List of animals

See also Valar animals.

This is a list of the animals of Arda.

"For all living things that are or have been in the Kingdom of Arda, save only the fell and evil creatures of Melkor, lived then in the land of Aman; and there also were many other creatures that have not been seen upon Middle-earth, and perhaps never now shall be, since the fashion of the world was changed."

—Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië

Familiar animals

Land animals

• Badgers
• Bears
• Boars
• Canids
• Cats
• Cattles
• Deer
• Horses
• Rabbits

A badger as seen in LOTR RPG

Badgers were mammals that dwelt in Middle-earth. They were known in the north as being excellent hole-diggers. A mysterious and supposedly legendary race of Badgers, the "Badger-folk", are mentioned in Hobbit verse in The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. The poem describes Tom being captured by their leader, named Badger-brock, and subsequently being released after frightening them with one of his magical chants.

While passing through Moria, Samwise Gamgee commented "There must have been a mighty crowd of Dwarves here at one time and every one of them busier than badgers for five hundred years to make all this, and most in hard rock too!''

In adaptations

Video games

In Middle-earth Role Playing, Badgers live throughout Rhovanion. In the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, they are found in the Shire and across Eriador.

"I should say there were little bears, large bears, ordinary bears, and gigantic big bears, all dancing outside from dark to nearly dawn."

—Gandalf, while at the house of Beorn

Bears were large and ferocious animals of Middle-earth and Númenor. They apparently could communicate with the Beornings (who could appear in the form of either Men or Bears), as it is stated that Beorn, when in bear shape, could speak the "tongue of bears". This also implies that bears had their own language. They were big, hulking, furry quadrupeds (however, they could stand on their hind legs to intimidate enemies) who were natural hunters. They had sensitive eyes, and long snouts with sensitive noses and huge fanged mouths.

Black and brown bears were native to rocky and mountainous areas of Númenor. Forostar in particular was the home of many great black bears. These bears were on friendly terms with the Númenoreans, though individual "bad bears" occasionally raided bee-hives and killed people despite frequently being offered honey. However, neither race held the other to blame for these bad bears. Occasionally, the bears, mostly black bears, would perform entertaining "bear-dances" which the Númenoreans taught them. One particular bear-dance evolved to become the annual Great Bear-dance which took place at Tompollë in Forostar.

Bears of Middle-earth were native to Wilderland, between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood, where they thrived by hunting. However; they were not carnivores, as was demonstrated by their love of honey. As the bees of Wilderland were at least twice as big as average bees, the bears were bound to have tough leathery skin, either as a natural attribute or from adaptation to bee stings.

At least some of the bears were allies of the Beornings, as was demonstrated when a pack of bears assisted Beorn in the hunting of a pack of Wolf-riders from Goblin-town, but Beorn also gave reference to "Wicked bears", in that wicked bears were most likely allies of the Wargs and Orcs of Wilderland. Since bears had their own language, and could be classified as good or evil, they were ostensibly sentient to at least some degree.

Bears play a significant role in some stories outside the legendarium. In particular, Mr. Bliss included Archie, Teddy and Bruno, three mischievous bears; while in Letters From Father Christmas the polar bears are friends of Father Christmas. Their leader was Karhu, the "North Polar Bear" or "Great Polar Bear", who had two nephews, Paksu and Valkotukka.

Boars were wild pigs that roamed Middle-earth. They had great tusks that they would use for a weapon.

Dáin's boar in The Hobbit adaptation

The most famous boar in Middle-earth was the great boar of Everholt living in the Firien Wood. It was hunted by Folca, the King of Rohan who eventually killed it but was mortally wounded by the great beast himself.

In adaptations

In Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy, Dáin II arrived at the prelude of the Battle of Five Armies astride a large boar.

Dogs

Dogs were four-legged beasts, which were usually domesticated in Middle-earth. They were closely related to wolves and werewolves.^{[citation needed]}

During the Third Age, Beorn had several dogs who could walk on their hind legs, and carry things with their forelegs. They could set the table, and were capable of speech. Farmer Maggot kept three dogs, Grip, Fang, and Wolf, to guard his farm.

The greatest hound of the First Age was Huan, once a companion of Celegorm and later the companion of Lúthien. He was a sentient being capable of speech.

Foxes

Foxes were four legged wild canines that lived near the woods and wilds surrounding the outskirts of the Shire. They were not known to be menacing, and probably avoided Men and Hobbits.

The most famous of the mention of foxes was when they approached the company of Hobbits as they slept in the woods after they left the Shire. It was narrated of how the fox thought it was very queer to see Hobbits asleep in the woods, but the fox didn't stay to find out anything more. This fox seems to have possessed sentience, although it's not clear if all foxes in Middle-earth did, and this may have simply been personification. Later, the Hobbits see another fox, although it is unlikely that this is the same one they had seen in the woods.

Wolves

Wolves were four-legged, carnivorous canines who lived in Arda since the First Age. There were many subspecies in Middle-earth - apart from the original Gray Wolves, these groups included the White Wolves, Dogs, Werewolves, and Wargs. The White Wolves were a mysterious race of unknown origin who inhabited the frozen Northern lands and might have been neutral.

Dogs were domesticated from Gray Wolves. Werewolves were bred from Gray Wolves inhabited by demons and were minions of the Dark Powers.

Wolves, like many other animals in Arda (Crows, Bats, burden beasts, Mumakil, etc.) had nothing to do naturally with forces of darkness but served it at varying points throughout the Ages. Carcharoth, Draugluin, and the other evil wolves of the First Age were normal wolves possessed by Morgoth's power, and the Wargs may have been descended from them.

Because of their strange relationship with the Dark Powers, It is unknown whether wolves were created just as the other Middle-earth beasts were created or if they were created by Morgoth. If they were created by Morgoth, they were probably the least evil of his creations. During the First Age, the only known time they fought for Morgoth was during the War of Wrath, in which most of the wolves were slain, but a few survived and fled to safety.

During the third age, the dire wolves that lived in Angmar pledged loyalty to the Witch-king of Angmar. It is also unknown if they chose to join the armies of Angmar, or if they were forced to against their will. They fought in many battles against Arnor and presumably continued to thrive in Angmar after its final defeat.

Some orcs can ride wolves and are called Wolf-riders.

Cats were small, four-legged animals that lived in Arda. They were often used as companions and pets by the Hobbits and Bree-landers. As they were keen-sighted and agile, some cats were used for hunting and spying.

Cats of Berúthiel

During the Third Age, Queen Berúthiel of Gondor kept nine black cats and one white cat. The black cats spied on the Men of Gondor, but failed to hide the fact that they were spying. On the other hand, the white cat was ordered to spy on the black cats and did a better work than them, as the black cats never found out that they were being watched. When Berúthiel was exiled from Gondor, her black cats accompanied her.

Cattles were four-legged domestic beasts that lived in Arda.

In earlier versions of the legendarium, a strange kind of white cattle lived in Doriath.

A deer

Deer were four-legged beasts that inhabited Middle-earth - mentioned in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Deer were hunted for food by the peoples of Middle-earth save for the Beornings who did not eat meat. Deer came in different coats, including red and white.

In The Hobbit deer were common beasts of burden of the Elves.

Deer were loved by the Vala Nessa, and they would follow her everywhere.

While traversing Mirkwood, Thorin and Company came upon a leaping deer. They saw another deer in the forest, white as snow. The Dwarves began shooting at it until they spent their last arrows. The deer vanished afterwards.

In adaptations

In Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy, Thranduil's elk(s) appeared as the steed of Thranduil.

Main article: Horses

Horses were large, quadrupedal animals commonly used by Elves and Men as a means of transportation. They, and ponies, their smaller, closely related cousins, were used throughout Middle-earth from the First Age onward.

Gollum eating a Rabbit in the films

Rabbits, also known as hares, or conies by Hobbits, were small, fat animals which lived throughout Middle-earth. Rabbits were hunted for food by the peoples of Middle-earth, usually when traveling and not as butchers cuts, save for the Beornings who did not eat meat.

In adaptations

Coney stew in the films

In Peter Jackson's movie The Two Towers, a brace of rabbits were caught by Gollum just before a force of Haradrim walked through the land with an Oliphaunt, but then are then cooked by Sam in a stew, which angered Gollum.

In the The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Radagast's sled is pulled by a strange, large breed of rabbits from Rhosgobel, called "Rhosgobel Rabbits" by the wizard, which were fast enough to outrun Wolves from Gundabad and also Wargs.

Flying animals

• Bats
• Birds

Bats in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Bats were large flying creatures that roamed in the forests of Middle-earth.

Most bats were part of the forest's ecosystem, however, some bats were bred from darkness and variants of vampires and were known for their service to the forces of Darkness. Bats sided with the Orcs and Wargs in the Battle of Five Armies, during which they flew so thickly across the sky that the sunlight was blotted out.

In the First Age, the great bat Thuringwethil was Sauron's messenger and took the form of a giant bat with great fingered wings. It is not recorded whether the creature was sapient or not. As Bilbo and the Dwarves marched through Mirkwood they gave up lighting fires at night because they attracted thousands of moths, followed by huge black bats.

Names

Cave-bats in BFME 2

In Gnomish, one of Tolkien's early conceptions of an Elven language, the word for "bat" is cwildred.

In adaptations

Peter Jackson's The Hobbit Trilogy

• In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, giant bats chase Radagast the Brown after he encounters the Necromancer at Dol Guldur.

Games

• A larger form, the Cave bats, were seen as part of the Goblin faction in the The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II.
• In The Lord of the Rings Online, bats are found in caves throughout Middle-earth, especially in Moria. They are frequently the pets of the Merrevail.

Giant Bats from Games Workshop

Games Workshop

• Giant Bats are a unit in the "Misty Mountains" faction of the The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game.

^{[citation needed]}

Birds were commonplace creatures of the world of Arda gifted with the ability to fly.

They were of the Kelvar and created during the Spring of Arda.

Most but not all birds were non-sapient.

^{[citation needed]}

Birds of Middle-earth

• The great Eagles who nested on Thangorodrim and later on the Crissaegrim during the First Age in Beleriand. They are messengers of Manwë and were probably regarded as the highest of all birds.
• Swans were servants of Ulmo and were revered mostly by Teleri.
• Thrushes and Ravens who nested near the Lonely Mountain.
• Crebain - Servants of darkness that came from Dunland.
• Hawks were large birds that roamed Middle-earth. As the Fellowship of the Ring was being spied upon by the Crebain, a lone hawk was also thought of as being a watcher of the enemy, meaning that Saruman may have used hawks as spies also.
• Swans of Gorbelgod
• Kingfishers
• Gorcrows

Birds of Númenor

• Kirinki - small birds with very high voices

Birds of the Valar

• Nightingales, a type of flycatcher that came to Hither Shores with Melian.

Named sapient birds

Eagles

• Thorondor
• Gwaihir
• Meneldor
• Landroval
• Lord of the Eagles

Ravens

• Carc
• Roäc

Aquatic animals

• Marine mammals
• Fish

Cetaceans and pinnipeds were known to inhabit Arda. Notable individuals include such as Uin and Ulmo's servants.

Fish in the New Line Cinema Film

Fish were animals of rivers, springs, lakes, and the Great Sea. They were often hunted for food, as in the case of Gollum. As opposed to Gollum (who ate raw fish), Hobbits (specifically Samwise Gamgee) preferred cooked fish.

After being captured by Faramir and the Rangers of Ithilien, Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee watched as Gollum hunted for fish in the Forbidden Pool. Gollum referred to fish as "juicy sweet".

Invented animals

Fauna

• Crebain
• Great Eagles
• Kine of Araw
• Kirinki
• Mearas
• Mûmakil
• Pards

Crebain were large species of crow which were native to Dunland and Fangorn Forest. Singular form is craban.

Great Eagles served as messengers of Manwë Súlimo.

The Kine of Araw were a type of wild ox that lived near the Sea of Rhûn.

Kirinki was a bird native to Númenor.

Mearas was the name given to an exceptional race of horses.

Mûmakil, also known as Oliphaunts, were enormous elephant-like creatures used by the Haradrim.

Pards, were legendary feline creatures that lived in the east of Middle-earth, in Rhûn.

Evil creatures

• Dragons
• Black Wings
• Great Spiders
• Wargs
• Sauron's animal forms

Dragon were creatures created by Morgoth.

Black Wings, also known as Nazgûl-birds, hell-hawks, and fell beasts, were winged creatures ridden by the Nazgûl.

Great Spiders dwelt in the northern part of Mirkwood.

Wargs, being natural allies of the Dark Powers, were a race of large, intelligent but aggressive, wolf-like creatures who worked for and alongside Orcs on many occasions. They were most likely descendants of the werewolves.

"Wolf-Sauron"

Wolf-Sauron was the name given to the dreadful wolf-shape that Sauron took when he went from Tol-in-Gaurhoth ("Isle of werewolves") to do battle with Huan, the Hound of Valinor.

According to prophecy, Huan would not die until he had encountered the greatest of all wolves, so Sauron contrived to take on that role and defeat the hound. He failed, as the greatest of all wolves was not Wolf-Sauron, but Carcharoth of Angband, and through Lúthien's magic and Huan's valour Sauron was defeated. Surrendering his tower on Tol-in-Gaurhoth, he fled in the form of a vampire into the woods of Dorthonion, and was not seen again until after the War of Wrath.

In adaptations

The Fellowship of the Ring, in the book, was attacked by a pack of wild wolves the night after they came down from Caradhras. Gandalf, who addressed the first wolf to attack as "Hounds of Sauron" said after the fight was over, that the wolves weren't ordinary wolves because there were no bodies left nor any sign of the wolves at all. During the time of the War of the Ring, Saruman kept some wolves in Isengard. Also Gandalf sees Saruman's wolves while he is Saruman's prisoner at Orthanc.

In Peter Jackson's film trilogy, Wargs are present in The Two Towers. They attack the fleeing citizens of Edoras as they make for Helm's Deep, killing several soldiers of Rohan's small army before returning to Isengard. This attack only happens in the movie and is not used in the book.

Video games

The Shade of the Wolf in BFME II, ROTWK

In The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king there are Dire wolves in the Angmar faction.

In addition, the Angmar faction also includes the Shade of the Wolf power that summons a werewolf ghost to the field.

"Prince of Cats"

In earlier concepts in the legendarium, Tevildo was the Prince of Cats and the demonic servant of Melko. He took the form of a great black cat with a collar of gold. His character eventually became Sauron. He is treated as a separate character from Sauron in Beren and Lúthien.

External links

• List of Middle-earth animals on EverybodyWiki
• Index:Fauna of Arda on Tolkien Gateway
• Animals on Middle-earth Role Playing Wiki