A to Z Animal Profiles List By Scientific Name

We use common names for animals in everyday speech, but scientists have a different method of naming creatures, called binomial nomenclature, or two-word naming. This scientific naming system avoids confusion when a scientist is speaking to a colleague who speaks another language—or when different animals are given the same name in various regions. For instance, if scientists who speak English, Russian, Spanish, French, or Japanese all are talking about a Balaenoptera musculus, they all know they are speaking about the same animal: Its the sea mammal the English speaker knows as the blue whale. Latin words are used, with the first term identifying the genus to which the animal belongs—this is the animals generic name or generic epithet. The second term identifies the species—this is the animals specific name or specific epithet. While there are 1.2 million known species of animals on earth, there are millions more yet to be discovered. Scientists believe there are a total of 8.7 million species of animals in total. This list is a small sample of the known animals, but some that most people are familiar with: AAchatina - SnailAcinonyx Jubatus - CheetahActinopterygii - Ray-finned fishesAegypius Monachus - VultureAepyceros Melampus - ImpalaAgalychnis callidryas - Red-eyed tree frogAiluropoda melanoleuca - Giant pandaAlces americanus - American mooseAmblyrhynchus cristatus - Marine iguanaAmphibia - AmphibiansAnimalia - AnimalsAnser indicus - Bar-headed gooseAnseriformes - WaterfowlAntilocapra americana - PronghornAnura - Frogs and toadsAplysia californica - California sea hareArchilochus colubris - Ruby-throated hummingbirdArthropoda - ArthropoodsArtiodactyla - Even-toed ungulatesAves - Birds B Baeolophus bicolor - Tufted titmouseBalaeniceps rex - ShoebillBalaenoptera musculus - Blue whaleBatoidea - Skates and raysBison bison - American bisonBlattaria - CockroachBombus - Bumble BeeBos Taurus - Highland CattleBrachyura - CrabBranta canadensis - Canada gooseBranta sandvicensis - Nene gooseBufo bufo - European common toad C Caelifera - GrasshopperCampephilus principalis - Ivory-billed woodpeckerCanidae - CanidsCanis lupus arctos - Arctic wolfCapra Aegagrus Hircus - GoatCaracal caracal - CaracalCarcharodon carcharias - Great white sharkCaretta caretta - Loggerhead turtleCarnivora - CarnivoresCastor canadensis - American beaverCavia Porcellus - Guinea pigCepphus columba - Pigeon guillemotCeratotherium simum - White rhinocerosCetacea - CetaceansChelonia - Turtles and tortoisesChelonia mydas - Green sea turtleChiroptera - BatsChondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishesChordata - ChordatesCichlidae - CichlidsCiconiiformes - Herons, storks, ibises and spoonbillsCnidaria - CnidariaConolophus subcristatus - Galapagos land iguanaCrocodilia - CrocodiliansCyclura cornuta - Rhinoceros iguana D Danaus plexippus - Monarch butterflyDasyatis Centroura - StingrayDasypus novemcinctus - Nine-banded armadilloDaubentonia madagascariensis - Aye-ayeDelphinus delphis - Common dolphinDendrobates auratus - Green poison dart frogDermochelys coriacea - Leatherback sea turtleDidelphis Virginiana - OppossumDiceros bicornis - Black rhinocerosDiomedea exulans - Wandering albatrossDugong dugong - Dugong E Echinodermata - EchinodermsElasmobranchii - Sharks, skates and raysElectrophorus Electricus - Electric eelElephas maximus - Asiatic elephantEquus asinus somalicus - Somali wild assEquus burchellii - Burchells zebraEquus caballus przewalskii - Przewalskis wild horseEretmochelys imbricata - Hawksbill sea turtleErithacus rubecula - European robinErethizon Dorsaum - PorcupineEschrichtius robustus - Gray whaleEudocimus ruber - Scarlet ibis F Falconiformes - Birds of preyFelidae - CatsFelis Concolor - PumaFratercula arctica - Atlantic puffinFregatidae - Frigatebirds G Galeocerdo Cuvier - Tiger SharkGallus Gallus - ChickenGastropoda - Gastropods, slugs and snailsGavialis gangeticus - GavialGeochelone nigra - Galapagos tortoiseGiraffa camelopardalis - GiraffeGorilla gorilla - GorillaGymnophiona - Caecilians H Heloderma Suspectum - Gila monsterHelogale Parvula - MongooseHippopotamus amphibus - HippopotamusHomo neanderthalensis - NeandertalHyaenidae - HyenasHyperoodon ampullatus - Northern bottlenose whale IIguana Iguana - IguanaIndri Indri - InrdiInsecta - InsectsIsoptera - Termite L Lagenorhynchus acutus - Atlantic white-sided dolphinLagenorhynchus obscurus - Dusky dolphinLagomorpha - Hares, rabbits and pikasLoxodonta africana - African elephantLynx lynx - Eurasian lynxLynx rufus - Bobcat M Mammalia - MammalsMarsupialia - MarsupialsMeles meles - European badgerMephitidae - Skunks and stink badgersMetazoa - AnimalsMicrolophus albemarlensis - Lava lizardMollusca - MollusksMorus bassanus - Northern gannetMustela nigripes - Black-footed ferretMustelidae - MustelidsMyrmecophaga tridactyla - Giant anteater O Orcaella brevirostris - Irrawaddy dolphinOrcinus orca - OrcaOctopus vugaris - OctopusOdobenus Rosmarus - WalrusOdocoileus Virginiana - DeerOrnithorhynchus Anatinus - Platypus PPanthera leo - LionPanthera onca - PantherPanthera pardus - LeopardPanthera pardus orientalis - Amur leopardPanthera tigris - TigerPanthera tigris altaica - Siberian tigerPanthera uncia - Snow leopardPelicaniformes - Pelicans and relativesPerissodactyla - Odd-toed ungulatesPhascolarctos cinereus - KoalaPhoca vitulina - Common sealPhoenicopterus ruber - Greater flamingoPlatalea ajaja - Roseate spoonbillPongo pygmaeus - Bornean orangutanPorifera - SpongesProboscidea - ElephantsPropithecus tattersalli - Golden-crowned sifakaPterois volitans - Firefish or lionfishPteropus rodricensis - Rodriguez flying foxPuma concolor - Mountain LionPygoscelis adeliae - Adà ©lie penguin RRamphastos Sulfuratus - Keel-billed toucanRana Catesbeiana - BullfrogRangifer tarandus - CaribouRaphus Cucullatus - DodoReptilia - ReptilesRhincodon typus - Whale sharkRodentia - Rodents SSarcopterygii - Lobe-finned fishesScyphozoa - JellyfishSphenisciformes - PenguinsSphenodontida - TuatarasSphyrnidae - Hammerhead sharksSquamata - Amphisbaenians, lizards and snakesStrigiformes - OwlsStruthio camelus - OstrichSuidae - PigsSula nebouxii - Blue-footed boobySuricata suricatta - Meerkat TTamandua tetradactyla - Southern tamanduaTamias Striatus - ChipmunkTapiridae - TapirsTinamiformes - TinamousTragelaphus oryx - Eland antelopeTremarctos ornatus - Spectacled bearTrichechus - ManateesTrochilidae - HummingbirdsTursiops truncatus - Bottlenose dolphinTytonidae - Barn owls UUrochordata - Sea squirtUroplatus - Leaf-tailed geckoUrsus Americanus - American black bearUrsus Arctos - Brown bearUrsus Maritimus - Polar bear VVaranus Indicus - Monitor lizardVaranus komodoensis - Komodo dragonVespa Mandarinia - Asian giant hornetVombatus Ursinus - WombatVulpes vulpes - Red fox XXenarthra - XenarthransXenopus Laevis - African clawed frog