While there are hundreds of adorable animals across the globe, Discover Magazine narrowed this list down to 20 of the cutest animals that exist today. From cuddly rodents to happy amphibians to waddling birds, enjoy these delightful animals.
1. Red Panda
Native to the eastern Himalayas, red pandas are more closely related to raccoons than the giant panda. Although these forest dwellers have extremely cute faces, their colorful facial markings have a purpose — helping to camouflage in their environment.
2. Fennec Fox
With big ears and cute little faces, the fennec fox lives in the deserts of North Africa. They're the smallest wild dog, weighing in at only 2 to 3 pounds. Their ears — as big as half their body length — help dissipate excess body heat on hot days.
3. Quokka
Part of the marsupial family, Quokkas have a permanent grin. Typically breeding once a year, quokkas produce only one baby, a joey. Found mostly on Australia’s Rottnest Island, tourism has led to increasing interaction between quokkas and humans.
4. Koala Bear
Koalas are not bears at all but part of the marsupial family. These cuddly-looking animals are not as friendly as their cute appearance suggests. They can become aggressive when threatened. Koalas spend most of their time sleeping and eating — consuming a diet mostly of eucalyptus leaves.
5. Sea Otter
The sea otter is the smallest North American sea mammal. It also has the densest fur of any mammal, with up to a million hairs per square inch. Aside from their cute appearance, they engage in endearing behaviors, such as rubbing their faces and holding hands.
6. Hedgehog
These spiny mammals are members of the Erinaceidae family and date back approximately 15 million years ago. Their cuteness is enhanced by their little faces and how they curl into a ball. These quirky animals are often kept as pets.
7. Meerkat
As social creatures, meerkats live in large groups — where they work together and enjoy companionship. Meerkats' cooperation efforts include huddling together for warmth and standing to serve as a safety lookout for the group. These group dynamics and cooperation efforts are part of what makes meerkats so intelligent.
8. Giant Panda
Along with their distinctive, large black eye patches, giant pandas have short limbs and round bodies. Short limbs and pudgy body shape make giant pandas susceptible to falls. Once down, they have a playful way of rolling until they get back up.
9. Penguins
These flightless birds engage in playful behaviors like sliding on snow and diving into water. They’re also devoted parents and very social creatures. The way penguins waddle when they walk, although cute, helps them maintain balance and efficiency.
10. Pika
Although they look like hamsters, these mammals are related to rabbits. These small, egg-shaped mountain dwellers weigh only about 7 ounces. As herbivores, pikas use their sharp, chisel-like teeth for cutting and eating plants — from which they also derive their water.
11. Arctic Fox
The arctic fox is the only canine that changes their coat color with the seasons. In winter, it’s white — to help blend in with the snow. Other times, their coat is brown and grey to enable camouflage among the rocks.
12. Axolotl
Axolotls are called the smiling salamander, and for good reason. Popular pets (but illegal in three states and Washington, D.C.), these amphibians can live up to 15 years in captivity. Salamanders are the only adult vertebrates that can regrow limbs, and axolotls are no exception.
13. Rabbit
With small, twitching noses and soft fur, it’s no wonder rabbits made the list. The smallest rabbit, the pygmy, weighs only a pound — while the Flemish giant rabbit can reach 4 feet long and 22 pounds. They can also be found on every continent except Antarctica.
14. Sugar Glider
These marsupials are small possums native to Australia and New Guinea that are kept as kept as pets all over the world. Although they can bond with their human owner, there are downsides to keeping sugar gliders as pets. These include their nocturnal lifestyle and their strong odor.
15. Capybara
Smart and friendly, the world’s largest rodent (weighing more than 100 pounds) is social and gentle. Native to South America, capybaras have webbed feet and are strong swimmers. They live in groups of 50 to 100, depending on the season.
16. Japanese Weasel
Japanese weasels have been used to control the rat population on some smaller Japanese islands, as they are excellent hunters — able to swim, climb trees, and run down tunnels to pursue prey. For many years, they were used for their fur, but Japan eliminated fur farms in the mid-2000s.
17. Margay
The genus Leopardus includes eight small spotted cats — one of which is the margay. With a tail half as long as its body and ankles that can rotate 180 degrees, the margay is an agile and effective hunter. Their agility enables them to climb down trees head first.
18. Pygmy Marmoset
The smallest monkey in the world, these cute critters weigh in at just over 4 ounces. Able to turn their head 180 degrees and leap more than 16 feet — they can move quickly through the trees of South America’s Amazon rain forests.
19. Raccoon Dog
As its name suggests, this canid family member has face markings that bear a resemblance to that of a raccoon. They're considered invasive species in Europe and prohibited from being imported or bred. They’re the only wild dog species that hibernate in winter.
20. Sand Cat
The smallest of the wild cats, sand cats live a solitary life in the deserts of Africa and Asia. They’re well adapted to their environment and able to go weeks without water. With a keen sense of hearing, they’re able to locate and hunt prey underground.
Read More: 5 Animals That Are Cute, But Not Too Friendly
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
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Exotic Pet Behavior. Vulpes zerda
PLOS ONE. A 29-year retrospective analysis of koala rescues in New South Wales, Australia
Science. Cooperation, Control, and Concession in Meerkat Groups
Leeds City Council. Meerkat facts that will amaze your kids
Why Penguins Communicate. The Evolutionary Biology of Penguins
BBC Earth. How the Collared Pika Prepares For Winter
Proceedings. Biological sciences. Fur colour in the Arctic fox: genetic architecture and consequences for fitness
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Allison Futterman is a Charlotte, N.C.-based writer whose science, history, and medical/health writing has appeared on a variety of platforms and in regional and national publications. These include Charlotte, People, Our State, and Philanthropy magazines, among others. She has a BA in communications and an MS in criminal justice.
