The world is dwelling to an enormous variety of animals; there are over 1.5 million acknowledged dwelling animal species, and sure thousands and thousands extra nonetheless to be found and named.
Animals first appeared within the sea over 600 million years in the past, and subsequently advanced to dwell within the majority of Earth’s aquatic and terrestrial (land) habitats.
On this web page is a continent-by-continent information to animals around the globe.
Scroll all the way down to view examples of animals from every continent, or use the hyperlinks beneath to go to pages containing data on animals from particular continents (and the Arctic).
Associated Pages
African Animals
Africa is the world’s second-largest continent. With habitats starting from tropical rainforest to abandon, Africa is dwelling to lots of the world’s most well-known animals.
The most effective-known animal habitats in Africa is the savanna (or savannah in British English), a woodland whose widely-spaced timber enable a carpet of grass to cowl the bottom.
The savanna is house is dwelling to iconic African animals such because the lion, cheetah, African plains zebra, African buffalo, antelopes such because the blue wildebeest, frequent eland, impala and hartebeest; and each the white and black rhinoceros.
Different well-known African animals embody the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus, okapi, frequent and desert warthogs, meerkat, puff adder, black mamba and japanese and the western gorillas.
Mendacity off the coast of East Africa is the island nation of Madagascar. Separated from the mainland, it’s dwelling to many animals which can be discovered nowhere else on Earth, together with all 100 or so species of lemur.
Antarctic Animals
Antarctica is an enormous frozen continent on the far south of the world. The world’s fifth-largest continent, it’s lined in a thick layer of ice, and surrounded by the icy waters of the Southern Ocean.
Antarctica has little or no precipitation, both within the type of rain or snow, and is technically a desert. It’s the world’s coldest, driest and windiest continent.
Being such an inhospitable place, Antarctica is low in biodiversity. Little or no life exists within the continent’s frozen inside. Most Antarctic species are discovered on the coast, notably on the Antarctic Peninsula; the northernmost a part of Antarctica.
Animals discovered on Antarctica embody penguins such because the emperor and chinstrap penguin; seals such because the crabeater and southern elephant seal; and seabirds such because the wandering albatross and kelp gull.
Within the Southern Ocean round Antarctica are discovered cetaceans such because the Southern proper whale, blue whale, sperm whale and killer whale.
Arctic Animals
The Arctic is not a continent; it’s a area encompassing the Arctic Ocean and the northernmost elements of Europe, Asia, and North America.
Huge areas of the Arctic Ocean freeze throughout the winter; the resultant sea ice is a crucial habitat for quite a few Arctic species, together with one of many Arctic’s best-known animals: the polar bear.
A lot of the land within the Arctic is tundra, a habitat with no timber and completely frozen soil. Many Arctic animals have advanced quite a few variations to permit them to dwell on this inhospitable surroundings, together with thick coats and insulating blubber.
Arctic animals embody the polar bear, Arctic fox, muskox, caribou / reindeer, snowy owl, Arctic tern, walrus, harp seal, bearded seal, noticed seal, beluga, narwhal and killer whale / orca.
- You may see a listing of Arctic animals on this web page: Arctic Animals
- You may see a listing of the seals discovered within the Arctic on this web page: Arctic Seals
Asian Animals
Asia is the world’s largest continent, overlaying round 30% of Earth’s whole landmass. (In some elements of the world, Asia and Europe are thought-about to be subcontinents of a fair bigger continent, Eurasia, slightly than separate continents.)
Being such a big area, Asia incorporates a variety of habitats (and a correspondingly wide selection of animals).
Positioned in Asia are the Himalayas Mountain Vary; the Eurasian Steppe (an enormous grassland that stretches from East Europe to East Asia); the deserts of the Center East; and the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.
Asia is dwelling to the largest variety of people of any continent; round 60% of all people dwell in Asia. This has put stress on many Asian animals, with many species turning into endangered on account of habitat loss.
Animals that dwell in Asia embody the enormous panda, purple panda, tiger, snow leopard, the three species of orangutan, saltwater crocodile, Komodo dragon, nice hornbill and peacock.
Australian Animals
Australia will be the world’s smallest continent, however the nation of Australia (which incorporates mainland Australia, the island of Tasmania, and different smaller islands) is the world’s sixth-largest by space.
Being surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Australia is remoted from different continents. Its wildlife has subsequently advanced independently, and lots of Australian animals are discovered nowhere else on Earth.
With habitats starting from its desert inside to coastal rainforests, Australia is dwelling to lots of the world’s most recognizable animals, together with kangaroos and wallabies; the koala, emu and platypus; wombats, possums, bandicoots and goannas such because the perentie.
dingo, tasmanian satan, dugong
European Animals
Europe is a continent within the Northern Hemisphere that, together with Asia, makes up the landmass often known as “Eurasia”. (In some nations, Europe is taken into account a subcontinent of the continent Eurasia, slightly than a continent itself.)
Europe is the world’s second-smallest continent, being smaller than Antarctica and bigger than Australia.
Europe is dwelling to a variety of habitats, together with taiga / boreal forest, tundra, temperate forest, steppe, the Alps, Pyrenees, and different mountain ranges; the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, the Mediterranean Sea, and quite a few giant rivers and lakes.
Animals that dwell in Europe embody the Eurasian brown bear, Eurasian lynx, Eurasian wolf, wild boar, European adder, gradual worm, frequent frog, fireplace salamander, capercaillie, Eurasian eagle owl and golden eagle.
North American Animals
North America is the world’s third-largest continent, stretching from the Arctic within the north to tropical Central America within the south. Habitats present in North America embody Arctic tundra, prairie grasslands, deserts temperate rainforests and, in Central America, tropical rainforests.
Animals present in North America embody: the American bison, bald eagle, American alligator, American crocodile, grizzly bear, mountain lion, bobcat, monarch butterfly, wolf, coyote, groundhog, roadrunner, moose and raccoon.
South American Animals
South America is the world’s fourth-largest continent, being smaller than its neighbor North America, and bigger than Antarctica. South America is thought for its excessive biodiversity, particularly that of its rainforests, which embody the Amazon Rainforest – the world’s largest rainforest.
South American animals embody anteaters, tapirs, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, poison dart frogs, caimans, iguanas, macaws, toucans; the jaguar, maned wolf, red-eyed tree frog, inexperienced anaconda and harpy eagle.
Animals Round The World: Conclusion
From polar areas to tropical rainforests, the number of habitats on Earth is huge and the variety of animal species correspondingly so. On this web page is a short overview of animals around the globe; go to the pages beneath to see extra animals from every continent and a wide range of habitats.