Examples of animals with scales include birds, snakes, armadillos, butterflies, and crocodiles.
Some animals have scales, and some do not. There are a variety of reasons for this. Some animals have scales because they live in water, while others might have it as part of their natural defense mechanisms.
Scales can be found on the skin of fish, reptiles, and amphibians. They provide protection from predators, help regulate body temperature, and allow animals to move more easily through their environment.
Examples of Animals that with Scales
1. American Alligator
| Scientific Name | A. mississippiensis |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
| Where it’s Found | Southeastern United States |
Alligators have small scales up and down their body called ‘scutes’. The American alligator is what people often refer to when they say “alligator.” It is endemic to the United States, and they are hunted down during the gator season.
2. Anacondas
| Scientific Name | Eunectes murinus |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | South America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The anaconda is a snake found in the rainforest of South America. These snakes can grow up to 30 feet long and weigh over 550 pounds.
Anacondas have scales that help them move through the water and also act as protection from predators.
3. Armadillo
| Scientific Name | Cingulata |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Louisiana |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Armadillos are mammals that have scales on their backs. These scales help to protect them from predators. Armadillos live in North and South America, and they eat insects, grubs, and other small invertebrates.
4. Butterflies
| Scientific Name | Rhopalocera |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The butterfly is a beautiful insect that has scales on its wings. The scales help give the wings their color and also make them strong and durable. Butterflies can be found all over the world, and they typically eat pollen or nectar from flowers.
5. Butterflyfish
| Scientific Name | Chaetodontidae |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | tropical reefs |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Most fish have scales, so we can only share a few examples here with some great pictures of vibrant scales. The tropical butterflyfish has a great, tall side where you can see its scales glitter as it swims among the reefs.
Related Article: Are Butterflyfish Skinny?
6. California King Snake
| Scientific Name | Lampropeltis getula californiae |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Golden State |
| Diet | Carnivore |
All snakes have scales, so we’re sharing a few examples in this list. You can see in the image above that the California kingsnake has scales that run up and down its body. This one has a great combination of yellow and black scales up and down the body.
7. Chameleons
| Scientific Name | Chamaeleonidae |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Chameleons have colorless scales. The light shines through the scales to crystals underneath. When the chameleon changes colors, it is the crystals that change color and not the scales.
8. Chinese Pangolin
| Scientific Name | Manis pentadactyla |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh, and China |
| Diet | Carnivore |
This animal is also known as the scaly anteater. They are insectivores, eating ants and termites that live in their burrows. These animals have scales to protect them from ant bites.
9. Chinese Alligator
| Scientific Name | A. sinensis |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered |
| Where it’s Found | Eastern China |
The Chinese alligator is the other remaining type of alligator in the world, and it’s an endangered species. It is endemic to China, and it is known as the muddy dragon. The Chinese alligator, also known as the Yangtze alligator, has scales called schutes.
10. Dwarf Crocodile
| Scientific Name | Osteolaemus tetraspis |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | western Africa |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The dwarf crocodile is a tiny species of crocodilian that lives in Africa. It has small scales, and its bodies are covered with osteoderms (armor-like skin) to protect them from predators.
11. Gar
| Scientific Name | Lepisosteidae |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Mississippi River |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The gar is a fish that lives in North America. It has scales along its body to help protect it from predators. The gar can be found in both fresh and saltwater, and it primarily eats insects and other small fish.
12. Goldfish
| Scientific Name | Carassius auratus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The goldfish is an animal with scales that you may even have in your own home. Its orange shiny scales glitter in the light.
13. Great White Shark
| Scientific Name | Carcharodon carcharias |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | South Africa, Australia/New Zealand, the North Atlantic, and Northeastern Pacific. |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The Great white shark also known as the great white, white pointer, or the white shark, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is the largest known predatory fish on Earth.
The great white shark has a large, bulky body with a broad head and an elongated snout. It has very large eyes and its teeth are triangular and serrated.
14. Ground Pangolin
| Scientific Name | Smutsia temminckii |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | South Africa |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The pangolin is an interesting animal that has scales all over its body. It is a protected species and can be found in Africa and Asia.
The pangolin eats insects, primarily ants, and termites. They use their long tongues to capture the prey, and then they eat them whole.
15. Iguana
| Scientific Name | Iguana |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and southern Brazil |
| Diet | Herbivore |
This reptile is native to Central and South America. They can grow up to six feet long! However, the size of an iguana depends on its habitat; those living in colder climates tend to be much smaller than their counterparts who live in warmer environments
16. Indian Pangolin
| Scientific Name | Manis crassicaudata |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Bangladesh, Southern Nepal, Sri Lanka, India |
| Diet | Carnivore |
This is a type of anteater that can be found in parts of Asia and Africa. They have scales all over their bodies, which help them to camouflage into their surroundings. They eat mainly insects, but will also consume other small animals if they are available.
17. Lizard
| Scientific Name | Lacertilia |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The lizard is a common animal that has scales. They live in warm climates and eat insects, small rodents, and other lizards. Lizards can be found all over the world with the exception of Antarctica.
18. Long-tailed Pangolin
| Scientific Name | Manis tetradactyla |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | central Africa |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The long-tailed pangolin is a mammal that can be found in Africa and Asia. They have scales all over their bodies as a natural defense mechanism. This helps to protect them from predators, as well as parasites and insects.
Pangolins are nocturnal animals, meaning they are active at night. During the day they like to sleep in burrows that they dig themselves. They are omnivores, which means that they eat both plants and animals. Their diet consists of things like insects, earthworms, millipedes, and other small creatures.
19. Mamba
| Scientific Name | Dendroaspis |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | eastern Africa |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The mamba is a type of snake found in Africa. They can be black or green in color, and they are known for their deadly venom. The scales on a mamba’s body help it to move easily through the brush and trees as it hunts its prey.
20. Moth
| Scientific Name | Lepidoptera |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Commonly visible at nighttime. Moths are distributed in cities all over the world. Like butterflies, they have tiny scales on their wings which are flexible and fragile. These scales give them their characteristic color and, at the same time, allow them to regulate their body temperature in order to survive.
21. Nile Crocodile
| Scientific Name | Crocodylus niloticus |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | sub-Saharan Africa, the Nile Basin, and Madagascar |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The Nile crocodile is a large, aquatic reptile that can be found in Africa. They typically live near rivers and other bodies of water and eat fish, mammals, and birds. They have scales on their backs, bellies, and tails to help them move through the water easily.
They are often considered to be the most dangerous type of alligator or crocodiles because their temperament is highly aggressive and they will attack on sight if given a chance.
The Nile Crocodile feeds primarily on fish (particularly catfish), but will also consume small mammals, birds, and reptiles.
22. Parrot (Scaled Legs)
| Scientific Name | Psittaciformes |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Like many other birds, the legs of a parrot are covered in soft overlapping scales. These serve to protect the inner skin of the bird, which is why they are not hard. Apart from protective purposes, scales on parrots prevent the bird from water loss.
23. Pike
| Scientific Name | Esox lucius |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Arctic portions of North America, Europe, Asia, and Siberia |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Pikes are a type of fish that can be found in both fresh and saltwater. They have an elongated body with a pointed head and sharp teeth. You can see in this image that the pike has beautiful shiny silver scales.
24. Pythons
| Scientific Name | Python |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Asia, Africa, Oceania and Australia |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Pythons are large snakes that have scales and they live in Africa, Australia, Asia, and the Pacific islands. Pythons eat other reptiles like lizards and birds as well as mammals such as rats or pigs.
And this is what makes them so dangerous because not only can they kill animals ten times their size but also humans that will be unfortunate enough to cross paths with them.
25. Saltwater Crocodile
| Scientific Name | Crocodylus porosus |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Southeast Asia, and northern Australia. |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The saltwater crocodile is a large crocodilian found in tropical climates around the world. They live near water and eat mainly fish, crustaceans, and other small aquatic creatures.
Their scales are very thick and they have short, round snouts. Their eyes are small to help protect them from water that gets into their nostrils while swimming.
26. Turtles
| Scientific Name | Testudines |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | All Over The World |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Turtles actually have scales on both their skin and their shells. The scales on the shell and skin are different, but all of the scales are quite tough to protect the turtle from predators.
27. Yellow Perch Fish
| Scientific Name | Monocentris japonica |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | New South Wales, and Western Australia |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Most fish have scales, but not all. An example of a fish with scales is the yellow perch, which is a common fish in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, including up and down the American and Canadian east coasts.
The yellow perch’s scales experience new growth in May each year.
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.