Animals

Geomyoidea — pocket gophers, kangaroo rats and related rodents Geomyoidea Geomyoidea is a superfamily of rodents including Geomyidae (pocket gophers), Heteromyidae (kangaroo rats and pocket mice) and fossil relatives, known for cheek pouches, burrowing a…

Gerbil: small desert-adapted rodents and common pets Gerbil Overview of gerbils: biology, habitat, major species, history of domestication, behavior, and their care and role as pets.

German Shepherd — breed overview, history, characteristics and uses German Shepherd Comprehensive guide to the German Shepherd: origins, appearance, temperament, common uses, health concerns, working vs show lines, and practical care for owners and handlers.

Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) — long-snouted river crocodilian Gharial A long-snouted, fish-eating crocodilian native to South Asian rivers. The gharial is notable for its narrow jaws and the male's bulbous nasal growth; it is endangered and survives…

Ghost frog (Heleophrynidae) Ghost frog A compact encyclopedic overview of ghost frogs (family Heleophrynidae): appearance, habitat, life cycle, conservation status and distinguishing traits of the stream‑adapted frogs o…

Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla): appearance, behavior, and habitat Giant anteater An overview of the giant anteater—its distinctive anatomy, diet of ants and termites, distribution in Central and South America, behavior, and conservation considerations.

Giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) Giant armadillo Largest living armadillo of South America: a nocturnal, deep-burrowing insectivore with heavy armor, large claws, low reproductive rate and a fragmented, threatened range.

Giant octopus (Enteroctopus) — large temperate-ocean octopuses Giant octopus Enteroctopus, commonly called giant octopuses, are a small genus of large temperate-ocean octopuses noted for their size, intelligence, and ecological role in coastal food webs.

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Giant panda Large black-and-white bear native to central China; bamboo specialist, conservation icon with distinctive adaptations, limited mountain range, and extensive protection and recovery…

Giant salamander (family Cryptobranchidae) Giant salamander Large, fully aquatic salamanders of the family Cryptobranchidae, including the Chinese and Japanese giants and the North American hellbender; notable for great size, flattened bodi…

Giant squid (Architeuthis): the deep‑ocean cephalopod Giant squid Large deep-ocean squid of the genus Architeuthis, known for great length, huge eyes, elusive behavior, and cultural impact; filmed alive only in the 21st century.

Giant tortoise: island giants, evolution, history and conservation Giant tortoise Large, long-lived land tortoises found on tropical islands; notable for great size, long lifespans, convergent evolution, historic exploitation, and modern conservation efforts.

Gibbon: the small apes of Southeast Asian forests Gibbon Overview of gibbons: their anatomy, brachiation, social behavior, taxonomy, habitat in Southeast Asia, vocal displays, and conservation concerns.

Giganotosaurus: a large Cretaceous carcharodontosaurid from Patagonia Giganotosaurus Giganotosaurus was a giant carnivorous theropod from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina, known from substantial remains and notable for its size, anatomy, and role as a predator of l…

Gigantopithecus Extinct genus of very large Asian apes known chiefly from jaws and teeth. Lived in the Pleistocene; likely a forest-dwelling herbivore. Size, behavior, and relationships are inferr…

Gigantoraptor Gigantoraptor, discovered in Inner Mongolia, is a giant late Cretaceous oviraptorosaur known for its unusually large size, toothless beak, and implications for feather evolution an…

Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) Gila monster A heavy, venomous lizard native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, known for its bead-like skin, slow gait, and a saliva-derived drug used to…

Gilbert's potoroo: profile of an Australian critically endangered marsupial Gilbert's potoroo Gilbert's potoroo (Potorous gilbertii) is one of Australia's rarest mammals. This small, rabbit-sized marsupial survives in a tiny coastal area and is the focus of intensive conser…

Giraffatitan — Late Jurassic giant sauropod formerly grouped with Brachiosaurus Giraffatitan Giraffatitan is a large Late Jurassic sauropod from the Tendaguru Beds of what is now Tanzania, noted for its long neck, tall forelimbs and a taxonomic history long intertwined wit…

Giraffe: anatomy, behavior, habitat, and conservation Giraffe Tall African ungulate with a long neck, patterned coat and unique cardiovascular adaptations; concise overview of appearance, behaviour, taxonomy, habitat, and conservation challen…

Giraffidae: the giraffe and the okapi Giraffidae Giraffidae is the mammal family of even-toed ungulates that includes two living species—the giraffe and the okapi—characterized by ossicones, ruminant digestion, and a long fossil…

Giraffoidea: the superfamily of giraffe-like ruminants Giraffoidea Giraffoidea is a superfamily of even-toed ruminant mammals that includes extinct lineages and the living giraffe and okapi. This article covers anatomy, fossil history, taxonomy, e…

Glass frog (family Centrolenidae): appearance, behavior and conservation Glass frog Small, mostly green arboreal frogs whose bellies are often translucent. Glass frogs (Centrolenidae) are known for visible internal organs, leaf-laid eggs, nocturnal habits and cons…

Glass lizard — legless lizards often mistaken for snakes Glass lizard Legless lizards in the family Anguidae, commonly called glass lizards or glass snakes, resemble snakes but retain eyelids and external ear openings. Notable for tail autotomy; main…

Glirinae: the dormouse subfamily including Glis and Glirulus Glirinae Glirinae is a small subfamily of dormice comprising two genera, Glis and Glirulus. These nocturnal, largely arboreal rodents include the edible dormouse and the Japanese dormouse.

GloFish: fluorescent genetically modified ornamental fish GloFish GloFish are genetically modified ornamental fish that fluoresce under blue or ultraviolet light, created by inserting fluorescent protein genes into common aquarium species for res…

Glossy-mantled manucode (Manucodia ater) Glossy-mantled manucode A medium-sized bird-of-paradise from New Guinea, notable for its glossy iridescent plumage, red eyes, frugivorous diet and more subdued courtship behavior compared with other Parad…

Glyptodon — the giant armored mammal of the Ice Age Glyptodon Glyptodon was a large, herbivorous, armored mammal from South America (Pleistocene). Related to armadillos and other xenarthrans, it had a heavy carapace, adapted teeth, and likely…

Gnat: small flies of the suborder Nematocera Gnat Gnat describes several kinds of very small flies in the suborder Nematocera. It is a loose, non-technical term covering both biting and non-biting species, many of which swarm in d…

Gnateaters (Conopophagidae): Secretive Neotropical understory birds Gnateater Gnateaters are a small family of insectivorous passerines (Conopophagidae) from Central and South America — ten species in two genera, secretive understory birds often encountered…

Goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) Goblin shark A rare deep‑sea shark notable for its elongated snout and protrusible jaws. The goblin shark inhabits deep continental slopes worldwide and remains poorly known because it is infre…

Goby (Gobiidae): diversity, biology, and ecological role Goby Goby (family Gobiidae) are a large group of mostly small benthic fishes—over 2,000 species—found in marine, brackish and freshwater habitats. Many are burrowers, symbionts, cleaner…

Goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa): description, range and status Goitered gazelle A medium-sized gazelle of Central Asian steppes and deserts, noted for males' throat swelling during rut and for running fast without the pronounced leaping of other gazelles.

Golden bowerbird A rainforest bird of northeastern Australia, the golden bowerbird (Prionodura newtoniana) is a monotypic bowerbird species known for its golden plumage, elaborate courtship structu…

Golden dart frog (Phyllobates terribilis) Golden dart frog A highly toxic poison-dart frog from Colombia's Pacific lowland rainforests, known for its bright coloration, batrachotoxin defenses, dietary origin of toxins, and cultural uses as…

Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos): description, range, behavior and conservation Golden eagle Overview of the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos): appearance, distribution across the Northern Hemisphere, diet and hunting, breeding and life history, threats, conservation and cu…

Golden jackal (Canis aureus) Golden jackal The golden jackal is a medium-sized canid native to parts of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Adaptive and opportunistic, it occupies varied habitats, has several subspecies, and…

Golden lion tamarin Small, vividly colored New World monkey from Brazil's Atlantic Forest. Diurnal, arboreal, and highly social; threatened by habitat loss but the focus of successful conservation and…

Golden mole (family Chrysochloridae) Golden mole Small, subterranean insect-eating mammals native to southern Africa, notable for specialized digging adaptations, reduced eyes, dense fur and convergent evolution with other burrow…

Golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) Golden pheasant A vividly colored gamebird native to western China, the golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) is kept in aviaries worldwide and has established feral populations in parts of Europe…

Golden Retriever: Overview, History, Traits, and Roles Golden Retriever A comprehensive overview of the Golden Retriever: origins, appearance, temperament, common uses, care needs, health considerations, and notable distinctions for owners and handlers…

Goldfinch (Carduelis): overview, appearance, behavior and distribution Goldfinch Small, colourful finches (Carduelis) known for red faces and yellow wing bars; seed-eating, social birds breeding across Europe, North Africa and western/central Asia and introduce…

Goldfish (Carassius auratus): Biology, Varieties, and Care Goldfish An accessible overview of the goldfish—its biology, history of domestication, common varieties, behaviour and practical care advice for aquariums and ponds.

Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi): largest tarantula overview Goliath birdeater spider Large South American tarantula known for its great mass and legspan; ground-dwelling, opportunistic predator with mild venom and urticating hairs, notable life cycle and conservati…

Goliath frog (Conraua goliath): the world's largest frog Goliath frog A comprehensive overview of the goliath frog—its size, appearance, habitat, behavior (including pool-digging), threats and conservation status in west-central Africa.

Gomphothere: extinct elephant-like proboscideans Gomphothere Gomphotheres were diverse, often four-tusked proboscideans that lived from the Miocene to the late Pleistocene. This article summarizes their anatomy, distribution, evolution, and…

Gomphotherium: extinct four‑tusked proboscideans of the Miocene–Pliocene Gomphotherium Gomphotherium was a widespread genus of early proboscideans that lived from the early Miocene into the Pliocene, known for having both upper and lower tusks and a wide distribution…

Gondwanatheria — extinct mammals of the ancient southern continents Gondwanatheria Overview of Gondwanatheria: an enigmatic group of herbivorous mammals known mainly from teeth and jaws, recorded from the Late Cretaceous into the Cenozoic across former Gondwana l…