National animals represent identity, culture, biodiversity, and heritage. Each country chooses its national animal, which represents either its military power, its historical background, its natural environment, or its cultural practices. Every national animal receives a distinct scientific classification, which zoologists and taxonomists use to identify the species. The guide presents scientific name of national animals that all countries possess throughout various continents, using verified biological designations and current species information.
The scientific name of the national animal enables students, researchers, and wildlife readers to identify species through international databases. People use common names that vary in different languages, while scientific names exist as a universal standard.
What is the Scientific Name of the National Animal? The scientific name of the national animal refers to the binomial nomenclature assigned under biological classification. This system includes:
Genus name Species name Latin-based standardized format International recognition in zoology For example: The scientific naming system ensures accurate classification in global biodiversity records.
Africa: Scientific Name of National Animals List Country National Animal Scientific Name Status Algeria Fennec fox Vulpes zerda Official Angola Giant sable antelope Hippotragus niger variani Official Benin Lion Panthera leo Symbolic Botswana Plains zebra Equus quagga Official Burkina Faso Stallion (horse) Equus ferus caballus Cultural Burundi Lion Panthera leo Symbolic Cabo Verde None declared — None Cameroon Lion Panthera leo Symbolic Central African Republic African elephant Loxodonta africana Official Chad Goat (Sahel goat) Capra aegagrus hircus Cultural Comoros None declared — None Democratic Republic of the Congo Okapi Okapia johnstoni Official Republic of the Congo Lion Panthera leo Symbolic Djibouti None declared — None Egypt Steppe eagle (coat emblem) Aquila nipalensis Symbolic Equatorial Guinea None declared — None Eritrea Camel Camelus dromedarius Cultural Eswatini Lion Panthera leo Cultural Ethiopia Lion Panthera leo Cultural Gabon Black panther (leopard) Panthera pardus Symbolic Gambia Lion Panthera leo Symbolic Ghana Lion Panthera leo Symbolic Guinea Elephant Loxodonta africana Cultural Guinea-Bissau None declared — None Ivory Coast Elephant Loxodonta africana Cultural Kenya Lion Panthera leo Symbolic Lesotho None declared — None Liberia None declared — None Libya Falcon Falco peregrinus Symbolic Madagascar Ring-tailed lemur Lemur catta Official Malawi None declared — None Mali Horse Equus ferus caballus Cultural Mauritania Dromedary camel Camelus dromedarius Cultural Mauritius Dodo (extinct symbol) Raphus cucullatus Symbolic Morocco Barbary lion Panthera leo leo Symbolic Mozambique Elephant Loxodonta africana Cultural Namibia Oryx (Gemsbok) Oryx gazella Official Niger None declared — None Nigeria Eagle (coat emblem) Aquila rapax Symbolic Rwanda Leopard Panthera pardus Symbolic Sao Tome and Principe None declared — None Senegal Lion Panthera leo Symbolic Seychelles Giant tortoise Aldabrachelys gigantea Official Sierra Leone Lion Panthera leo Cultural Somalia Leopard Panthera pardus Symbolic South Africa Springbok Antidorcas marsupialis Official South Sudan None declared — None Sudan Secretary bird Sagittarius serpentarius Symbolic Tanzania Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis Official Togo Lion Panthera leo Cultural Tunisia None declared — None Uganda Ugandan kob Kobus kob thomasi Official Zambia African fish eagle Icthyophaga vocifer Symbolic Zimbabwe Sable antelope Hippotragus niger Official
Asia: Scientific Name of the National Animals List Country National Animal Scientific Name Status Afghanistan Snow leopard Panthera uncia Official Armenia Golden eagle (emblem) Aquila chrysaetos Symbolic Azerbaijan Karabakh horse Equus ferus caballus Cultural Bahrain Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx Cultural Bangladesh Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris Official Bhutan Takin Budorcas taxicolor Official Brunei None declared — None Cambodia Kouprey Bos sauveli Official China Giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca Official Cyprus Mouflon Ovis gmelini ophion Official Georgia None declared — None India Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris Official Indonesia Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis Official Iran Asiatic lion Panthera leo persica Official Iraq None declared — None Israel Mountain gazelle Gazella gazella Cultural Japan Japanese macaque Macaca fuscata Cultural Jordan Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx Cultural Kazakhstan Snow leopard Panthera uncia Symbolic Kuwait Arabian horse Equus ferus caballus Cultural Kyrgyzstan Snow leopard Panthera uncia Cultural Laos Asian elephant Elephas maximus Cultural Lebanon Striped hyena Hyaena hyaena Cultural Malaysia Malayan tiger Panthera tigris jacksoni Official Maldives None declared — None Mongolia Przewalski’s horse Equus ferus przewalskii Official Myanmar Asian elephant Elephas maximus Cultural Nepal Cow Bos indicus Official North Korea Chollima horse (mythic symbol) — Symbolic Oman Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx Official Pakistan Markhor Capra falconeri Official Palestine Mountain gazelle Gazella gazella Cultural Philippines Carabao Bubalus bubalis Official Qatar Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx Official Saudi Arabia Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx Official Singapore Lion (Merlion symbol) Panthera leo Symbolic South Korea Siberian tiger (symbolic) Panthera tigris altaica Symbolic Sri Lanka Sri Lankan elephant Elephas maximus maximus Official Syria Arabian horse Equus ferus caballus Cultural Tajikistan Snow leopard Panthera uncia Cultural Thailand Thai elephant Elephas maximus Official Timor-Leste Saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus Cultural Turkey Grey wolf Canis lupus Symbolic Turkmenistan Akhal-Teke horse Equus ferus caballus Official United Arab Emirates Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx Official Uzbekistan Snow leopard Panthera uncia Cultural Vietnam Water buffalo Bubalus bubalis Official Yemen Arabian leopard Panthera pardus nimr Cultural
Europe: Scientific Name of National Animals List Country National Animal Scientific Name Status Albania Golden eagle (coat of arms) Aquila chrysaetos Symbolic Andorra None declared — None Austria Golden eagle (heraldic) Aquila chrysaetos Symbolic Belarus European bison Bison bonasus Government Recognized Belgium Lion (heraldic) Panthera leo Symbolic Bosnia and Herzegovina None declared — None Bulgaria Lion (coat of arms) Panthera leo Symbolic Croatia Marten (historic currency symbol) Martes martes Cultural Czech Republic Lion (Bohemian lion) Panthera leo Symbolic Denmark Lion (coat of arms) Panthera leo Symbolic Estonia Wolf Canis lupus Cultural Finland Brown bear Ursus arctos Government Recognized France Gallic rooster Gallus gallus domesticus Symbolic Germany Federal eagle Aquila chrysaetos Symbolic Greece Dolphin (ancient symbol) Delphinus delphis Cultural Hungary Turul (mythical bird) — Mythical Iceland Gyrfalcon (guardian symbol) Falco rusticolus Cultural Ireland Irish hare Lepus timidus hibernicus Cultural Italy Italian wolf Canis lupus italicus Government Recognized Kosovo None declared — None Latvia Wolf Canis lupus Cultural Liechtenstein None declared — None Lithuania White stork (state symbol) Ciconia ciconia Symbolic Luxembourg Lion (heraldic) Panthera leo Symbolic Malta Pharaoh hound Canis lupus familiaris Government Recognized Moldova Aurochs (historic symbol) Bos primigenius Symbolic (Extinct) Monaco None declared — None Montenegro Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos Symbolic Netherlands Lion (heraldic) Panthera leo Symbolic North Macedonia Lynx (Balkan lynx) Lynx lynx balcanicus Cultural Norway Lion (coat of arms) Panthera leo Symbolic Poland White-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Government Recognized Portugal Rooster of Barcelos (symbol) Gallus gallus domesticus Symbolic Romania Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx Cultural Russia Eurasian brown bear Ursus arctos Cultural San Marino None declared — None Serbia White eagle (coat of arms) Aquila chrysaetos Symbolic Slovakia None declared — None Slovenia Lipizzan horse Equus ferus caballus Cultural Spain Bull Bos taurus Cultural Sweden Moose (elk) Alces alces Government Recognized Switzerland None declared — None Ukraine Lion (historic symbol) Panthera leo Symbolic United Kingdom Lion (royal arms) Panthera leo Symbolic Vatican City None declared — None
North America: Latin Name of National Animals Country National Animal Scientific Name of National Animal Antigua and Barbuda Fallow Deer Dama dama Bahamas Flamingo (American Flamingo) Phoenicopterus ruber Barbados Green Monkey Chlorocebus sabaeus Belize Baird’s Tapir Tapirus bairdii Canada North American Beaver Castor canadensis Costa Rica White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus Cuba Cuban Trogon (Tocororo) Priotelus temnurus Dominica Sisserou Parrot (Imperial Amazon) Amazona imperialis Dominican Republic Hispaniolan Trogon Priotelus roseigaster El Salvador Turquoise-browed Motmot Eumomota superciliosa Grenada Grenada Dove Leptotila wellsi Guatemala Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno Haiti Hispaniolan Trogon Priotelus roseigaster Honduras White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus Jamaica Red-billed Streamertail (Doctor Bird) Trochilus polytmus Mexico Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Nicaragua Turquoise-browed Motmot Eumomota superciliosa Panama Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja Saint Kitts and Nevis Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Saint Lucia Saint Lucia Parrot Amazona versicolor Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent Parrot Amazona guildingii Trinidad and Tobago Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber United States American Bison Bison bison
South America: Latin Name of National Animals Country National Animal Scientific Name of National Animal Argentina Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus Bolivia Llama Lama glama Brazil Jaguar Panthera onca Chile Huemul (South Andean Deer) Hippocamelus bisulcus Colombia Andean Condor Vultur gryphus Ecuador Andean Condor Vultur gryphus Guyana Jaguar Panthera onca Paraguay Pampas Fox Lycalopex gymnocercus Peru Vicuña Vicugna vicugna Suriname Jaguar Panthera onca Uruguay Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis Venezuela Venezuelan Troupial Icterus icterus
Oceania: National Animals Scientific Name Country National Animal Scientific Name of National Animal Australia Red Kangaroo Macropus rufus Fiji Fiji Crested Iguana Brachylophus vitiensis Kiribati Frigatebird Fregata minor Marshall Islands Frigatebird Fregata minor Micronesia Micronesian Kingfisher Todiramphus cinnamominus Nauru Black Noddy Anous minutus New Zealand Kiwi (North Island Brown Kiwi)Apteryx mantelli Palau Palau Fruit Dove Ptilinopus pelewensis Papua New Guinea Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise Paradisaea raggiana Samoa Flying Fox (Fruit Bat) Pteropus samoensis Solomon Islands Solomons Cockatoo Cacatua ducorpsii Tonga Red Shining Parrot Prosopeia tabuensis Tuvalu Frigatebird Fregata minor Vanuatu Vanuatu Megapode Megapodius layardi
Conclusion The complete guide presents the confirmed biological names of the national animals of all countries, which the guide organizes by continental region. The scientific name of the national animal ensures the accuracy of classification between different regions of the world while providing an established method for classifying animals. The correct scientific name of the national animal should be used in academic studies, competitive exams, and wildlife research because it enhances both credibility and research accuracy.
