recovery and the risk to people.
Sandhill crane
Antigone canadensis
The sandhill crane is the most numerous crane on Earth: a tall gray bird with a red crown and bugling call. Facts on its size, dances, diet, migration and life.
Scarlet macaw
Ara macao
The scarlet macaw is a large red, yellow and blue parrot of tropical American forests. Facts on its size, diet, clay licks, nesting, lifespan and conservation.
Short-beaked echidna
Tachyglossus aculeatus
The short-beaked echidna is a spiny, egg-laying mammal of Australia and New Guinea that eats ants and termites. Size, spines, puggles, hibernation and lifespan.
Southern cassowary
Casuarius casuarius
The southern cassowary is a huge flightless rainforest bird of New Guinea and Queensland with a blue neck, a tall casque and a dagger claw. Size, diet, habits.
Spotted hyena
Crocuta crocuta
The spotted hyena is Africa's most common large carnivore, a skilled hunter living in female-led clans. Facts on its size, bite, diet, calls and lifespan.
Strawberry poison dart frog
Oophaga pumilio
The strawberry poison dart frog is a tiny red-and-blue frog of Central American rainforests. Facts on its color morphs, toxins, calls and tadpole care.
Striped skunk
Mephitis mephitis
The striped skunk is North America's familiar black-and-white skunk. Facts on its warning display, spray, size, omnivorous diet, dens, predators and lifespan.
Thorny devil
Moloch horridus
The thorny devil is a small, spike-covered lizard of Australia's deserts that eats only ants and drinks through grooves in its skin. Size, range and defenses.
Timber rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus
The timber rattlesnake is a large, calm pit viper of eastern US forests. Facts on its color phases, size, range, winter dens, slow breeding and protection.
Toco toucan
Ramphastos toco
The toco toucan is the largest toucan, a black and white South American bird with a huge orange bill. Facts on its size, beak, fruit diet, nesting and range.
Turkey vulture
Cathartes aura
The turkey vulture is the most widespread vulture in the Americas. Facts on its bare red head, wobbly soaring, keen sense of smell, diet, range and lifespan.
Veiled chameleon
Chamaeleo calyptratus
The veiled chameleon is a large, casque-headed chameleon from Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Facts on its casque, colors, tongue, eyes, eggs, lifespan and range.
Virginia opossum
Didelphis virginiana
The Virginia opossum is North America's only marsupial north of Mexico. Size, 50 teeth, prehensile tail, playing possum, diet, babies on the back and lifespan.
Western diamondback rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
The western diamondback is the big coon-tailed rattlesnake of the US Southwest and Mexico. Size, ID, desert habitat, rodent diet, dens, behavior and venom.
White stork
Ciconia ciconia
The white stork is a tall black-and-white bird that nests on rooftops and migrates from Europe to Africa. Facts on its size, diet, bill-clattering and comeback.
White-spotted puffer
Arothron hispidus
The white-spotted puffer is a common Indo-Pacific pufferfish that inflates with water, has a beak of fused teeth and carries tetrodotoxin. Size, diet and range.
White-tailed deer
Odocoileus virginianus
The white-tailed deer is the most widespread deer in the Americas, named for the white tail it flashes when alarmed. Size, antlers, fawns, diet, rut and range.
Wild turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
The wild turkey is North America's largest game bird and ancestor of the farm turkey. Facts on its size, snood and beard, gobbling, flight, diet and comeback.
Wood frog
Lithobates sylvaticus
The wood frog is a masked brown frog of North American forests that survives winter frozen. Its size, range to Alaska, vernal pool breeding, calls and life.