Animal Guide

Fact-checked reference pages for K-8 students. Every entry is written at three reading levels, defines the key vocabulary, and cites the sources behind each fact.

📚 Three reading levelsSwitch the About section between grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 so every student can read the same topic.
🔗 Every fact is citedNumbered citations link each fact to the zoo, museum or government page it came from.
✅ Reviewed by teachersSigned-in teachers can check a page against its sources and approve it for classroom use.

295 entries

AardvarkOrycteropus aferA shy, pig-sized African mammal with a long snout and sticky tongue that digs into ant and termite nests at night.Abyssinian Blue-Winged GooseCyanochen cyanopteraA brown goose with powder-blue wing patches that lives only in the highlands of Ethiopia and whistles instead of honking.

Abyssinian Ground HornbillBucorvus abyssinicusA big black hornbill of African savannas that walks the ground hunting snakes, lizards and small mammals. Also called the northern ground hornbill.African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicusA white ibis with a black head and neck that ancient Egyptians honored as a symbol of the god Thoth.

African Savanna ElephantLoxodonta africanaA huge plant-eater of Africa that lives in family herds led by an older female. African elephants are the largest mammals on land.African SpoonbillPlatalea albaA pure white African wading bird with a red face and legs and a long, spoon-shaped bill for sweeping up fish.African Spurred TortoiseCentrochelys sulcata (also called Geochelone sulcata)The largest mainland African tortoise, a burrowing plant-eater of the dry lands south of the Sahara, also called the sulcata tortoise.Aldabra TortoiseAldabrachelys giganteaOne of the world's largest tortoises, from the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, which can weigh 550 pounds and may live 150 years.Alligator Snapping TurtleMacrochelys temminckiiThe largest freshwater turtle in the United States, which lures fish into its open jaws with a worm-like bit on its tongue.Amazon Milk FrogTrachycephalus resinifictrixA bumpy gray-and-brown rainforest tree frog that oozes a milky, poisonous liquid when threatened.Amazon Tree BoaCorallus hortulanaA slender, many-colored tree boa of South America that hangs from branches in an S shape to ambush prey.American AlligatorAlligator mississippiensisA big, armored reptile of the southeastern U.S. swamps and rivers that can go through 3,000 teeth in its life.American BisonBison bisonA huge, shaggy grazer of North America that once numbered in the tens of millions and nearly disappeared.American Black BearUrsus americanusThe smallest and most widespread North American bear, a good tree climber that comes in black, brown, cinnamon, blonde and even white.American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruberThe brightest-colored flamingo, also called the Caribbean flamingo, that filter-feeds with its bill upside down.American White PelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchosA huge white North American pelican with a nine-foot wingspan that scoops up fish with its pouched bill, often while fishing in teams.Amur TigerPanthera tigris altaicaThe largest cat in the world, a pale, thick-furred tiger of the snowy forests of eastern Russia and northern China.

Andean CondorVultur gryphusA huge vulture of the Andes Mountains with a wingspan of about 3.2 meters, the longest of any land bird.

Angolan Colobus MonkeyColobus angolensisA black-and-white leaf-eating monkey of central Africa with a long, bushy-tipped tail and babies that are born all white.AxolotlAmbystoma mexicanumA Mexican salamander that keeps its feathery gills and stays in the water its whole life, famous for regrowing lost body parts.Aye-AyeDaubentonia madagascariensisA strange-looking nocturnal lemur that taps on trees with a long, thin middle finger to find grubs inside.Babydoll Southdown SheepOvis ariesA small, teddy-bear-faced sheep breed from England's South Downs with some of the finest wool of any British breed.Bactrian CamelCamelus bactrianus (domestic); wild relative Camelus ferusA two-humped camel of Central Asian deserts, domesticated thousands of years ago as a pack animal that can go a long time without food or water.

Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusThe national bird of the United States, a fish-eating eagle that came back from the edge of extinction.Bali MynahLeucopsar rothschildiA critically endangered white songbird with a bright blue face mask, found in the wild only on part of the Indonesian island of Bali.Ball PythonPython regiusA small, calm African python that curls into a tight ball with its head tucked inside when frightened.Barn OwlTyto albaA pale owl with a white heart-shaped face, found on every continent except Antarctica, that hunts mice and voles by sound alone.Bengal TigerPanthera tigris tigrisAn endangered striped big cat of India and nearby countries that hunts alone and is an excellent swimmer.BinturongArctictis binturongA shaggy, tree-climbing "bearcat" of Southeast Asia that smells like popcorn and grips branches with its tail.Black Beauty Walking StickPeruphasma schulteiA critically endangered black stick insect with yellow eyes and red wings, found in the wild in one tiny patch of Peru.Black Crowned CraneBalearica pavoninaA dark West African crane with a golden crown of stiff feathers that roosts in trees and dances when it breeds.Black RhinocerosDiceros bicornisA critically endangered two-horned rhino of eastern and southern Africa that browses on shrubs with a pointed, grasping lip.Black Tree MonitorVaranus beccariiA sleek, shiny black monitor lizard from Indonesia's Aru Islands that climbs with sharp claws and a grasping tail.Black-and-White Ruffed LemurVarecia variegataThe largest lemur, a critically endangered fruit-eater of eastern Madagascar's rainforests that raises its babies in nests.Black-Tailed Prairie DogCynomys ludovicianusA burrowing ground squirrel of the Great Plains that lives in huge "towns" and barks to warn of danger.Blue CraneAnthropoides paradiseusThe national bird of South Africa, a blue-gray crane of grasslands famous for courtship dances that can last for hours.Blue Death-Feigning BeetleCryptoglossa verrucosaA pale blue desert beetle from the southwestern U.S. that flops over and plays dead when startled.Blue DuikerPhilantomba monticolaA tiny forest antelope of central and southern Africa that weighs only 9 to 13 pounds and lives in pairs.Blue Spiny LizardSceloporus cyanogenysA rough-scaled lizard of Texas and Mexico whose males have bright blue sides, throats and bellies.Blue-and-Yellow MacawAra araraunaA big blue-and-gold parrot of South American rainforests that mates for life and eats clay from riverbanks.Blue-Bellied RollerCoracias cyanogasterA cream-and-blue West and Central African bird named for the tumbling, rolling flights males perform in courtship.Blue-Eyed Black LemurEulemur flavifronsOne of the world's most threatened primates, a blue-eyed Madagascar lemur whose males are black and females are orange.

Blue-Fronted AmazonAmazona aestivaA green South American parrot with a blue forehead and yellow face, also called the turquoise-fronted amazon.Blue-Headed MacawPrimolius couloniA small "mini-macaw" of the western Amazon with a blue head and green body.

Blue-Throated MacawAra glaucogularisThe rarest macaw in the world, a blue-and-gold parrot of Bolivia's flooded Beni savanna with only about 400 left in the wild.Blue-Winged TealSpatula discorsA small dabbling duck that flies from North America as far as South America each fall, flashing a powder-blue wing patch.Boa ConstrictorBoa constrictorA large, nonvenomous snake of Central and South America, also called the red-tailed boa, that squeezes its prey.BongoTragelaphus eurycerusA large forest antelope of tropical Africa with 10 to 15 pale stripes down each side and horns up to 3 feet long.

Bornean OrangutanPongo pygmaeusA critically endangered red-haired great ape of Borneo's rainforests that lives mostly alone in the treetops and eats mostly fruit.Brown BearUrsus arctosOne of the largest land carnivores in North America, a humped, long-clawed bear found across three continents.Brown-Banded Bamboo SharkChiloscyllium punctatumA small, slender shark of shallow Indo-Pacific waters that sucks up food from the sea floor and lays egg cases.BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatusA small green-and-yellow parrot of Australia's dry interior, and the most widely known pet bird in the world.Caiman LizardDracaena guianensisA green, red-headed South American lizard with crocodile-like scales that swims well and crushes snails with its strong jaws.California CondorGymnogyps californianusNorth America's biggest bird, a critically endangered bald-headed scavenger with a wingspan up to 9 feet.California KingsnakeLampropeltis californiaeA shiny banded snake of the western U.S. that eats other snakes, including rattlesnakes, and is immune to their venom.California Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma californienseA big black salamander with yellow spots that lives in ground-squirrel burrows and breeds in seasonal pools in central California.Canada LynxLynx canadensisA northern forest cat with black ear tufts and big furry feet that let it walk on snow while it hunts snowshoe hares.Cape CobraNaja niveaA fast, highly venomous cobra of southern Africa whose color ranges from golden yellow to almost black.Cape TealAnas capensisA small, speckled gray African duck with a pink bill that can dive and swim underwater with its wings folded.CapybaraHydrochoerus hydrochaerisThe world's largest rodent, a grass-eating swimmer of South American riverbanks that lives in groups.