Land fauna
Land animals of North America
North America reaches from Arctic tundra to deserts and subtropical wetlands, with bears, wolves, raptors, and animals that crossed the Central American land bridge.
82 featured animals · representative selection, not a complete range map
Major habitats
Representative mammals
The American bison of the Great Plains and parts of North America; restored after near-extinction.
GrasslandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
North American and Eurasian beavers.
FreshwaterWetlandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Ranges from parts of the southern United States through Central and South America.
ForestWetlandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Northern forests of North America and northern Eurasia.
ForestWetlandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Sea ice and coasts of the Arctic, including parts of northern North America; circumpolar.
PolarCoastalVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Grasslands and shrub-steppe of western and central North America; the fastest land animal in the Americas.
GrasslandDesertVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Native to North America; introduced to parts of Europe and Asia.
ForestWetlandUrban-adaptedVerified rangeIntroduced in placesSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tropical forests of Central and South America.
ForestVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Forests across much of North America (Canada, the United States and parts of Mexico).
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Arctic tundra of parts of northern North America; circumpolar.
PolarTundraBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The Americas; the nine-banded armadillo ranges into the southern United States.
GrasslandForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Badger species occur across Eurasia and North America.
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Bats occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestUrban-adaptedCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The brown bear ranges across North America, Europe, and Asia; other bears occur in these regions too.
ForestMountainTundraBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Animal Diversity Web
Mountains, foothills and rocky terrain in parts of western North America.
MountainGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Forests, scrub and deserts across much of North America.
ForestDesertGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Wide-ranging; found in parts of North America (and South America), from forests to deserts.
ForestMountainGrasslandDesertBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Highly adaptable; found across much of North America, including around towns and cities.
GrasslandForestDesertUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Deer occur natively across many continents.
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Forests, meadows and mountains across parts of North America (also parts of Asia).
ForestGrasslandMountainBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The red fox is one of the most widespread wild carnivores; foxes also occur on other continents.
ForestGrasslandUrban-adaptedTundraBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Animal Diversity Web
Lynx species occur across Europe, Asia, and North America.
ForestMountainTundraBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Steep alpine cliffs and high mountains in parts of north-western North America.
MountainBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Otter species occur on most continents.
FreshwaterWetlandCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Old World and New World porcupines occur across several continents.
ForestGrasslandDesertBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Seals occur on coasts and in cold seas worldwide, including around Antarctica.
CoastalPolarBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Striped and spotted skunks are widespread across much of North America.
ForestGrasslandUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tapir species occur in Central and South America and in South-east Asia.
ForestWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Across much of the Northern Hemisphere.
ForestTundraGrasslandMountainBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Representative birds
Reintroduced to parts of the south-western US and Mexico after becoming Extinct in the Wild.
MountainVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Found only in the Americas.
ForestMountainVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tropical forests of Central and South America.
ForestVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, National Audubon Society, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
A small migratory population breeds in Canada and winters on the Texas Gulf coast; very rare.
WetlandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Near lakes, rivers and coasts across much of North America.
CoastalFreshwaterWetlandForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Clear northern lakes across parts of North America; winters on coasts.
FreshwaterWetlandCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Crows are widespread and highly adaptable.
Urban-adaptedForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The mallard is widespread across the Northern Hemisphere.
FreshwaterWetlandBroad / widespreadEagle species occur on several continents.
MountainForestCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The peregrine falcon is among the most widely distributed birds.
GrasslandMountainUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Hawks are widespread; the red-tailed hawk ranges across North America.
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Owls occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestGrasslandUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Animal Diversity Web
Pelicans occur on coasts and inland waters across continents.
CoastalWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The rock dove is found worldwide, especially around cities.
Urban-adaptedCoastalBroad / widespreadIntroduced in placesSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Encyclopaedia Britannica
The common raven ranges across the Northern Hemisphere.
MountainTundraForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Wetlands, grasslands and farmland across parts of North America (and north-eastern Asia).
WetlandGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Breeds on Arctic tundra (including parts of northern North America); moves south irregularly in winter.
PolarTundraGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The house sparrow has spread across much of the world alongside people.
Urban-adaptedGrasslandBroad / widespreadIntroduced in placesSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Swan species occur across the Northern Hemisphere; the black swan is native to Australia.
FreshwaterWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Old World and New World vultures occur across several continents.
SavannaMountainBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Woodlands and forest edges across parts of North America.
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Woodpeckers occur on most continents (absent from Australia and Antarctica).
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Representative reptiles & amphibians
The American alligator lives in the south-eastern US; the Chinese alligator in eastern China.
WetlandFreshwaterVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Fresh and brackish wetlands, swamps and rivers of the south-eastern United States.
WetlandFreshwaterVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Restricted to a small area of lakes and canals near Mexico City; Critically Endangered in the wild.
FreshwaterVerified rangeSource: AmphibiaWeb, Animal Diversity Web, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Wetlands of Central and South America.
WetlandFreshwaterVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Deserts and arid scrub of the south-western United States and north-western Mexico.
DesertVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Native to parts of eastern North America; widely introduced elsewhere, where it can be invasive.
FreshwaterWetlandBroad / widespreadIntroduced in placesSource: AmphibiaWeb, Animal Diversity Web, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Frogs occur on every continent except Antarctica.
WetlandFreshwaterForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Geckos are a large, widespread group across warm regions of the world.
ForestDesertUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Green iguanas range across Central and South America.
ForestCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Newts occur across the Northern Hemisphere.
FreshwaterWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Many rattlesnake species live across parts of North America (and into South America).
DesertGrasslandForestBroad / widespreadSource: Britannica, Animal Diversity Web, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Salamanders are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere.
FreshwaterForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Snakes occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestGrasslandDesertWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Ponds, lakes and slow rivers across much of central and eastern North America.
FreshwaterWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
True toads are widespread across continents.
GrasslandForestUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Freshwater and terrestrial turtles occur widely across continents.
FreshwaterWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Featured fish & aquatic life
A representative selection of fish recorded for North America, grouped by where they live rather than as a single scientific class. Coverage is representative, not complete; each card links to a profile with source-backed range notes.
Large rivers, reservoirs and swamps of the southern United States and parts of Mexico.
FreshwaterBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Native to the North Pacific and rivers of western North America; also hatchery-raised and introduced (e.g. the Great Lakes).
FreshwaterCoastalBroad / widespreadIntroduced in placesSource: Animal Diversity Web, NOAA Fisheries, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Great Lakes, Mississippi and Hudson Bay drainages in parts of North America.
FreshwaterBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Pacific and Atlantic salmon occur in rivers and seas of parts of North America.
FreshwaterCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, NOAA Fisheries, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Notable invertebrates
Ants occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestGrasslandUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadBees occur on every continent except Antarctica.
GrasslandForestUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Butterflies occur on every continent except Antarctica.
GrasslandForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Dragonflies are found near fresh water across every continent except Antarctica.
WetlandFreshwaterBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Atlantic horseshoe crab lives along the eastern coasts of North America (and Central America).
CoastalBroad / widespreadSource: WoRMS, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Lady beetles are widespread across the world's land continents.
GrasslandUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Hardwood forests of parts of eastern North America.
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Breeds across much of North America; migrates to overwintering sites in central Mexico and coastal California.
GrasslandForestUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Mantises occur in warmer regions across many continents.
GrasslandForestBroad / widespreadSeveral scorpion species live in deserts and drylands of parts of North America.
DesertBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Spiders occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestGrasslandUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source & range methodology
- Distribution notes are cautious educational summaries drawn from the authoritative source linked on each animal — not complete range maps.
- A confidence label is shown on every record; introduced and domestic contexts are flagged, and we avoid unsupported “native to” claims.
- Captive or zoo presence is never treated as wild range, and continent membership is not a political claim about borders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this every animal in North America?
Are these animals all native to North America?
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