A species is a group of organisms that have similar features and are capable of breeding with one another but not with other species. Species is a subdivision of a genus or subgenus.
Vertebrate Species
Here are examples of vertebrate species with their common name listed first:
- Alpaca - Vicugna pacos
- Anole lizard - Anolis carolinensis
- Armadillo - Dasypus novemcinctus
- Bushbaby - Otolemur garnettii
- Cat - Felis catus
- Chicken - Gallus gallus
- Chimpanzee - Pan troglodytes
- Chinese hamster - Cricetulus griseus
- Cod - Pelodiscus sinensis
- Coelacanth - Latimeria chalumnae
- Cow - Bos taurus
- Dog - Canis lupus familiaris
- Dolphin - Tursiops truncatus
- Duck - Anas platyrhynchos
- Elephant - Loxodonta africana
- Ferret - Mustela putorius furo
- Fruitfly - Drosophila melanogaster
- Gibbon - Nomascus leucogenys
- Gorilla - Gorilla gorilla
- Guinea Pig - Cavia porcellus
- Hedgehog - Erinaceus europaeus
- Horse - Equus caballus
- Human - Homo sapiens
- Kangaroo rat - Dipodomys ordii
- Lamprey - Petromyzon marinus
- Megabat - Pteropus vampyrus
- Mouse - Mus musculus
- Mouse Lemur - Microcebus murinus
- Opossum - Monodelphis domestica
- Orangutan - Pongo abelii
- Painted Turtle - Chrysemys picta bellii
- Panda - Ailuropoda melanoleuca
- Pig - Sus scrofa
- Platypus - Ornithorhynchus anatinus
- Rabbit - Oryctolagus cuniculus
- Rat - Rattus norvegicus
- Sheep - Ovis aries
- Shrew - Sorex araneus
- Sloth - Choloepus hoffmanni
- Squirrel - Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
- Squirrel monkey - Saimiri boliviensis
- Stickleback - Gasterosteus aculeatus
- Tasmanian devil - Sarcophilus harrisii
- Tilapia - Oreochromis niloticus
- Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo
- Wallaby - Macropus eugenii
- Zebra Finch - Taeniopygia guttata
- Zebrafish - Danio rerio
Marine Invertebrate Species
Here are examples of marine invertebrate species with their common name listed first:
- Atlantic Thorny oyster - Spondylus americanus
- Brine shrimp - Artemia salina
- Finger coral - Montipora digitata
- Horseshoe crab - Limulus polyphemus
- Orange ball sponge - Cinachyra kuekenthali
- Pink tipped anemone - Condylactis gigantea
- Queen conch - Eustrombus gigas
- Raspberry coral - Pocillopora damicornis
- Spiny lobster - Panulirus versicolor
- Tiger tail sea cucumber - Holothuria hilla
Insect Species
Here are examples of insect species with their common name listed first:
- Aethalochroa insignis - Indian Stick Mantis
- Africanized honeybee - Apis mellifera scutellata
- Asian tiger mosquito - Aedes albopictus
- Brown marmorated stink bug - Halyomorpha halys
- Cactus moth - Cactoblastis cactorum
- European gypsy moth - Lymantria dispar
- Formosan subterranean termite - Coptotermes formosanus
- Japanese beetle - Popillia japonica
- Red imported fire ant - Solenopsis invicta
Plant Species
Here are examples of plant species with their common name listed first:
- Allegheny Mountain buttercup - Ranunculus allegheniensis
- Alpine Avens - Geum montanum
- Baby rose - Rosa multiflora
- Black Alder - Alnus glutinosa
- Blue Oak - Quercus douglasii
- Canada Thistle - Cirsium arvense
- Deadly Nightshade - Solanum nigrum
- Flamingo Lily - Anthurium andreanum
- New Mexico evening primrose - Oenothera neomexicana
- Persian silk tree - Albizia julibrissin
- Red ink Sundew - Drosera erythrorhiza
- Yellow cockspur - Centaurea solstitialis
Fungi Species
Here are examples of fungi species with their common name listed first:
- Coral tooth fungus - Hericium coralloides
- Field mushroom - Agaricus campestris
- Golden hair lichen - Teloschistes flavicans
- Honey mushroom - Armillaria ostoyae
- Jews Ear Fungus - Hirneola auricula-judae
- Pig's ear - Gomphus clavatus
- Pink waxcap - Hygrocybe calyptriformis
Now you have seen a lot of different examples of different types of species. As you can see, species examples can be found within the animal and plant kingdoms. Move on to exploring how species play into the differences between populations and communities.