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20 of the Cutest Animals on Earth to Brighten Your Day

What are the cutest animals? From a monkey that weighs only a few ounces to a 100-pound rodent, get to know some of these adorable creatures.

ByAllison Futterman
Cutest animals: MeerkatCredit:Michar Peppenster/Shutterstock

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The cutest animals according to Discover Magazine are the red panda, fennec fox, quokka, koala bear, sea otter, hedgehog, meerkat, giant panda, penguin, pika, arctic fox, axolotl, rabbit, sugar glider, capybara, Japanese weasel, margay, pygmy marmoset, raccoon dog, and the sand cat.

This list is a mix of mammals, amphibians, and birds, and range in location from North America, to the Eastern Himalayas.

There are about 9 million species on planet Earth that exist today, according to a paper in PLOS Biology. While it’s impossible to discern from all of these species which are the cutest animals of all time, there are certain behaviors and features that attract us to certain creatures.

Psychologically, as humans, we are drawn to baby animals because of our nurturing instinct. And we are even addicted to sharing cute animals on social media because it elicits a positive response, according to a new study in ...

  • Allison Futterman

    Allison Futterman is a Charlotte, N.C.-based writer whose science, history, and medical/health writing has appeared on a variety of platforms and in regional and national publications. These include Charlotte, People, Our State, and Philanthropy magazines, among others. She has a BA in communications and an MS in criminal justice.

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