Animals

 are a central feature of the American wilderness. Fauna comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and occupy wild areas throughout the gameplay. Some animals have been domesticated by the inhabitants of the American West, and serve as pets, transportation or livestock. Other animals cluster together in the wild in packs, herds and flocks.

Predatory animals will attempt to hunt and kill other animals, human NPCs, as well as the player and his Horses.

Almost all species of animals can be hunted and killed. Many of these animals can be skinned, and have their pelt sold to merchants for cash.

In multiplayer, the map shows locations where certain types of animals are most common by displaying distinct icons.

There were some animals intended to be in the game, but were taken out, e.g. an Alligator or Crocodile.

Zombiefied animals are also going to be included in the Undead Nightmare pack, an infected bear at the end of the trailer is proof of this.

List of Species
There are 37 species of animal that inhabit the gameplay world of Red Dead Redemption:
 * Armadillos
 * Bats
 * Bears
 * Beavers
 * Bighorn Sheep
 * Boars
 * Bobcats
 * Buck
 * American Buffalo
 * Bulls
 * Cattle
 * Chickens
 * Cougars
 * Coyotes
 * Crows
 * Deer
 * Dogs
 * Ducks
 * Eagles
 * Elk
 * Foxes
 * Goats
 * Hawks
 * Domesticated Horses
 * Wild Horses
 * Mules
 * Owls
 * Pigs
 * Rabbits
 * Raccoons
 * Rattlesnakes
 * Seagulls
 * Sheep
 * Skunks
 * Songbirds
 * Vultures
 * Wolves


 * Plus zombified species: Grizzly, horse, cougar, wolf, bat, boar, Bull.

Note:The unzombified species are which earn the "Unatural Selection" acheivment/trophy. See achievement link below.

Legendary Animals
The player must kill rare spawns of certain animal species for Master Hunter Challenges Rank 9 and 10 in singleplayer, and for Master Hunter II Challenges Rank 2, 3, 4 and 5 in multiplayer.

These are the legendary animals found in both singleplayer and multiplayer:


 * Khan the Jaguar – Located in the Ojo Del Diablo hills area south of Chuparosa, south of the road (Tanner's Reach in multiplayer). The player should use bait if he/she has difficult finding him. One shot in the head with the buffalo rifle is enough to kill it. Use Dead Eye if needed


 * Lobo the Wolf – Located near the Eastern edge of the Aurora Basin lake, Northwest of Tall Trees (Barranca in multiplayer). Use bait/gun/dead eye, as above.


 * Gordo the Boar – Located in the Stillwater Creek area, north of the road, south of the River, and Southwest of Thieves' Landing (Greenhollow in multiplayer). Use bait, gun, etc.


 * Brumas the Bear – Located in the Nekoti Rock area. Lives in a cave at the top of a mountain, Northeast of the Aurora Basin lake (Bearclaw Camp in multiplayer). Shoot him and take his pelt to complete the Master Hunter Level 10 challenge. Two shots in the head with the buffalo rifle should do it. If the player doesn't want to take any risks, he/she should go to Dead Eye with the Evans Repeater, and shoot the whole magazine into the bear.

The Liars and Cheats DLC contains 4 new legendary animals on each of the 4 new hunting grounds. They can only be found in multiplayer Free Roam.

They are:
 * Demi the Cougar – Located in Silent Stead, Southwest of Rathskeller Fork.
 * Keifer the Wolf – Located in Rio del Lobo, South of Lake Don Julio.
 * Roberto the Bobcat – Located in Roca de Madera, Southwest of El Presidio.
 * Wilbur the Boar – Located in Broken Tree, East of Beecher's Hope.

Mythical Animals

 * Jackalope - The jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore that was added to Red Dead Redemption via the Hunting and Trading Pack. The jackalope's pelt is one of the scraps for the Expert Hunter Outfit.(Is in normal RDR.)
 * War - One of the four horses of the Apocalypse that was added in the Undead Nightmare DLC. Incinerates any zombies that touch it.(Is not in normal RDR.)
 * Pestilence - One of the four horses of the Apocalypse that was added in the Undead Nightmare DLC. Can't die, unlimited stamina.(Is not in normal RDR.)
 * Famine - One of the four horses of the Apocalypse that was added in the Undead Nightmare DLC. Can't die, unlimited stamina.(Is not in normal RDR.)
 * Death - One of the four horses of the Apocalypse that was added in the Undead Nightmare DLC. Any zombies that touch Death will have their heads blown off.(Is not in normal RDR.)
 * Sasquatch - An ape-like creature that has been confirmed by the launch trailer of Undead Nightmare DLC. (Is not in normal RDR.)
 * Chupacabra - A mythical creature that was added in the Undead Nightmare DLC.(Is not in normal RDR.)
 * Unicorn - Another mythical creature that was added in the Undead Nightmare DLC.(Is not in normal RDR.)

Trophies/Achievements
There are several trophies/achievements that are associated with interacting with animals: