A pond is an area of water that has been created by a natural or man-made, usually shallow depression, and includes animals like tadpoles, water scorpions, otters, catfish, and dragonflies.
Ponds are found on most continents and in many different habitats. They can be very small to large in size and some ponds even have trees and vegetation growing around the edges.
A wide variety of animals live in these ponds; we will explore 33 below:
Examples of Animals that Live in Ponds
1. 3-Spined Stickleback
| Scientific Name | Gasterosteus aculeatus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Brackish and Coastal Freshwater |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The spined stickleback is a small fish that lives in freshwater habitats, particularly the rocky pools of streams up to about. They are protected by their armored plates, which protect them from predators like trout or cormorants.
2. American Toad
| Scientific Name | Anaxyrus americanus |
| Type of Animal | Amphibian |
| Range | The Northeastern United States and the Midwest states |
| Diet | Carnivore |
American Toads live in woodlands, deciduous forests, and grassy meadows. They tend to stay near ponds or other shallow bodies of water with plenty of vegetation that provides cover during the day, places for them to eat at night, as well as areas where they can lay eggs.
These animals are often found on ground level but they can climb trees and swim in the water, depending on their habitat.
3. Beavers
| Scientific Name | Castor |
| Type of Animal | Rodent |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Beavers live in ponds and use their teeth to help build dams. They eat bark, leaves, roots, and twigs of trees such as poplar and willow. Beavers store food for the winter months by carrying it underwater into a small chamber above water level!
4. Blackbirds
| Scientific Name | Turdus merula |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Europe, North Africa, India, and southern China |
| Diet | Omnivore |
You’ll find many blackbirds hanging around ponds. A blackbird eats mainly fruit, berries, and insects. However, they will eat seeds too when given the chance. They love to find food in trees but you can often catch them eating on grass or even on the bare ground sometimes! Blackbirds are very adaptable birds who would happily live anywhere where there is plenty of pond water nearby for drinking and bathing.
5. Caddisflies
| Scientific Name | Trichoptera |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Caddis Flies live and eat in ponds. They are very small insects that only grow to be around 1 to 2 inches long. Caddisflies like the still water of a pond or slow-moving river, but they also need fast-flowing areas as well because their larvae stage requires it for food sources such as algae and plant material.
6. Canada Geese
| Scientific Name | Branta canadensis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Canada Geese live and eat near ponds. They look for shallow water to feed on, especially grasses that grow in the shallows at pond edges. When they are adults, Canada geese will fly up to 30 miles (48 kilometers) each day looking for food during the warmer months of spring and summertime.
7. Catfish
| Scientific Name | Siluriformes |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Catfish are found in ponds, rivers, lakes, and streams. They like to eat fish, insects, and plants that live on the bottom of any body of water where they can find them by using their sensitive barbels (which is like an extra sense organ).
Some catfish may also be able to locate food through their sensory organs located along its lateral line.
8. Dragonflies
| Scientific Name | Anisoptera |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Dragonflies are found all over the world, except in Antarctica. They prefer to live near ponds or streams with water that is clean and fresh. The reason they like this habitat is that it gives them a place where there will be plenty of insects for them to eat.
9. Earthworms
| Scientific Name | Lumbricina |
| Type of Animal | Annelids |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Earthworms live and eat in the top few centimeters of the soil. They are able to maintain this area by digging burrows where they can hide when it is dry or too hot for them, and their food source is available at all times.
10. Frogs
| Scientific Name | Anura |
| Type of Animal | Amphibian |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Frogs inhabit almost every type of habitat where there is water, apart from Antarctica! They come out at night to hunt for food such as insects and other invertebrates which they eat with their long sticky tongues. Some species also use poison glands on their skin to paralyze prey before eating them whole while others rely more on camouflage.
11. Herons
| Scientific Name | Ardeidae |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America andAlaska |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Herons are found all over the world and they live in many different habitats. They have adapted to living near ponds so they can find food easily, but you might also see them by rivers or lakes as well. Herons eat fish, frogs, small waterbirds, rodents, and even baby alligators!
12. Kingfishers
| Scientific Name | Alcedinidae |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Australia, Asia, and Africa in wooded tropical areas near water |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Kingfishers live and eat by ponds. They use their sharp beaks to catch fish, frogs, and other small animals that they find living there. They also eat the insects that are living in and around a pond.
13. Koi Fish
| Scientific Name | Cyprinus rubrofuscus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Koi fish are descendants of carp and have been selectively bred for their size and color variations. Koi are very popular in Chinese garden ponds, but are rarely found in the wild, except if released into wild ponds.
Because they have been bred from wild fish, and due to their lack of fear of predators and comfort around humans, they’re considered to be a breed of domesticated fish. In fact, they were the first domesticated fish, with their domestication dating back over 2000 years.
14. Largemouth Bass
| Scientific Name | Micropterus salmoides |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Atlantic drainages from North Carolina to Florida and into northern Mexico |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The largemouth bass is large freshwater fish that live in ponds, rivers, and lakes. They eat earthworms, smaller fish, and insects.
15. Leech
| Scientific Name | Hirudinea |
| Type of Animal | Annelida |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore/Carnivore |
Leeches live in the water and hunt for food. They eat by sucking the blood from fish, frogs, birds, and lizards. Leech saliva contains chemicals that prevent blood from clotting so this is how they suck the animal’s blood out of their body and drink it up! Leeches can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
16. Mallard Duck
| Scientific Name | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America and Eurasia |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Mallard Ducks eat grass, insects and other small animals that they find on land or in ponds. They also eat some vegetation such as pondweed, lettuce leaves and seeds from water lilies. Mallards will nest near the edges of a pond where there are plenty of emergent plants for cover.
17. Mayflies
| Scientific Name | Ephemeroptera |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
A small type of insect called a mayfly is found living in most types of water, but particularly ponds. Mayflies live for just 24 hours and they feed on algae that grow around the edges of ponds.
18. Minnows
| Scientific Name | Phoxinus phoxinus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The minnows live and eat in ponds all over the world, including North America, South America, and Asia. Minnows are small but very important to ecosystems because they provide food for larger aquatic animals such as turtles, frogs, birds, and even humans!
19. Moles
| Scientific Name | Talpidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Every continent except Antarctica and South America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
7Moles live in the ground and eat worms, snakes, insects, larvae. They are nocturnal animals so they come out at night to hunt for food. Their homes consist of tunnels underground which can be up to 20 feet deep.
Moles mainly build their nests near water sources like ponds or rivers because this is where they find most of their food.
20. Muskrats
| Scientific Name | Ondatra zibethicus |
| Type of Animal | Rodent |
| Range | Canada and the United States |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Muskrats live in and around ponds, as well as other water sources. They build their homes inside the protective cover of plants that grow near the edge of a pond or marshy area. Muskrats are herbivores so they eat leaves from nearby vegetation such as cattails and bulrushes to name just a few examples.
21. Newt
| Scientific Name | Pleurodelinae |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | North America, Europe, Asia and north Africa |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Newts live in ponds, especially with plenty of algae and vegetation. They usually eat insects but can also feed on small fish or tadpoles.
22. Otters
| Scientific Name | Lutrinae |
| Type of Animal | Rodent |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Otters live in ponds and near rivers, lakes, marshes, or seashores. They are carnivorous animals but also eat plants occasionally when they have no other food choices available to them. Otters hunt for fish which is their main source of food so they do not need to go far from the water’s edge to find it.
23. Yellow Perch
| Scientific Name | Perca flavescens |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Perch live in ponds and eat insects such as fly larvae, prawns, and small fish. They also feed on plants like water plantain seeds, duckweed, and algae.
24. Pond Skaters (aka Water Striders)
| Scientific Name | Gerridae |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Pond skates are small insects that live in ponds. They spend most of their lives on or under the surface of the water and can be found swimming around, looking for food algae, and other plant material to eat.
25. Pond snail
| Scientific Name | Lymnaea stagnalis |
| Type of Animal | Mollusca |
| Range | European ponds |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Pond snails live in ponds and eat algae. They are often found on the surface of vegetation, rocks, or logs; they can also be seen under stones that have fallen to the bottom of a pond. Snails help keep the water clean by eating dead plants, animals, and other organic matter that accumulates in ponds.
26. Salamanders
| Scientific Name | Caudata |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | United States along the Atlantic coast |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Salamanders live in the ponds and eat insects, worms, snails, or any other small invertebrate that they can find. They are active at night so their prey is usually asleep during this time also. Salamanders will hide under rocks to avoid predators such as birds when sunning themselves on a rock just after dark.
27. Sculpin
| Scientific Name | Cottoidea |
| Type of Animal | Mollusca |
| Range | Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Sculpins are typically found in deeper, cooler waters of ponds. They eat smaller fish and invertebrates that live near the bottom of ponds.
28. Snapping Turtle
| Scientific Name | Chelydra serpentina |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Eastern United States to the Rocky Mountains |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Snapping Turtles live in North America and feed on many water creatures, including fish, frogs, insects, and even smaller turtles. They are considered a Threatened Species as they have been hunted for their meat over the years.
29. Ramshorn Snail
| Scientific Name | Planorbarius corneus |
| Type of Animal | Mollusca |
| Range | Florida |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Ramshorn snails are small, aquatic gastropods that live in freshwater ponds. They can be found on the bottom of shallow water or crawling along with plants and algae near the surface area of a pond. Ramshorns eat decaying leaves, algae, and fish waste.
30. Tadpoles
| Scientific Name | Anura |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The tadpole is the larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian. Tadpoles are typically adapted to live exclusively in aquatic habitats, though some species have developed ways to use other media like damp soil or even dry land for part of their lives.
31. Water Beetles
| Scientific Name | Hydrophilidae |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Either herbivores, predators, or scavengers |
Water Beetles live in ponds and eat other insects that fall into the pond. They have a variety of colors, including black, brown, or metallic blue-green. Their bodies are flattened to help them move easily on top of the water surface while their long legs spread out for swimming underneath it.
32. Water Scorpion
| Scientific Name | Nepidae |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Water scorpions are found in ponds, smaller lakes, and ditches. They eat insects that they find on the surface of the water.
33. Water Shrew
| Scientific Name | Sorex palustris |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | The northwestern portion of South America |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Water Shrews are pretty well adapted to living in or around water. They build nests that sit on the surface of the water which they use for sleeping and raising their young. Water shrews can be found hunting along both fresh and saltwater, though individuals will often switch between habitats depending on availability.
Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.