It is no secret thatPokemonare inspired by creatures in real life. There are a lot of obvious ones. For example, Seel is based on a seal, andEkans is based on a snake. However, there are somePokemonthat are inspired by lesser-known animals.
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With nearly one thousand Pokemon currently in existence, there are a ton of designs(with some better than others). The designs are based on inanimate objects, mythical creatures, and even people! Most of all though, there arePokemon based on real animals. After all, animals are the closest thing in our world to Pokemon. They live in unique environments, have unusual abilities, and can form relationships with humans.
We live in a time when some people might even see a certain animal and say “That looks like a Pokemon!” In some cases, they may be actually looking at an animal that inspired one of the many Pokemon from the games.
Updated August 10, 2025 by Allison Stalberg:Pokemon Legends: Arceushas come out and has created a fresh outlook on what Pokemon games can be with fast-paced ball throwing, open-world exploration, and battles where the trainer is free to move. The game has also created a new outlook for Pokemon in society in general. They are seen as dangerous and unpredictable.
However, there is a comfort to players when Pokemon resemble animals. Some are obvious, like Meowth being a cat, while others are lesser-known, like Poliwag being a glass-frog tadpole. As such, this list has been expanded to include a few more Pokemon based on real-life animals.
13Poliwag Is A Transparent Glass-Frog Tadpole
Poliwag is aunique design from the first generationand is associated with a tadpole. However, its design is a little more specific than just your run-of-the-mill tadpole that you may find in any puddle. It is designed based on the glass-frog tadpole. These guys get their names from their see-through bodies that allow people to see their intestines.
So that swirl on a Poliwag is actually based on the intestines these tadpoles have! It is both a little gross but also pretty amazing.
12Caterpie Is An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar
Another early generation(and a generation best known for its story)Pokemon is Caterpie. As its design and name describe, it is obviously based on a caterpillar. However, there is a particular caterpillar in real life that has a very similar design to the Pokemon. That is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar.
Does that mean its butterfly form looks like a Butterfree? Unfortunately, the similarity doesn’t go that far. Butterfree is more similar to black-veined white butterflies.
11Zizagoon Is A Raccoon Dog
The common raccoon dog is adorable, but not known across the world like Pokemon are. They are indigenous to East Asia and are particularly loved in Japanese folklore. This has made them appear in plenty of anime and games, such asStudio Ghibli’sPom Pokomovie, the Tom Nook character inAnimal Crossing, and as an inspiration for the Zizagoon Pokemon.
Zigzagoon is physically alike to raccoon dogs in many ways, from its little bandit-patterned mask and the mixture of white and brown fur. As for the Galarian Zizagoon, that region variant more closely resembles European badgers.
10Shellos Is A Chromodoris Lochi
This Water-type Pokemon was introduced in theDiamond and Pearlgenerationand came in two different forms: blue and pink. They are based on sea slugs, but the similarity is most specific to the Chromodoris lochi. They are alike in their bright colors, and the creature doesn’t just come in blue, but all sorts of colors.
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The Chromodoris lochi are native to tropical waters in the Indo-Pacific region. As for Shellos' evolution, it changes in its type of sea slug. Gastrodon more closely resembles an Opisthobranchia.
9Sandshrew Is A Sunda Pangolin
What Sandshrew is inspired by is actually debated between fans. Some say it was inspired by an armadillo while others say it is like a shrew due to its name as well as its poisonous claws.
In terms of how they look and walk though, the similarity between them and a Sunda Pangolin are most relevant. These adorable animals are known as scaly anteaters. They are not often seen due to being nocturnal and can be found in various regions in Asia. While Sandshrew is not known for being rare, the animals they are based on are critically endangered.
8Dragalge Is A Leafy Seadragon
Dragalge is part poison and part Dragon-type and looks just like the leafy seadragon that can be found on the western coasts of Australia. The actual animal looks like a Pokemon that came straight out of the human imagination. The truth is though that the leafy seadragon is real and actually serves as the logo for many South Australian associations.
While Dragalge is part Poison-type, the leafy sea dragon is neithervenomous nor poisonous. Due to not having such defense mechanisms, the leafy seadragon is meant to blend into its surroundings with its leaf-like body. Obviously, the Dragon-type of Dragalge comes from the leafy seadragon’s own name.
7Magikarp Is A Yelloweye Rockfish
While the Bulbapedia may tell you that Magikarp is based on Asian carp due to their jumping ability, that commonality is more in the lore of Magikarp rather than its design. The folklore is more connected to how Magikarp evolves into Gyradoes. On the design end, it looks just like a Yelloweye Rockfish.
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What is known about the Yelloweye Rockfish is they were prized for their meat and have been in a population decline since the 1980s. Honestly, that tracks. If Magikarp was real in our world, it would also be over-fished.
6Drowzee Is An Asian Tapir
Drowzee was not partly inspired by an elephant, but a tapir! Like Drowzee, they have a short nose trunk. They can be found in the jungles of Central and South America as well as Southeast Asia. Also, like Drowzee, they are similar to a pig in shape.
In the terms of its abilities though, Drowzee are similar to Baku from Japanese folklore. Artistic depictions of Baku also share a lot of physical traits with tapir. Its evolved form, Hypno, also has tapir-like qualities. However,Hypno and Drowzee are often overlooked by fanssince their powers are a little unsettling.
5Krookodile Is A Gharial
The design and name make it obvious that Krookodile was inspired by a crocodile. It’s not the first to be either, as Totodile and Feraligatr share that similarity. However, it is inspired by a specific crocodile known as the Gharial. They are actually critically endangered, so seeing one in the wild would be quite rare.
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Like Krookodile, its snout is much more narrow than your average crocodile. Unlike Krookodile, Gharial never stand up. That would be terrifying.
4Wooper Is An Axolotl
Many fans say it is Mudkip who is inspired by Axolotl, and they may be partly right. However, Wooper is in the same boat. In fact, its name is based on the Japanese term used for the marketing of Axolotl as pets: Wooper Looper. It is one of the morecreatively named Pokemon.
In terms of physical similarities, Wooper and the animal both have far apart eyes, frills/pointy parts on the sides of their head, and are Water-type.
