Animals that live in the forest include hedgehogs, gorillas, badgers, hornbills, koalas, and lizards.
The forest is a vast expanse of trees and foliage that covers much of the world. It is one of the most diverse habitats on Earth, with over half of all living species inhabiting it.
Animals live in many different places within the forest, from high up in the canopy to deep down underground.
Examples of Animals that Live in The Forest
When people think of the forest, they often think of deer and squirrels. But there are many other animals that live in this ecosystem.
Some common animals that live in the forest include:
1. African Forest Elephant
| Scientific Name | Loxodonta cyclotis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | West and Central Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The African Forest Elephant is a subspecies of the African elephant. They live in tropical forests, including rainforests and swamp forests.
The forest elephants are herbivores who eat leaves, grasses, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
2. Antelope
| Scientific Name | Artiodactyla |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa and parts of Asia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
A male antelope is called a ‘bull’ and a female one is referred to as a ‘cow’. They live in the savannah grasslands of central, southern, eastern, western Africa, and Asia.
In the thick forest near the Congo border, a rare striped antelope known as the lowland bongo can be found.
Antelopes eat plants such as leaves, twigs, or shoots from shrubs and trees. Some also eat fruit that has fallen off branches onto the ground.
3. Badgers
| Scientific Name | Meles meles |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Badgers are mammals that live in the forest. They have a long nose with white fur on their face and around it.
Badger’s body is covered with black, brown, or grey fur all over its body except for under their neck where they have cream-colored fur.
Their legs are short while their tail isn’t very big either. Badgers eat small mammals, earthworms, and insects.
They often hunt at night for their prey which is usually a mole or rabbit.
4. Bengal Tigers
| Scientific Name | Panthera tigris tigris |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | India |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The Bengal Tiger lives in the forest and they eat deer, monkeys, wild pigs, etc. They are native to India and Bangladesh where hunting them is illegal but poaching continues despite this law.
The Tigers have been on the endangered list since about 2000 because of habitat loss from deforestation as well as being poached for their fur, skin, and bones.
5. Chimpanzee
| Scientific Name | Pan troglodytes |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Central and West Africa |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Chimpanzees live in the forest of Africa and eat fruits, leaves, roots.
They are a great ape native to Africa that is one of our closest living relatives along with bonobo (Pan paniscus). Chimps are primates that share over 98.8 % DNA sequence similarity with humans!
6. Coyotes
| Scientific Name | Canis latrans |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | The United States and Canada |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Coyotes live in the forest and eat small animals like rabbits, mice, and squirrels. The coyote is a very adaptable animal that requires less food than most other animals.
Although you might see them hunting during the day, they are mostly active at night.
7. Deer
| Scientific Name | Cervidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Deer are found in a variety of habitats including forests, grasslands, and deserts where they eat leaves and grasses, twigs, and branches of woody plants.
Deer are native to Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America (where they originally evolved), and Australia (where they were introduced by humans).
8. Elk
| Scientific Name | Cervus canadensis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Herbivore |
There are different types of elk. Some live in forests, some live on mountainsides and others can be found near streams.
Most spend most of their lives alone but they come together to breed during the fall mating season. They eat leaves, grasses, flowers, and bark from trees like aspen or willow.
9. Fox
| Scientific Name | Vulpes vulpes |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Foxes live in forests and eat small rodents, birds, insects, and berries.
They prefer to dwell in thick brushy areas because they are good at hiding from their prey or predators which makes them very difficult for humans to see or hunt.
They will also make a den out of sticks and leaves under fallen trees or large rocks where they can sleep, raise their young, and store food.
10. Grizzly Bear
| Scientific Name | Ursus arctos horribilis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America, Europe, and Asia |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The grizzly bear lives in the forests of North America, Europe, and Asia. Grizzlies are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter – mice, fish, leaves, roots.
They also scavenge for elk carcasses left by wolves or mountain lions. The bear’s front claws can be up to four inches long which makes them excellent hunters when catching their prey.
Read Also: Do Black Bears Stay in the Same Area?
11. Gorillas
| Scientific Name | Gorilla |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | equatorial Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Gorillas live in Africa and eat a wide variety of vegetation. They have black-brown fur with silver on their backs, which they use to insulate themselves from the cold weather during winter months.
Gorilla babies are also dependent upon milk for sustenance while living in the forest just like human infants.
12. Great Horned Owl
| Scientific Name | Bubo virginianus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The Great Horned Owl is the most powerful of all common owls. They live in forests and hunt at night for prey as small as insects or as large as skunks, which they can carry up to a quarter-mile from its original location.
13. Hare
| Scientific Name | Lepus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa, Eurasia, North America |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Hares are another animal that lives in the forest and eats plants, fruits, veggies, nuts etc. They can be seen especially during night times as they are nocturnal animals.
Hares spend the majority of their time eating food to survive on a daily basis since they do not need shelter to protect them from harsh weather conditions like other rodents such as squirrels or mice.
14. Hedgehogs
| Scientific Name | Erinaceinae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal creatures that sleep during the day and then wake up to forage for food at night. They can be found all over Europe, Asia, North Africa, India, Greenland, Canada, and other northern regions of the world.
Hedgehogs prefer living in areas with thick shrubs or bushes where they can easily hide from predators, but they will also make their homes in forests, grasslands, or deserts.
15. Hornbill
| Scientific Name | Bucerotidae |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | mainland Southeast Asia |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The hornbill is a large bird that can grow between 95–130 cm in height. They live in southeast Asia and southern China where they can be found living deep within rainforest trees.
Hornbills eat insects such as ants and bees, but also fruit from figs to mangos.
16. Howler Monkeys
| Scientific Name | Alouatta |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Brazil, Paraguay, eastern Bolivia |
| Diet | Omnivore |
These monkeys are exclusively found in the forest. Their range covers most of Brazil, Paraguay, eastern Bolivia.
The Amazon River Basin is home to its largest population. They live high up within the trees and prefer areas with dense vegetation.
They eat fruit, leaves, flowers…even bird eggs. Howler Monkeys are known for their loud vocalizations.
17. Hyena
| Scientific Name | Hyaenidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa and eastwards through Arabia to India |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The hyena lives in Africa and Southern Asia. They live in grasslands, savannas, woodlands, rainforests, deserts to shrublands.
Hyenas are carnivores that eat wildebeests, zebras, young buffalo calves, and other mammals up to the size of a gazelle but they will also eat insects, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
18. Jaguarundi
| Scientific Name | Puma yagouaroundi |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Unites States |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Jaguarundi lives in the forests of North and South America. They eat fish, fruit, and small mammals such as mice, rats, and squirrels.
When they are not hunting for food they like to rest near streams or ponds where their prey lives.
19. Kangaroos
| Scientific Name | Macropodidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Australia and Tasmania |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The gray kangaroo lives in the forest of Australia and Tasmania. They eat leaves, grass, and small insects like ants.
Kangaroos are marsupials which means they carry their babies (kits)in a pouch on their belly until the baby is old enough to go out on its own.
20. Koalas
| Scientific Name | Phascolarctos cinereus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Eastern Australia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Koalas are found in the forests of Eastern Australia. They live in eucalyptus trees, which is where they get their food from.
Koalas eat mainly Eucalypt leaves but are also known to eat some grasses and cambium during the dry seasons of summer or winter when there isn’t much else to eat.
21. Lynx
| Scientific Name | Lynx |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Europe, Asia, and North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The Lynx lives in the forest and eats small animals such as rabbits, mice, squirrels, or birds.
The lynx is a big cat with short fur that can be any color from gray to brownish red.
They have long bodies and thick tails about two feet long. Their paws are large and well-furred for hunting at night.
22. Lizards
| Scientific Name | Lacertilia |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Lizards live in many different habitats all over the world. They can be found living on every continent except Antarctica.
Some of these lizards are only able to survive in certain climates, like deserts or jungles, while others do well in more wet climates.
Lizards eat a wide variety of food depending on their species and location.
23. Langur
| Scientific Name | Semnopithecus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Western Assam |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The langur is a small type of monkey that lives in the forest. They eat only plants and fruit to survive.
They like to eat figs in particular, but also apples and berries. Their habitat at home is in the trees of the forest; they use their hands with help from their agile feet to climb through branches high above ground level.
24. Marten
| Scientific Name | Martes |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Canada and Alaska |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Martens eat mostly small rodents, insects, and berries. The only place where martens can survive is in dense forests across North America.
Although they have a very flexible diet, their main source of food is usually squirrels or mice found on the ground and caught with ease using their sharp claws.
25. Macaw
| Scientific Name | Ara macao |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Tropical Central and South America |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The Macaws live in the north and South American forests. They have a diet of seeds, nuts, fruits, and their favorite is palm tree flowers.
The animal has been facing low population issues due to deforestation activities in its habitat.
26. Okapi
| Scientific Name | Okapia johnstoni |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The okapi is also known as the forest giraffe that lives in the rainforest of Central Africa. They eat plants, fruits, and leaves.
27. Orangutans
| Scientific Name | Pongo |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Orangutans are the great apes that belong to the human family. The name of this animal is derived from Malay and Indonesian words which mean ‘forest man’.
Orangutans live in tropical rainforests that exist between China, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia or other countries located near the Equator line.
28. Panda
| Scientific Name | Ailuropoda melanoleuca |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | China |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Pandas are herbivores and eat mainly bamboo shoots, leaves, grasses, lichens, and fruits in the forests of China.
Although herbivores the giant panda will also occasionally prey on small rodents or fish for food.
29. Puma
| Scientific Name | Puma concolor |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North and South America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
They live in places such as forests, mountains, brush areas, deserts, and swamps and eat deer, rabbits, etc.
Pumas tend to live in the forest where they hunt their prey of deer, small rodents, and rabbits.
A puma’s diet consists mainly of animal meat but sometimes they will eat berries or grasses if there is nothing around to feed on such as when it is winter time for example.
30. Red Eyed Tree Frog
| Scientific Name | Agalychnis callidryas |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Mexico south throughout Central America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Forest animals live under the leaves of trees on land, soil, and rocks. The red-eyed tree frog is a great example of an animal that lives in the forest.
This frog has large eyes with vertical pupils that are very sensitive to movement overhead which allows it to see above treetops where many predators would be hiding for them.
Other Animals That Live In The Forest
| Raccoons | Rhinoceroses | Wolves |
| Red Deer | Snakes | Cougars |
| Red Squirrels | Squirrel Monkeys | Squirrels |
| Reindeer | Tigers | Owls |
| Ravens | Boar | Moose |
| Baboons | Crocodiles | Mosquitoes |
| Dragonflies | Salamanders | Saolas |
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.