Animals

Pomeranian (dog) — history, appearance, temperament, and care Pomeranian dog A small Spitz-type companion breed from Pomerania, prized for its dense double coat, lively temperament and long history. Overview of appearance, behavior, grooming, health and not…

Pony A pony is a small type of horse, generally under 14.2 hands, with a stocky build and thick coat. Ponies serve in riding, driving, work and companionship and include breeds such as…

Poodle: Breed overview, characteristics, history and care Poodle Poodle — intelligent, versatile dog breed noted for its curly coat, clear size varieties, distinctive grooming, and origins as a water retriever. Covers appearance, temperament, hi…

Porcupine: the quilled rodent — appearance, behavior, and habitat Porcupine Porcupines are large, slow-moving rodents with protective quills. This article covers their appearance, quill structure and defense, distribution, diet and salt-seeking behavior, r…

Porcupine caribou (Grant’s caribou): overview, migration, and cultural importance Porcupine caribou Porcupine caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) are a northern tundra caribou population that migrates between Alaska and northwestern Canada. This article summarizes identity, behavi…

Porpoise: small coastal cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae Porpoise Porpoises are small, toothed marine mammals in the family Phocoenidae (order Cetacea). This article covers their appearance, behavior, habitats, threats, and key differences from d…

Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis) Portuguese man o' war A siphonophore-like colonial marine organism with a gas-filled float and long venomous tentacles; known for painful stings and often mistaken for a jellyfish.

Portuguese Water Dog A medium-sized, energetic breed from Portugal developed to assist coastal fishermen; known for its water-working ability, distinctive coat, and trainable, affectionate temperament.

Possum (Australasian marsupial) Possum Overview of possums: Australasian marsupials in the suborder Phalangeriformes, their traits, lifecycle, distribution, ecological role, history of introduction, and differences from…

Potamochoerus: the African bushpig and red river hog genus Potamochoerus Potamochoerus is a small genus of wild pigs native to sub‑Saharan Africa, including the bushpig and red river hog. This article covers appearance, behavior, range, ecology, and con…

Potoroo (genus Potorous) Potoroo Small, rabbit-sized marsupials of the genus Potorous native to Australia; nocturnal diggers that feed largely on fungi and tubers. Several species exist, some critically endangered…

Poultry: Domesticated Birds Kept for Eggs, Meat, and Feathers Poultry Overview of poultry: common types, origins, uses in food and agriculture, distinctions from game birds, and basic welfare and management considerations.

Prairie Dog: Social Ground Squirrels of North American Grasslands Prairie dog Small burrowing ground squirrels (genus Cynomys) native to North American prairies. Highly social, keystone species with complex burrows, distinctive alarm calls, and conservation…

Prairie rattlesnake Venomous North American pit viper of grasslands and open country: overview of appearance, behavior, venom, taxonomy, distribution, and conservation.

Prawn: biology, habitat, and human uses Prawn Prawns are decapod crustaceans closely related to shrimp, crabs and lobsters. This article covers their biology, habitat, economic importance, culinary role and the taxonomic and r…

Presbyornis — an extinct early waterfowl genus Presbyornis Presbyornis, an extinct genus of wading waterfowl from the early Paleogene, combined long-legged, flamingo-like posture with duck-like skull and bill used for filter-feeding; known…

Presociality: intermediate social organization in animals Presociality Presociality describes animal social systems with family bonds and cooperative care short of eusocial colonies. It covers subsocial to parasocial arrangements and explains adaptive…

Priapulida — the priapulid or "penis" worms Priapulida Priapulida are a small phylum of marine, unsegmented worms with an eversible spiny proboscis. Mostly burrowers and predators, they are important for understanding Cambrian ecosyste…

Primate (order Primates) Primate Overview of primates: their classification, anatomy, senses, behaviour, conservation and health risks related to close contact with humans.

Prionailurus: the small spotted wild cats of Asia Prionailurus Prionailurus is a genus of small, spotted wild cats native to Asia, including species adapted to forests and wetlands. This entry summarizes their features, ecology, taxonomy, and…

Proboscidea: the order of trunked mammals Proboscidea Proboscidea is the mammal order that includes elephants and their extinct relatives. This article summarizes anatomy, behavior, fossil history, living species, ecological roles and…

Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) Proboscis monkey An overview of the proboscis monkey — its appearance, habitat, diet, behavior, social structure and conservation status, with emphasis on ecological needs and threats.

Procellariidae — the petrels, prions, and shearwaters Procellariidae Procellariidae are a family of pelagic seabirds (petrels and shearwaters) adapted to open-ocean life. This article covers their traits, behavior, taxonomy, threats, and conservatio…

Procellariiformes: the tube‑nosed seabirds Procellariiformes Procellariiformes are a global order of seabirds including albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, storm petrels and diving petrels, noted for tube-like nostrils, long flights, single-e…

Proceratosaurus — a small Middle Jurassic tyrannosauroid Proceratosaurus Small Middle Jurassic theropod from England. An early relative of tyrannosaurids, known from partial skull remains; about 3 m long and important for understanding early coelurosaur…

Procompsognathus: a small Late Triassic theropod Procompsognathus A small, fast-bodied carnivorous dinosaur from the Late Triassic (~210 mya). Fragmentary fossils show cursorial anatomy and a diet of insects and small vertebrates; its remains ill…

Procoptodon: giant short-faced kangaroos of Pleistocene Australia Procoptodon Procoptodon is a genus of large, short-faced kangaroos that lived in Pleistocene Australia; best known is P. goliah, the largest kangaroo, a specialized browser adapted to open, ar…

Procyonidae: raccoons, coatis, kinkajous and relatives Procyonidae Procyonidae is a family of small to medium carnivoran mammals native to the Americas, including raccoons, coatis, kinkajous, ringtails and olingos. Members vary widely in diet, loc…

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) Pronghorn A North American ruminant and the sole living member of Antilocapridae, noted for exceptional speed, distinctive horns, and evolutionary history distinct from true antelopes and de…

Propithecus (sifakas): lemurs of Madagascar Propithecus Propithecus, or sifakas, are a genus of diurnal lemurs endemic to Madagascar, noted for vertical leaping, characteristic bipedal hops on the ground, folivorous-frugivorous diets, s…

Protarchaeopteryx: a small feathered maniraptoran from Early Cretaceous China Protarchaeopteryx Protarchaeopteryx was a small, feathered theropod from Early Cretaceous China. Bird‑like in appearance but not a true flying bird, its fossils illuminate feather evolution and the…

Protoceratops — small horned dinosaur of the Late Cretaceous Protoceratops Protoceratops was a small, frilled ceratopsian from Late Cretaceous Mongolia, known from many fossils and the famous 'Fighting Dinosaurs' specimen preserved with a Velociraptor.

Prototheria — historical grouping of early mammals Prototheria Prototheria is a historical subclass once used for 'first' mammals, chiefly monotremes; the term is now largely abandoned because it does not reflect modern evolutionary relationsh…

Protura: tiny soil-dwelling hexapods with unique sensory legs Protura Protura are small, eyeless, wingless hexapods that live in soil and leaf litter. Distinctive for using their forelegs as sensory organs, they have been variously classified and pla…

Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii) Przewalski's horse A rare wild horse native to Central Asia, notable for its stocky build, erect mane and unique conservation recovery from near extinction through coordinated captive breeding and re…

Pseudobufo subasper — peat-swamp toad (monotypic genus) Pseudobufo subasper A peat‑swamp specialist toad native to parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. Sole species of the genus Pseudobufo, notable for fully webbed hind feet and vulnerability to peatland loss.

Pseudoscorpion: small arachnids that prey on household pests Pseudoscorpion Pseudoscorpions are tiny arachnids (order Pseudoscorpiones) with pincers but no tail. Beneficial predators of mites and larvae, they occur worldwide, have a long fossil record, and…

Psittacinae: the subfamily of true parrots, parakeets and macaws Psittacinae Psittacinae is a subfamily of parrots including true parrots, parakeets and macaws. Overview of features, taxonomy, distribution, ecological roles, relationship to other parrots, a…

Psittacosaurus: small beaked ceratopsian of the Early Cretaceous Psittacosaurus Psittacosaurus is a genus of small, parrot‑beaked ceratopsian dinosaurs from Early Cretaceous Asia, known for many species, preserved quill‑like structures, and fossils that illumi…

Psocoptera — booklice and barklice Psocoptera Psocoptera, commonly called booklice or barklice, are small, often winged insects (1–10 mm) that feed on fungi, algae and detritus; they have ancient origins and diverse ecology an…

Pteranodon: a large toothless pterosaur of the Late Cretaceous Pteranodon Pteranodon was a large toothless pterosaur of the Late Cretaceous, noted for a long wingspan and a distinctive cranial crest, with an exceptional fossil record from marine deposits…

Pteraspids: Armoured Early Jawless Vertebrates of the Silurian–Devonian Seas Pteraspid Pteraspids were extinct, armoured jawless vertebrates (agnathans) that lived from the later Silurian to the end of the Devonian; known from head shields and mouth-edge structures s…

Pterodactyloidea: the short‑tailed pterosaurs Pterodactyloidea Pterodactyloidea are the derived, short‑tailed pterosaurs that appeared in the Middle Jurassic, diversified through the Cretaceous, and went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous (K…

Pterodactylus — small Late Jurassic pterosaur from Solnhofen Pterodactylus Pterodactylus is a small pterosaur from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen limestones of Germany, known from several well-preserved specimens and central to the history of pterosaur resea…

Pterodaustro — the Filter-Feeding Cretaceous Pterosaur Pterodaustro Pterodaustro is a distinctive Lower Cretaceous pterosaur from South America known for its fine, comb-like teeth and likely filter-feeding lifestyle, with adults reaching about a tw…

Pterois (lionfish): venomous reef fishes of the genus Pterois Pterois Pterois, commonly called lionfish, are venomous reef fishes in the scorpionfish family known for bold banding, elongated fins, invasive populations, and prominence in aquaria and f…

Pterosaurs: Mesozoic flying reptiles Pterosaur Pterosaurs were the Mesozoic era’s flying reptiles and the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight. This article explains their anatomy, diversity, fossil history, ecology and…

Pterygotus — extinct giant eurypterid (sea scorpion) Pterygotus Pterygotus is an extinct genus of large eurypterids (sea scorpions) from the Silurian–Devonian, known from fossils on several continents and interpreted as active aquatic predators…