Dozens of Pokémon look like real animals. Pikachu is a mouse, Magikarp looks like a carp, and Lapras looks like a sea reptile that lived long before humans. For a full list for one animal, such as cat Pokémon or dog Pokémon, see Pokémon that look like animals.
The games rarely say where a design came from, so fans and the Bulbapedia website work most of it out from clues. That is why this page says "inspired by" and "looks like it is based on". The Pokémon and their official categories come from the pokee.si Pokédex data.
The official animal words
Every Pokémon has a category, like "Mouse Pokémon". Counting the animal words in them gives a rough idea of which animals turn up most. Bird is the most common (15 Pokémon), then Mouse (13), Snake (10), Fish (10), Fox (9) and Cat (8).
| Category | Count | Some examples |
|---|---|---|
| Bird | 15 | Pidgey, Doduo, Skarmory, Swablu, Rookidee |
| Mouse | 13 | Rattata, Pikachu, Marill, Bidoof |
| Snake | 10 | Ekans, Onix, Seviper, Snivy |
| Fish | 10 | Magikarp, Wooper, Mudkip, Feebas |
| Fox | 9 | Vulpix, Zorua, Fennekin |
| Cat | 8 | Meowth, Litten, Sprigatito |
A category does not always match the animal that inspired the design. Sandshrew is a "Mouse Pokémon", but Bulbapedia says it looks like an armadillo or a pangolin. Bidoof is a "Plump Mouse Pokémon", yet it looks like a beaver or a gopher.
Pikachu is a mouse, with squirrel cheeks
Pikachu started out as a different creature. Bulbapedia says it was first a round, daifuku-like shape with ears sticking out. Then Game Freak's CEO, Satoshi Tajiri, decided to base it on a mouse. The cheek pouches that store electricity were added later and were inspired by squirrels.
Its evolution, Raichu, is also a "Mouse Pokémon". Compare the two on Pikachu vs Raichu.
Mammals
| Pokémon | Type | Official category | Inspired by (Bulbapedia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pikachu | Electric | Mouse Pokémon | a mouse (with squirrel-style cheek pouches) |
| Sandshrew | Ground | Mouse Pokémon | an armadillo or pangolin |
| Kangaskhan | Normal | Parent Pokémon | a kangaroo |
| Drowzee | Psychic | Hypnosis Pokémon | a tapir (and the baku of Japanese myth) |
| Donphan | Ground | Armor Pokémon | an elephant |
| Zubat | Poison/Flying | Bat Pokémon | a bat (vampire bats) |
| Komala | Normal | Drowsing Pokémon | a koala |
| Wooloo | Normal | Sheep Pokémon | a sheep |
| Skwovet | Normal | Cheeky Pokémon | an Eastern gray squirrel |
| Lechonk | Normal | Hog Pokémon | a young black Iberian pig |
Birds
| Pokémon | Type | Official category | Inspired by (Bulbapedia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psyduck | Water | Duck Pokémon | a duck (and a platypus) |
| Piplup | Water | Penguin Pokémon | a penguin chick |
| Rowlet | Grass/Flying | Grass Quill Pokémon | an owl (the barn owl) |
| Toucannon | Normal/Flying | Cannon Pokémon | a toco toucan |
| Flamigo | Flying/Fighting | Synchronize Pokémon | a flamingo |
Sea life
The ocean gives the designers a lot to work with. Wailord looks like a blue whale, Finizen like a dolphin and Horsea like a seahorse.
| Pokémon | Type | Official category | Inspired by (Bulbapedia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dewgong | Water/Ice | Sea Lion Pokémon | a seal (harp seal pups) |
| Wailord | Water | Float Whale Pokémon | a blue whale |
| Finizen | Water | Dolphin Pokémon | a dolphin |
| Magikarp | Water | Fish Pokémon | an Asian carp |
| Horsea | Water | Dragon Pokémon | a seahorse |
| Staryu | Water | Star Shape Pokémon | a starfish |
| Mantine | Water/Flying | Kite Pokémon | a manta ray |
| Barraskewda | Water | Skewer Pokémon | a barracuda and pike |
| Pyukumuku | Water | Sea Cucumber Pokémon | a sea cucumber |
| Klawf | Rock | Ambush Pokémon | a hairy crab |
Magikarp looks like an Asian carp, a fish that gets scared easily and can jump 8 to 10 feet out of the water. Bulbapedia also says its open mouth may be a nod to koinobori, the carp-shaped windsocks flown in Japan on Children's Day.
Reptiles and bugs
Squirtle looks like a baby turtle and Torkoal like a tortoise. Ekans is a snake, with rattlesnake and cobra details. Caterpie looks like a swallowtail caterpillar.
Animal plus object
Some designs mix an animal with a thing.
- Mantine looks like a manta ray, and it may also be based on a fighter plane. The round patterns on its body look like the circles painted on warplanes.
- Barraskewda looks like a barracuda, but also like a spear, and its spinning tail is like a torpedo's propeller.
- Torkoal looks like a tortoise, and its shell may be inspired by a kiln, a dome-shaped oven.
Prehistoric animals
Some Pokémon are inspired by animals that died out long ago.
| Pokémon | Type | Official category | Inspired by (Bulbapedia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerodactyl | Rock/Flying | Fossil Pokémon | a pterosaur |
| Tyrantrum | Rock/Dragon | Despot Pokémon | Tyrannosaurus |
| Lapras | Water/Ice | Transport Pokémon | a plesiosaur |
| Relicanth | Water/Rock | Longevity Pokémon | a coelacanth |
A pterosaur was a flying reptile from the age of the dinosaurs. Bulbapedia notes that pterosaurs are related to dinosaurs but are not counted as dinosaurs. A plesiosaur was a sea reptile, and Lapras may also have been inspired by the Loch Ness Monster, which people say looks like one.
Relicanth has a good story. The coelacanth is a fish that scientists thought had died out about 66 million years ago, until one was found in 1938. Animals like that are called living fossils, and Bulbapedia says Relicanth's Rock type reflects this. For more, see the fossil Pokémon list.
Where to go next
Test your eye with Who's That Pokémon, or try the quizzes. If you are not sure how to say Sandshrew or Flamigo, the pronunciation guide can help.