Creature Library is a free, illustrated animal encyclopedia for curious kids, the grown-ups who read with them and the teachers who send them here for homework.
What you will find here
Illustrated profiles of animals from the aardvark to the zebra. Every profile follows the same pattern, so animals are easy to compare: what the animal is, where it lives, what it eats, how big it grows and how long it lives, then a closer look at its life and a few facts worth repeating at the dinner table.
You can browse every animal from A to Z, or by type, by diet, or by where in the world they live. There are side-by-side comparison pages for the animals people mix up most, such as an alligator and a crocodile or a rabbit and a hare. And when you have read enough, you can take on Buddy in the Animal Chain game on the home page.
How the profiles are written
Profiles are written in plain English for young readers, without talking down to them. Facts are checked against trusted references, such as natural history museums, zoos and aquariums, and the IUCN Red List for each animal’s conservation status. Measurements are given in feet and pounds with metric in brackets, so a profile works wherever you are reading it.
When better information comes along the profile is updated, and each one shows when it was last changed.
About the pictures
The illustrations on this site are made with AI image tools and then chosen, checked and edited by a person. We say so plainly because we think you should know what you are looking at.
They are drawn to be accurate and are checked against photographs of the real animal, but an illustration is not a photograph. If you are identifying an animal in the wild, or doing work where the exact markings matter, use a field guide or a photographic reference as well.
If an illustration looks wrong to you, please tell us.
Spotted a mistake?
Science moves on, and sometimes we get things wrong. If something looks off, please tell us, and include a source if you have one. Every message is read.
Free for everyone
The whole site is free to read, with no account, no sign-up and no paywall. Teachers are welcome to print any page or show it to a class.