Common names, scientific names and animal groups
A common name is the everyday name of an animal. A scientific name helps identify the species more precisely. Some familiar names, such as bear or parrot, describe several species.
Common names vary between languages and places. A name can also refer to different animals in different contexts. When you compare facts, check the scientific name and the location as well as the heading. Search accepts both common and scientific names so you can begin with whichever you know.
A broad group guide gives an overview and introduces its members. A species guide can be more specific about range, diet and conservation. Domestic breeds are another kind of entry: a breed is not a separate wild species. These entries each count as one guide in this library.
For closely related or easily confused animals, explore compare. A side-by-side comparison is useful when you want to understand identification features rather than read two separate overviews.
How to read animal facts in context
Size, lifespan, diet and behaviour need context. Check whether a figure describes an adult or a juvenile, a typical range or an exceptional record, and animals in the wild or in human care.
A maximum weight does not describe every individual. Males and females may differ, and measured populations may live in different conditions. When a guide gives a range, read the explanation alongside it before using a single number in schoolwork or a comparison.
Diet describes what an animal eats, while habitat describes where it lives. Behaviour can change with season, age, breeding and food availability. Details from one species should not automatically be applied to every animal in its group.
Looking for a particular term? baby animal names explains names for young animals, and animal group names covers collective nouns. answers offers focused explanations of common animal questions.
Explore animals by habitat and region
An animal’s range is the area where it occurs; its habitat is the environment it uses within that area. The region filter offers a starting point, while individual guides explain the detail.
A broad label such as Asia does not mean an animal lives throughout the continent. Island populations, migration routes and small remaining ranges can be especially important. Read the guide’s distribution section to understand where the animal is found.
Forest, wetland, grassland and ocean habitats support different communities of animals. Some species use more than one habitat during their lives. Habitat loss, fragmentation and changes in food or water can affect them differently.
Use wildlife guides to explore themed collections, including animals in asia and animals in south america. Those collections offer another way to discover the same guide library.
What do conservation status labels mean?
The IUCN Red List assesses extinction risk. Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered are the three threatened categories. They describe risk, rather than the number of animals a rescue organisation is caring for.
In this library, 22 guides carry a Critically Endangered label and 110 carry one of the three threatened labels. These are guide counts, not a count of all threatened species worldwide. A group covering several species may need a mixed-status explanation.
A global assessment and a local population can tell different stories. Read the named assessment and its date in the species guide. Data Deficient means there is insufficient information for a full assessment; Not Evaluated means the species has not been assessed against the criteria. Neither label establishes that an animal is safe.
CITES addresses international wildlife trade. Its listings have a different purpose from IUCN extinction-risk categories. See critically endangered animals for a focused collection, and animals threatened by wildlife trafficking for the trade context.
Check the evidence behind an animal guide
Use the references on the individual guide to trace a claim to its source. The date on this index reflects updates to the library; it does not mean every species assessment was published on that date.
Conservation assessments, scientific research and specialist animal organisations answer different questions. IUCN provides extinction-risk assessments, CITES provides trade information, and the references on a guide support its other factual claims. A source should support the particular statement being made.
For school projects or further research, record the species name, source and publication or assessment date. If sources differ, check whether they describe different populations, periods or methods before treating one figure as definitive.
Our sourcing and correction approach is explained at editorial standards. If you spot an error or an outdated reference, use contact and include the page link and the information that needs checking.
Turn curiosity into help for animals
Learning, sharing reliable information and supporting a relevant appeal are all ways to help. An animal’s inclusion in this library is educational; it does not establish that WARN has a rescue project for that animal.
Share a guide when it can correct a misconception or help someone understand a conservation issue. Choose responsible wildlife experiences, and avoid activities that depend on handling wild animals or purchasing wildlife products.
If you would like to donate, read appeals for the purpose and terms of each fund, and where your money goes for how funding decisions are explained. The Kalimantan appeal at kalimantan wildlife fires appeal sets out its evidence and the process for selecting recipients.
For an injured animal, use rescue to find appropriate next steps. For local pet adoption or nearby organisations, explore shelter directory.
