Red is a color that commands attention. Sometimes, in nature, it’s used as a warning. But that isn’t always the case. There are countless bright red animals of all shapes and sizes in the natural world!
Here are some of nature’s most beautiful animals with red coloration:
1. Phantasmal Poison Frog
- Latin name: Epipedobates tricolor
- Habitat: Tropical forests and wetlands in Ecuador
- Size: About 0.9″ long
- Diet: Ants and other small insects
- Colorful feature: The phantasmal poison frog has beautiful and distinct coloring. Its body is marked with bright, candy-like stripes of red and white! Some frogs are more of a cardinal red while others are closer to maroon.
The phantasmal poison frog is especially striking, but it’s also quite rare. Currently, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as being vulnerable to extinction. Part of that has to do with its declining numbers, and its relatively small range also plays a part. The “poison” part of the name references the frog’s secretion of epibatidine, a topic alkaloid that can cause numbness and even paralysis in high enough doses.
2. Scarlet Tanager
- Latin name: Piranga olivacea
- Habitat: Areas with deciduous trees in much of eastern North America and some parts of South America
- Size: About 6.3″-7.5″ long
- Diet: Largely insects, fruit, and seeds
- Colorful feature: During breeding season, male scarlet tanagers have incredibly bright red bodies with dark black wings. To the untrained eye, the olive-yellow females may look like a different species!
These beautiful little birds are usually associated with eastern North America, but they migrate to northwestern South America. They can be hard to spot in the wild, as they generally prefer to forage and hunt for insects high up in trees. Scarlet tanagers will eat stinging insects, but they scrape them against branches to remove the stinger before eating!
3. Blood-Red Glider
- Latin name: Cymothoe sangaris
- Habitat: Many habitat types in central Africa, especially forests
- Size: About 2.2″ long
- Diet: Rinorea species of plants
- Colorful feature: Just as its name suggests, the blood-red glider is an incredibly bright butterfly! The dorsal sides of its wings are almost entirely red. There’s a tiny bit of contrasting black patterning along the edges.
This butterfly just might be the brightest red of all butterfly species. And thanks to its beauty, it’s often sold as a framed or preserved specimen to use in home decor or some kinds of crafts.
4. Red Velvet Ant
- Latin name: Dasymutilla occidentalis
- Habitat: Various habitats in the eastern United States
- Size: About 0.75″ long
- Diet: Nectar and honeydew
- Colorful feature: These ants have a black base color and bands of rich, velvety-red hair. This is an example of aposematic coloring, or coloring that serves as a warning to predators.
Many people don’t know this, but the red velvet ant isn’t an ant at all! It’s a species of wasp, but only the males have wings. Be careful if you see a wingless female red velvet ant. Their stings are so powerful that these creatures are sometimes called “cow killers.”
5. Geyri Uromastyx
- Latin name: Uromastyx geyri
- Habitat: Rocky, semi-arid parts of North Africa
- Size: About 13″ long
- Diet: Mostly various types of plant matter
- Colorful feature: The lizard in the picture is an example of the “red phase” of this species. Red-phase lizards are bright orange to red, and males are often brighter than females.
This lizard is one of the smaller Uromastyx species. Like other members of the genus, it is gentle and often makes a great pet. Its thick, spiky tail looks intimidating, but that’s by design. If a uromastyx is attacked by a predator, it can swing the tail as a defense mechanism. And when resting in a burrow, it will position the spiky tail close to the opening in order to keep predators away.
6. Chili Rasbora
- Latin name: Boraras brigittae
- Habitat: Swamps in Borneo, Indonesia
- Size: Up to about 0.8″ long
- Diet: Worms, insects, and other small animals
- Colorful feature: Male chili rasboras are more colorful than females; they are very bright red with a few black markings. Females are patterned similarly, but their colors are a bit softer.
Though these fish are bright and beautiful, they aren’t ideal for a community aquarium. Since they are small and shy, chili rasboras tend to be happiest in a school of their own kind. However, they tend to do well in tanks with shrimp, too. If they are well cared for, they can live up to eight years in captivity.
7. Hawaiian Honeycreeper
- Latin name: Drepanis coccinea
- Habitat: Can be found across much of Hawaii
- Size: About 4″ to 8″ long
- Diet: Mostly nectar and small arthropods
- Colorful feature: This bright and highly distinctive bird has largely scarlet plumage, though its wings and tail are deep black. Its long, curved, salmon-colored bill makes it easy to identify.
This striking bird is often seen as a symbol of Hawaii. Though it was once hunted for the feather trade, it is now primarily admired in its natural habitat. You might sometimes hear this bird referred to by its Hawaiian name, the ‘i’iwi.
8. Rainbow Boa
- Latin name: Epicrates cenchria
- Habitat: Forests, woodlands, and savannas in parts of South America
- Size: About 4′-6′ long
- Diet: Various types of mammals and birds
- Colorful feature: This beautiful snake has a red to red-brown base color with black patterning. But the “rainbow” part of the name refers to the brilliant iridescent sheen on the scales. In sunlight, this snake appears to reflect every color of the rainbow!
This striking snake can be found in forests or even swimming in the wild! But thanks to its beautiful colors and docile nature, it’s also a popular pet among reptile enthusiasts. A well-cared-for rainbow boa can live up to 30 years in captivity.
9. Spanish Dancer Nudibranch
- Latin name: Hexabranchus sanguineus
- Habitat: Much of the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific
- Size: Up to about 24″ long
- Diet: Different types of sea sponges
- Colorful feature: This massive sea slug is usually bright red, although some individuals are yellow. Though it appears solid-colored from afar, it’s usually covered in small white spots.
You might wonder how a sea slug came to have such a pretty name. When it’s threatened, it folds and unfolds its body while swimming away. The motion makes it look like a dancer’s fluttering dress, hence the name “Spanish dancer.” When at rest, its mantle edges are curled along the body in the shape of a blister.
10. Kisaki Nothobranch
- Latin name: Nothobranchius flammicomantis
- Habitat: Seasonal pools in Tanzania
- Size: Up to about 2″ long
- Diet: Various small aquatic animals
- Colorful feature: These glossy, red and white fish have especially fiery red fins and tails. Most individuals have some level of white streaks or spots on the fins.
Not to be confused with a nudibranch (or sea slug), this nothobranch is a variety of fish. In the wild, it is classified as being vulnerable to extinction. However, it can be bred fairly easily in captivity and is a popular aquarium pet. It’s usually a peaceful and easygoing fish that does well in community tanks.
11. Summer Tanager
- Latin name: Piranga rubra
- Habitat: Can be found across much of southern North America, though it migrates to Central and South America in winter
- Size: Up to about 7″ long
- Diet: Mostly insects and berries
- Colorful feature: Males of this species are a bright, warm red similar to the color of a male cardinal. But as is the case with some related species, females are more of a yellow-olive color and look very different from the males.
Interestingly enough, though it is still called the summer tanager, this bird species has been reclassified as a member of the cardinal family. Their beaks, plumage, and even their songs are closer to those of the cardinal than they are to other tanagers.
12. Tomato Frog
- Latin name: Dyscophus sp.
- Habitat: Can be found across Madagascar
- Size: Males are about 2″-3″ long; females are about 4″ long
- Diet: Mostly insects and other small invertebrates
- Colorful feature: As you can see in the picture, this frog is named after its bright red coloring. The warm, orangish red is close to the color of most tomatoes, and the frog’s round shape only increases the resemblance.
The large, nocturnal tomato frog is sometimes kept as a pet. It’s relatively easy to keep, although it’s important to make sure it has an enclosure with coconut fiber or similar burrow-friendly materials.
13. Mediterranean Red Sea Star
- Latin name: Echinaster sepositus
- Habitat: Much of the eastern Atlantic and the Red Sea
- Size: Up to 12″ in diameter
- Diet: Clams, mussels, and some other marine organisms
- Colorful feature: This bright red animal is what most people picture when they imagine a sea star. Its texture has been described as “soapy” and sets it apart from similar-looking sea stars.
This beautiful and widespread sea star can thrive in a range of different habitats throughout its range. It makes an especially colorful addition to seagrass meadows, which are collections of grass-like aquatic plants.
14. Eastern Newt Eft
- Latin name: Notophthalmus viridescens
- Habitat: Can be found across much of eastern North America
- Size: About 1″-3″ long
- Diet: Mostly insects and other very small animals
- Colorful feature: This creature is the juvenile stage of the eastern newt. Thanks to its vivid red-orange color, it’s often called a “red eft.” Its body is vivid red to reddish orange, and it is dotted in deep red spots.
This pretty orange animal is the second life stage of the eastern newt. It starts as a tadpole-like larva that swims. In this juvenile phase, it lives on land and often ventures far from where it was hatched. In adulthood, it is less colorful and returns to being aquatic. This amphibian produces tetrodoxin, a toxin that can cause paralysis or even kill predators.
15. Scarlet Peacock Butterfly
- Latin name: Anartia amathea
- Habitat: Can be found in many parts of the Caribbean and South America
- Size: Wingspan about 1.6″
- Diet: Primarily nectar
- Colorful feature: Males of this species have especially striking coloring. The parts of their wings closest to the body look as though they’re splashed with red. The outer edges are black with white spots, much like those of a swallowtail. Females have a similar pattern, but their coloring looks more washed-out.
Butterflies are incredibly colorful, but few are actually red. This bright species certainly makes a statement! It’s easy to confuse with the similar-looking banded peacock. However, while the banded peacock has similar coloring, it has much less red.
16. Red Milkweed Beetle
- Latin name: Tetraopes tetrophthalmus
- Habitat: Can be found in most places where milkweed plants grow, especially in northeastern and central parts of the United States
- Size: 0.4″-0.5″ long
- Diet: Mostly milkweed and dogbane plants
- Colorful feature: This bright creature looks almost like a cartoon drawing of a bug! Its body is crimson red with a few black spots, and it has conspicuously long black antennae.
The red milkweed beetle’s bright coloring just might serve as a warning to predators. Like many other insect species that feed on toxic plants, this one is able to absorb toxins from milkweed. Those toxins make it taste unpleasant to predators.
17. Spider-Man Agama
- Latin name: Agama mwanzae
- Habitat: Semi-desert areas in Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania
- Size: About 6″-9″ long
- Diet: Mostly insects, herbs, succulents, and flowers
- Colorful feature: The name “Spider-Man agama” comes from the coloring of the male. He has a bright red head and upper body and blue to blue-violet arms, legs, and lower body!
This lizard is also called the Mwanza flat-headed rock agama. But thanks to its resemblance to the comic-book hero, it’s become a popular pet lizard, especially in the United States. Unlike some solitary pet lizards (like bearded dragons), Spider-Man agamas prefer to be kept in pairs or small groups.
18. Discus Fish
- Latin name: Symphysodon sp.
- Habitat: Can be found throughout the Amazon River basin
- Size: Up to about 9″ long
- Diet: Mostly algae and other types of plant material
- Colorful feature: Especially in captivity, these fish come in a range of patterns. You can find solid red discus as well as those like the one in the picture that have a maze-like, red and white pattern. Oddly enough, red female discus tend to be a deeper, brighter red than males.
The community of discus fish fanciers is one of the largest fish fancier communities. And it’s easy to see why: discus come in a seemingly endless array of bright colors and patterns! Serious enthusiasts will even take their fish to shows.
19. Red Net-Winged Beetle
- Latin name: Dictyoptera aurora
- Habitat: Can be found across much of Europe, North America, and Siberia
- Size: About 0.2″-0.4″ long
- Diet: Mostly pollen, nectar, and smaller insects
- Colorful feature: This slender beetle has remarkably bright red or red-brown wings. And as you can see in the photo, the wings have an unusual, almost net-like texture.
This beetle is sometimes called the “golden net-winged beetle” even though its wings are typically red. It’s especially hardy, as it can withstand even the harsh weather conditions of Siberia.
20. Red Milk Snake
- Latin name: Lampropeltis triangulum syspila
- Habitat: Can be found in parts of the central and southeastern United States
- Size: About 24″-36″ long
- Diet: Mostly rodents and smaller reptiles
- Colorful feature: This colorful snake has a bright red base color marked with horizontal bands. Each band has a line of deep black on each side.
Though its color might scare some people, the red milk snake is not venomous. You can distinguish it from the venomous coral snake by looking at the bands of color: the coral snake has bands of yellow next to red. Non-venomous species like the milk snake have red bands next to black.
21. Red Velvet Mite
- Latin name: Trombidiidae family
- Habitat: Typically lives in leaf litter; different species can be found in different parts of the world
- Size: About 0.16″ long
- Diet: Primarily insects
- Colorful feature: Most people probably don’t think of mites as being beautiful or colorful. But if you look closely at the red velvet mite, you’ll see that its body is covered in plush, velvety red.
Like most types of mites, the red velvet mite is a parasite. However, it is harmless to humans. You can often find various species of red velvet mites in the leaf litter of forests. They tend to come out immediately after a heavy rain. Younger mites will usually parasitize insects and similar animals, but adult mites will actively hunt for prey.
22. Bamboo Rat Snake
- Latin name: Oreocryptophis porphyraceus
- Habitat: Hilly, forested areas in Southeast Asia
- Size: Up to about 50″ long
- Diet: Mostly rodents and small mammals
- Colorful feature: This pretty snake is bright red to red-orange. The long, thin black stripes down its body make it especially striking!
Rat snakes in general are somewhat common in the pet trade, as they aren’t terribly big and are fairly gentle. The bamboo rat snake is one of the most sought-after pets, as its bright color and distinctive markings set it apart from many other species.
23. Scarlet Ibis
- Latin name: Eudocimus ruber
- Habitat: Mostly wetlands and coastal areas in South America and the Caribbean
- Size: About 22″-25″ long
- Diet: Mostly insects and crustaceans
- Colorful feature: The scarlet ibis is an incredibly bright red bird. Juvenile birds are usually grayish in color. As they grow older, they gradually molt into the brilliant adult plumage.
This beautiful bird is the world’s only red shorebird. Much of its red color comes from carotenoids found in crustaceans. In zoos and similar exhibits, keepers often supplement the bird’s diet with beets and carrots in order to maintain color.
24. Cardinal Jumping Spider
- Latin name: Phidippus cardinalis
- Habitat: Can be found throughout much of the eastern United States and Mexico
- Size: Up to about 0.8″ long
- Diet: Mostly various types of insects
- Colorful feature: This small, fuzzy spider has a mostly black lower body. Its upper body is mostly covered in bright red to reddish brown.
You might notice that this spider looks like a velvet ant. That’s by design; velvet ants have a powerful sting, so cardinal jumping spiders mimic them in hopes of deterring predators.
25. Pompadour Cotinga
- Latin name: Xipholena punicea
- Habitat: Forested areas across the Amazon Basin
- Size: About 8″ long
- Diet: Mostly fruit, though it will sometimes eat insects
- Colorful feature: Male pompadour cotingas look a lot different from virtually every other species of bird. Their bodies are between burgundy and bright red. However, their wings are white, so at rest, they appear to have a white stripe down the side of the body. Their bright yellow eyes offer a sharp contrast with their coloring, too.
Though this bird is especially beautiful, it can be hard to spot in the wild. It tends to stay very high up in the rainforest canopy, making it difficult even for researchers to find. Nonetheless, experts don’t believe it’s at risk of extinction, and the IUCN classifies it as a species of least concern.
26. Cosmosoma teuthras
- Latin name: Cosmosoma teuthras
- Habitat: Forested areas from Mexico to Venezuela
- Size: About 0.6″-1″ long
- Diet: Mostly aster plants
- Colorful feature: As you can see, this beautiful species is one that mimics the look of a wasp. Its body is streaked with crimson and black, and the back is dotted with blue spots so bright that they look like they’re glowing.
The bright colors of this moth serve as a warning to predators. Like many brightly-colored insects, this species stores toxic plant alkaloids that make it taste unpleasant to predators. Research has indicated that some spiders will even free these moths from their webs if they can sense the alkaloids in the moth’s body.
27. Red Salamander
- Latin name: Pseudotriton ruber
- Habitat: Temperate areas near water in the eastern United States
- Size: About 4″-7″ long
- Diet: Mostly various types of invertebrates
- Colorful feature: The red salamander is an especially bright creature: it has a bright red body covered in a crackle-like pattern of black.
The red salamander has a large range, so it’s no wonder that there are many different subspecies based on location. Some subspecies have very different coloring; you can find red slamanders that are closer to being purplish or salmon in color.
28. American Rubyspot Damselfly
- Latin name: Hetaerina americana
- Habitat: Can be found across much of the United States, Mexico, and eastern Canada
- Size: About 1.5″-1.8″ long
- Diet: Mostly mosquitos, flies, and various other small insects
- Colorful feature: Both males and females of this species have bright green abdomens. However, the males have the ruby spot the species is named for: his head and thorax are both bright red.
Lots of people mix up dragonflies and damselflies. But the distinction is an easy one to make; at rest, damselflies rest with their wings folded above the back. Dragonflies rest with their wings outstretched to the sides. Damselflies can be found all over the world, but the American rubyspot is one of the most colorful!
29. Guppy
- Latin name: Poecilia reticulata
- Habitat: Native to parts of South America and the Caribbean, though they have been introduced to many other parts of the world
- Size: About 0.6″-2.4″ long
- Diet: Mostly algae and insect larvae
- Colorful feature: Guppies are one of the most popular captive fish in the world, so they come in almost any conceivable color or pattern. As you can see in the photo, some have brilliant red spots and fins.
Though wild guppies are certainly pretty, they don’t have the same showy fins and intricate patterns as many of the selectively-bred strains. But these fish aren’t just pretty to look at; they also have been used as model organisms in scientific studies.
30. Peninsular Rock Agama
- Latin name: Psammophilus dorsalis
- Habitat: Rocky, hilly areas in southern India
- Size: Up to about 13″ long
- Diet: Primarily insects
- Colorful feature: Males of this species are especially colorful. Though the belly side of their bodies is jet black, they have a broad red dorsal stripe that extends all the way to the face. Each side of the face has a small black band that looks like a bandit mask!
Though the males of this species are very noticeable, it can be hard to distinguish the females from the females of other agama species. That dull coloration does have an advantage, though: it allows the lizard to camouflage easily while basking.
31. Scarlet Macaw
- Latin name: Ara macao
- Habitat: Humid forests from Mexico to Brazil
- Size: About 32″ long
- Diet: Mostly nuts, seeds, fruit, insects, nectar, and flowers
- Colorful feature: This bright bird’s body is mostly vibrant scarlet. But its longer flight feathers are blue with a patch of yellow wing feathering above.
The beautiful scarlet macaw is one of the most easily recognizable rainforest creatures. And while it still exists in large numbers in the wild, it’s also a popular pet bird. But thanks to its high intelligence, need for space and stimulation, and powerful bite, it’s best suited to experienced bird owners!
32. Fire Skink
- Latin name: Lepidothyris fernandi
- Habitat: Tropical forests in western and central Africa
- Size: Up to about 15″ long
- Diet: Mostly insects
- Colorful feature: Though its red markings are certainly a highlight, the fire skink is truly a lizard of many colors. Its body is primarily gold, while its sides are silver with distinctive patterning of black and red. Unlike some lizard species, male and female fire skinks have the same coloration.
The fire skink is one of the most memorable skink species, so it has become popular in the pet trade. In the wild, it tends to be very shy. But if it’s raised around humans and handled regularly, it may become tame.
33. Long-Horned Orb-Weaver
- Latin name: Macracantha arcuata
- Habitat: Throughout United States, Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii.
- Size: Spines up to 0.8″-1″ long
- Diet: Various smaller insects
- Colorful feature: This unique spider’s abdomen can come in a few colors: it is normally black, yellow, or bright red. And as you can see in the picture, it’s sometimes a fiery red-orange.
Most spiders don’t have horns, but the curved, black horns on the females of this species are unmistakable. They are almost always significantly longer than the abdomen is wide!
34. Dwarf Lionfish
- Latin name: Dendrochirus brachypterus
- Habitat: Can be found throughout much of the Indo-Pacific
- Size: About 6.7″ long
- Diet: Primarily smaller crustaceans
- Colorful feature: This beautiful fish’s patterning is made to look even more intricate because of its many spines. It is patterned with irregular stripes of red and white, though some individuals have stripes closer to brown than red.
The dwarf lionfish’s spectacular appearance makes it an especially striking aquarium fish. However, it has proven to be very difficult to raise in captivity. If you do happen to come across one, be careful; some of its spines secrete venom!
35. Red Iguana
- Latin name: Iguana iguana
- Habitat: Can be found in much of Central America, Brazil, and Paraguay, though it has been introduced to some nearby areas
- Size: Up to about 5′ long
- Diet: Mostly various types of plant matter
- Colorful feature: Lots of people think of iguanas as green, but these lizards come in a range of colors. Red iguanas are especially beautiful. And as you can see in the photo, some of these lizards are patterned with both red and green!
Thanks to their beauty and gentle natures, iguanas make good pets. But they can be somewhat difficult to care for well; they need a certain level of humidity and a balance between calcium and phosphorus in the diet.
36. Red Lacewing Butterfly
- Latin name: Cethosia biblis
- Habitat: Can be found across much of the Indian subcontinent
- Size: Wingspan about 3″-3.5″
- Diet: Largely Passiflora plans
- Colorful feature: The red lacewing is colorful whether you view it from above or below. The upper side of its wings are fiery red-orange with black and white “laced” markings around the edges. The undersides have swirling patterns of orange and white with black, pencil-like markings.
Southeast Asia is a land of countless colorful creatures, and the red lacewing is an especially beautiful one. Since its range is so large, this butterfly has many different subspecies, though most look quite similar.
37. Strawberry Poison Frog
- Latin name: Oophaga pumilio
- Habitat: Can be found throughout much of Central America
- Size: About 0.7″-0.9″ long
- Diet: Various small insects, especially those that secrete toxic alkaloids
- Colorful feature: This stunning frog has many different color morphs. Typically, its upper body is red and appears granular. In some cases, its arms and legs are blue, leading some to call it the “blue jeans poison frog.”
Many reptiles and amphibians come in a few color morphs, but the strawberry poison frog has as many as 15-30! Most contain at least some amount of red. But some morphs, like the Panamanian la gruta morph, are black, green, and yellow.
38. Red Lory
- Latin name: Eos bornea
- Habitat: Can be found across the Maluku Islands and surrounding areas
- Size: About 12″ long
- Diet: Mostly nectar, pollen, and fruit, though they eat some insects
- Colorful feature: This pretty bird is almost entirely bright red. However, it has a few small patches of bright royal blue.
The red lory is a popular pet parrot. Next to the rainbow lorikeet, it’s also the second most popular lory kept as a pet. Like many closely-related species, it is playful and intelligent. When well socialized, it will bond with its owner.
39. Cherry Shrimp
- Latin name: Neocaridina davidi
- Habitat: Can be found in freshwater in eastern China, though it’s been introduced to surrounding areas
- Size: About 0.5″-0.75″ long
- Diet: Various small parts of plant and animal matter
- Colorful feature: This species of shrimp is naturally dull gray-brown. But in aquaculture, it has been selectively bred to produce several color varieties. The most popular is the “cherry” red one, though you can also find the species in yellow, blue, orange, purple, green, and more.
The cherry shrimp is much different from the shrimp usually used for food. It’s a common aquarium pet that does well in community tanks, provided the fish it’s kept with are not aggressive. The cherry shrimp will even adjust its color to its surroundings: against a darker background, its color will become more saturated.
40. Common Forest Lizard
- Latin name: Calotes calotes
- Habitat: Hilly, forested areas in parts of India and Sri Lanka
- Size: About 19.5″-25.5″ long
- Diet: Insects and various types of plant matter
- Colorful feature: In the non-breeding season, male common forest lizards are green with pale horizontal striping. But in breeding season, their heads (and sometimes upper bodies) become bright, intense red. The color is made all the more striking by the male’s spiky crest.
This pretty lizard’s green coloration, yellowish stripes, and spiky crest all help it camouflage in its natural forest habitat. To stay safe from predators, it climbs up trees to roost at night. It’s one of the longest of the agamid lizards, and it has quite a proportionally long tail!
41. Red Flat Bark Beetle
- Latin name: Cucujus clavipes
- Habitat: Can be found across much of North America as far south as North Carolina
- Size: About 0.4″-0.6″ long
- Diet: Feeds on dead trees and sometimes other insects
- Colorful feature: This beetle’s body is bright, glossy red. Thanks to its flat back and saturated color, it almost looks like a sculpture or a piece of jewelry.
This hardy beetle has evolved ways of surviving through freezing temperatures. Researchers have noted that they seem to be able to dehydrate themselves and purge their guts in order to prevent themselves from freezing.
42. Vermilion Flycatcher
- Latin name: Pyrocephalus obscurus
- Habitat: Can be found in much of southern North America and parts of northern South America
- Size: About 5″-5.5″ long
- Diet: Mostly various types of insects
- Colorful feature: Male vermilion flycatchers are extremely bright red with black backs, wings, and “masks.” However, females are not bright red and can be difficult to spot.
Since the vermilion flycatcher has a large range, it’s not surprising that there are nine different subspecies. Most look fairly similar, but the male’s coloration (and specifically brightness) will vary among them. This bird can often be spotted “sallying” for prey; it will swoop to catch something and return to the same perch.
43. Granular Poison Frog
- Latin name: Oophaga granulifera
- Habitat: Can be found across much of Panama and Costa Rica
- Size: Up to about 0.8″ long
- Diet: Mainly various types of insects
- Colorful feature: This frog looks a bit like the strawberry poison frog at first. Its upper body is bright red to reddish-orange, and its belly, legs, and lower arms are a seafoam-like bluish green.
Like other poison frogs, this one uses toxins to make itself unpalatable to predators. When defending their territories from other frogs, the granular poison frog will loudly vocalize as a warning. If that warning isn’t heeded, it may fight any same-species intruders. Males spend much of their time guarding and defending territories.
Red Creatures From Around the World
You probably saw some familiar animals on the list. But hopefully you learned about some new ones, too. Wherever you are in the world, there’s almost certainly a magnificent, bright red animal nearby!
Explore beautiful creatures of all colors and types in this list of colorful animals.
