Random Animal Part Generator

One press gives five real animal features, each with the animals that have it and what it is or does.

Ringed tailRaccoons, ring-tailed lemurs. Dark and light bands along the tail, which give the lemur its name.
Third eyelidOwls, crocodiles, camels. A see-through eyelid that sweeps sideways across the eye to clean and shield it.
Carnassial teethDogs, cats, hyenas. A pair of blade-like cheek teeth that slide past each other like shears to slice meat.
TusksElephants, walruses, wild boars. Teeth that keep growing and reach out past the lips.
FlippersPenguins, sea turtles, seals. Flattened limbs shaped for swimming.

Next step Draw a part of the human body Draw a whole animal

How it works

Antlers, a blowhole, countershading, echolocation: five real animal features come up at a press. Each card names animals that have the feature and says what it is or does. Nothing on the list is made up.

Read the full guide

Use it as a random animal body part generator

The list under the button reads Any kind. Choose Body parts for horns, fins and feelers, Coats and markings for stripes, quills and warning colors, or Abilities for things animals do, such as gliding and playing dead.

Design a creature from five parts

Give all five cards to one invented animal: a hoofed swimmer with whiskers, a pouch and a rattle. Press again for a new five.

Tips

Antlers are bone and are shed every year. Horns keep a core of bone in a keratin sheath for life.
In an adaptations lesson, sort each draw into structures and behaviors before reading the lines.

Questions and answers

What does the random animal feature generator draw?

One of three kinds of feature: body parts such as tusks, gills and spinnerets, coats and markings such as rosettes and quills, and abilities such as echolocation and hibernation. Every card names two or three animals that have it.

Are the animal parts real?

Yes. Every feature belongs to living animals. Each line was checked on October 1, 2026 against the feature's Wikipedia article, and each feature was found in an Animal Diversity Web account. Invented parts and hybrids are left out.

Are human body parts on the list?

No. No part of the human body is on the list; its body parts are ones people lack, such as baleen, a blowhole or compound eyes. For the human body, use the random body part generator.

Can I draw a whole animal instead?

Yes. The random animal generator draws whole species. This page draws their parts, markings and abilities.

All 133 animal features

Body parts 78

Ampullae of Lorenzini Sharks, rays, skates. Jelly-filled pores on the snout that pick up the faint electric fields of hidden prey.
Antennae Ants, moths, lobsters. Feelers on the head that smell, taste and touch.
Antlers Deer, moose, elk. Branched bone on the head, shed and grown again every year.
Baleen Blue whales, humpback whales. Keratin plates hanging from the upper jaw that strain krill from seawater.
Barbels Catfish, carp, sturgeon. Slender whiskers by the mouth that taste for food where the fish cannot see.
Beak Parrots, eagles, turtles. A toothless jaw covered in keratin, shaped by what the animal eats.
Blowhole Whales, dolphins, porpoises. A nostril on top of the head for breathing at the surface.
Blubber Whales, seals, walruses. A thick layer of fat under the skin that keeps in heat and stores energy.
Book lungs Spiders, scorpions. Stacks of thin plates, like the pages of a book, where blood takes up oxygen from air.
Byssus threads Blue mussels, zebra mussels, pen shells. Tough silky threads that a mussel makes to moor itself to a rock.
Carapace Tortoises, sea turtles, crabs. The upper shell. A turtle's is built mainly from its rib cage and bony armor.

Show all 133 animal features (122 more)

Body parts, continued

Carnassial teeth Dogs, cats, hyenas. A pair of blade-like cheek teeth that slide past each other like shears to slice meat.
Casque Cassowaries, hornbills, chameleons. A helmet-like growth on top of the head or the bill.
Cheek pouches Hamsters, chipmunks, monkeys. Stretchy pockets inside the cheeks for carrying food away.
Coiled shell Land snails, conches, cowries. A spiral shell of chalky mineral, built on at the rim as the animal grows.
Compound eyes Flies, dragonflies, bees. Eyes built from many small units, each with a lens of its own.
Crest Cockatoos, hoopoes, lapwings. Long head feathers. A cockatoo raises and lowers its crest as a signal.
Crop Pigeons, doves, chickens. A pouch in the throat that stores food before it is digested.
Dewlap Anole lizards, moose, zebu cattle. A flap of skin under the throat. A male anole fans his out as a signal.
Dorsal fin Sharks, orcas, most fish. A fin on the back that steadies the animal against rolling as it swims.
Egg tooth Chicks, hatchling alligators, baby snakes. A sharp point on the beak or snout for breaking out of the egg.
Electric organ Electric eels, torpedo rays, electric catfish. Stacks of altered muscle cells that fire together as a jolt.
Ever-growing front teeth Beavers, rats, squirrels. Gnawing teeth that never stop growing and are worn down by use.
Exoskeleton Insects, crabs, spiders. A hard skeleton worn on the outside, which must be shed for the animal to grow.
False thumb Giant pandas, red pandas. A wrist bone grown long enough to work like a thumb for holding bamboo.
Fangs Rattlesnakes, spiders. A rattlesnake's are hollow teeth that inject venom. A spider's are part of its jaws.
Flippers Penguins, sea turtles, seals. Flattened limbs shaped for swimming.
Flukes Whales, dolphins, porpoises. The two lobes of the tail, which beat up and down to drive the animal forward.
Forked tongue Garter snakes, pythons, Komodo dragons. Flicks out again and again to sample the chemicals around the animal.
Gills Fish, tadpoles, axolotls. Organs that take up the oxygen dissolved in water.
Gizzard Peafowl, crocodiles, earthworms. A muscular stomach that grinds food, often with swallowed stones.
Gliding membrane Flying squirrels, sugar gliders, colugos. Skin between front and back legs (the patagium), spread to glide.
Halteres House flies, mosquitoes, crane flies. Knobbed stalks in place of hind wings that keep a fly steady in flight.
Heat pits Rattlesnakes, pythons, boas. Pits on the face that sense the body heat of prey in the dark.
Hooves Horses, deer, cattle. The tip of a toe wrapped in a thick case of keratin that takes the animal's weight.
Horns Cattle, goats, antelope. A core of bone in a keratin sheath. Unlike antlers, they are never shed.
Hump Dromedary camels, Bactrian camels. A reserve of fat for when food is scarce. It holds no water.
Ink sac Octopuses, squid, cuttlefish. Squirts a dark cloud into the water to cover an escape.
Lateral line Fish, sharks, tadpoles. Sense organs in a line down each flank that feel the water stir when something moves.
Lure Monkfish, frogfish, deep-sea anglerfish. A spine of the back fin dangled over the mouth as bait.
Mandibles Ants, beetles, grasshoppers. A pair of jaws that move sideways to grasp, crush or cut food.
Melon Dolphins, belugas, porpoises. A mass of fat in the forehead that focuses a toothed whale's clicks.
Ossicones Giraffes, okapis. Horn-like knobs of bone on the head that keep a cover of skin and fur for life.
Pedipalps Spiders, scorpions, harvestmen. The second pair of limbs at the front. A scorpion's are its pincers.
Pincers Crabs, lobsters, scorpions. Claws with one finger that closes against another to grip, crush or cut.
Poison glands Cane toads, American toads, salamanders. Skin glands on the neck and shoulders that ooze a milky poison.
Pollen baskets Honey bees, bumblebees, stingless bees. A hollow fringed with hairs on each hind leg for carrying pollen.
Pouch Kangaroos, koalas, wombats. A fold of skin on the mother's belly where the tiny newborn finishes growing.
Prehensile tail Spider monkeys, opossums, seahorses. A tail that curls around things and holds on like an extra hand.
Proboscis Butterflies, moths, mosquitoes. A long tube of a mouth. A butterfly keeps its coiled until it drinks.
Radula Snails, slugs, limpets. A tongue-like ribbon set with rows of tiny teeth that scrapes up food.
Rattle Timber rattlesnakes, diamondbacks, sidewinders. Hollow keratin rings on the tail. Each shed skin adds one.
Retractable claws House cats, lions, leopards. Claws drawn back into sheaths while the cat walks, which keeps them sharp.
Rumen Cattle, sheep. The first and largest chamber of a cud-chewer's stomach, where microbes break down grass.
Siphon Octopuses, squid, clams. A tube that pumps water. A squid squirts water through it to jet along.
Spinnerets Orb-weaver spiders, tarantulas, black widows. Nozzles at the tip of the abdomen that spin silk into thread.
Spiracles Insects, millipedes, centipedes. Small openings along the body that let air into the breathing tubes.
Spurs Chickens, spur-winged lapwings, platypuses. A spike on the leg or wing. A male platypus's delivers venom.
Sticky toe pads Tokay geckos, house geckos, crested geckos. Toes lined with fine hairs (setae) that grip walls and ceilings.
Stinger Bees, wasps, scorpions. A sharp point at the rear of the body that injects venom.
Stinging cells Jellyfish, sea anemones, corals. Cells that each fire a tiny barbed thread loaded with venom.
Suckers Octopuses, squid, cuttlefish. Cups along the arms that hold fast to prey and to the sea floor.
Swim bladder Goldfish, most other bony fish. A gas-filled sac that lets a bony fish hold its depth without swimming.
Talons Eagles, hawks, owls. The sharp, curved claws of a bird of prey, used to seize and hold what it catches.
Tapetum lucidum Cats, dogs, deer. A mirror-like layer behind the retina that gives dim light a second pass through the eye.
Tentacles Squid, cuttlefish, jellyfish. Long bendy limbs for catching food. A squid has two, besides its eight arms.
Third eye Tuataras, iguanas, some frogs. A light-sensing spot on top of the head (the parietal eye).
Third eyelid Owls, crocodiles, camels. A see-through eyelid that sweeps sideways across the eye to clean and shield it.
Throat pouch Pelicans, frigatebirds, cormorants. Stretchy bare skin under the bill. A pelican scoops up fish with it.
Trunk African elephants, Asian elephants. The nose and upper lip grown into one long, grasping limb.
Tube feet Starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers. Rows of small water-powered feet for walking, gripping and feeding.
Tusks Elephants, walruses, wild boars. Teeth that keep growing and reach out past the lips.
Tympanum Bullfrogs, toads. A round eardrum on the surface of the head, close to the eye.
Wattle Turkeys, chickens, cassowaries. A flap of bare skin hanging from the head or neck.
Webbed feet Ducks, frogs, otters. Skin stretched between the toes turns each foot into a paddle.
Whiskers Cats, seals, rats. Stiff hairs rooted among nerves that feel what they brush against, even in the dark.
Wing cases Ladybugs, stag beetles, fireflies. A beetle's hard front wings (elytra), which shut over the flight wings.
Zygodactyl feet Parrots, woodpeckers, roadrunners. Feet with two toes pointing forward and two pointing back.

Coats and markings 21

Black coat Leopards, jaguars, gray squirrels. Fur made black by extra dark pigment (melanism).
Countershading Penguins, sharks, deer. Dark above and pale below, which cancels the shadow on the belly.
Down Eider ducks, geese, chicks. Soft, fluffy feathers under the outer ones that hold warm air against the skin.
Eyespots Peacocks, owl butterflies, butterflyfish. Eye-shaped marks. Some draw a hunter's strike away from the head.
Feathers Owls, penguins, hummingbirds. Light growths of keratin found on no living animal but a bird.
Mane Lions, horses, zebras. Long hair on the neck. A male lion's mane likely signals his fitness to females.
Mimicry Hoverflies, milk snakes. A harmless animal in the warning colors of a dangerous one, so hunters avoid it.
Piebald coat Horses, magpies, ball pythons. Patches of white among patches of color, where the skin makes no pigment.
Quills New World porcupines, Old World porcupines. Stiff, sharp hairs that pull out at a touch but cannot be thrown.
Ringed tail Raccoons, ring-tailed lemurs. Dark and light bands along the tail, which give the lemur its name.
Rosettes Leopards, jaguars, snow leopards. Rose-shaped rings of spots that camouflage a stalking cat.
Scales of keratin Pangolins, snakes, lizards. Overlapping plates of keratin, the stuff of claws and nails.
Scutes Crocodiles, turtles, armadillos. Thick plates of horn or bone set in the skin as armor.
Shimmering color Hummingbirds, peacocks, morpho butterflies. Iridescence: color from fine structure, shifting with the angle.
Spines Hedgehogs, echidnas, sea urchins. Hard, sharp points all over the body that make the animal painful to bite.
Spots Cheetahs, spotted hyenas, fawns. Solid dark or pale dots. A white-tailed fawn's fade as it grows up.
Stripes Tigers, zebras. Dark bands on a paler coat. No two animals wear the same pattern.
Velvet Deer, moose, caribou. Soft, furry skin full of blood vessels that feeds a growing antler.
Warning colors Poison dart frogs, skunks, tiger moths. Bold colors that warn a hunter of a bad taste, a sting or a spray.
Winter white coat Arctic foxes, snowshoe hares, stoats. Fur that turns white for the snowy winter and brown or gray for summer.
Wool Sheep, alpacas, musk oxen. Fine, crimped hair that traps air and keeps the animal warm.

Abilities 34

Bioluminescence Fireflies, lanternfish, glowworms. Making light inside the body by a chemical reaction.
Building Beavers, termites, wasps. Making a home, such as a beaver's lodge, a termite mound or a wasp nest.
Calls too low to hear Elephants, blue whales. Calls pitched below human hearing (infrasound) that carry over great distances.
Cleaning other animals Cleaner wrasses, cleaner shrimp, oxpeckers. Eating the parasites and dead skin off bigger animals.
Color change Chameleons, cuttlefish, octopuses. Pigment-packed skin cells shrink or spread to repaint the animal.
Copying sounds Lyrebirds, mockingbirds, gray parrots. Learning and repeating the calls of other birds and other sounds.
Deep diving Sperm whales, elephant seals, emperor penguins. Holding one breath for a long hunt far below the surface.
Dropping the tail Skinks, geckos, salamanders. The tail snaps off and keeps wriggling while its owner escapes.
Drying out and reviving Tardigrades, rotifers, brine shrimp. Losing nearly all body water, then reviving when wetted (cryptobiosis).
Echolocation Bats, dolphins, sperm whales. Finding the way and food by sending out calls and listening for the echoes.
Estivation Water-holding frogs, land snails, desert tortoises. A summer sleep: lying dormant through heat and drought.
Eyes that swivel apart Chameleons, seahorses. Each eye turns on its own, so the animal watches two directions at once.
Freezing solid Wood frogs, spring peepers. Passing the winter partly frozen, with no heartbeat, and thawing out in spring.
Gliding Flying fish, flying dragons, flying snakes. Sailing through the air on spread fins, ribs or a flattened body.
Hibernation Groundhogs, hedgehogs, little brown bats. A winter sleep with heartbeat, breathing and body heat turned low.
Hovering Hummingbirds, hawk moths. Hanging in one spot in the air on fast-beating wings.
Looking like a twig Stick insects, leaf insects, leafy seadragons. A body shaped and colored like part of a plant.
Magnetic sense Sea turtles, homing pigeons, salmon. Feeling the Earth's magnetic field and steering by it on long journeys.
Metamorphosis Butterflies, frogs, dragonflies. Changing body form on the way to adulthood, as a tadpole becomes a frog.
Migration Arctic terns, monarch butterflies, wildebeest. A long journey made with the seasons, and back again.
Playing dead Virginia opossums, hognose snakes, some beetles. Going limp and still when caught, as if already dead.
Poison skin Poison dart frogs, rough-skinned newts, cane toads. Toxins in the skin that make the animal dangerous to eat.
Puffing up Pufferfish, porcupinefish. Gulping water until the body is a ball too big or too prickly to swallow.
Regrowing limbs Axolotls, starfish, crabs. A lost leg, arm or claw grows back.
Rolling into a ball Three-banded armadillos, pangolins, pill bugs. Curling up so that only armor faces out.
Shedding skin Snakes, crabs, cicadas. Slipping out of the old outer layer (molting). A crab must do it to grow.
Shooting tongue Chameleons, American toads, bullfrogs. The tongue shoots out and brings back an insect stuck to its tip.
Sleeping with half a brain Dolphins, fur seals, ducks. One half of the brain sleeps while the other stays awake, with one eye open.
Stink spray Striped skunks, spotted skunks, stink badgers. A foul-smelling liquid aimed from glands under the tail.
Tool use Sea otters, chimpanzees, New Caledonian crows. Using objects as tools: a sea otter cracks shells on a stone.
Ultraviolet vision Honey bees, butterflies, reindeer. Seeing light beyond violet, such as the ultraviolet marks on many flowers.
Venom Cobras, scorpions, cone snails. A toxin put into another animal through a bite, a sting or a dart.
Walking on water Water striders, basilisk lizards. A strider stands on the surface film. A basilisk sprints over on hind feet.
Web building Orb weavers, funnel weavers, cobweb spiders. Spinning silk into a trap for whatever flies or walks in.

How this list was compiled: We chose these features and wrote every line ourselves; nothing is copied. Rule for the list: a real feature of living animals that people lack or that differs in kind from the human body, plus things animals do, so no card repeats the random body part page, and no invented part or hybrid is listed. Each card names two or three animals and says in one line what the feature is or does. Checked on 2026-10-01: the words each line rests on stand in the feature's English Wikipedia article, and the feature is named in an Animal Diversity Web account, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, of one of the animals on the card; on most cards that account also carries the words for what the feature does, and on the rest it confirms the animal has the feature and the line rests on the Wikipedia article. Every animal named stands in one of the two pages read or in a further account read the same day. Some lines were also read against pages of NOAA Fisheries, the San Diego Zoo and the Smithsonian National Zoo. Left out after reading, for want of a second source: chirping (stridulation), comb, electric sense, syrinx, vocal sac, wishbone. The sorting into body parts, coats and markings, and abilities is ours. Licence: own work