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The animal kingdom is astonishing in its diversity and its color. Red is an especially vibrant and attractive hue. In the natural world, red is the color of dominance. Many species use red as a way of attracting mates, or as a threat display to ward off rivals or predators. Indeed, red often serves as a warning. But not always. The color is also a rather fashionable, with many animals, birds, and insects flaunting red as a symbol of beauty.
So, who does red best? Click through and observe wildlife that's blushed and flushed.
Native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, the red panda is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The animal is threatened by poaching as well as destruction and fragmentation of habitat due to deforestation.
One of the most recognized mammals on the planet, the red kangaroo is native to Australia and is the largest marsupial in the world.
The red squirrel is an arboreal and primarily herbivorous rodent commonly found throughout Eurasia. The animal features widely in popular culture, especially children's literature.
The strawberry-red scarlet ibis is a medium-sized wader whose range encompasses tropical South America and part of the Caribbean.
A sly and cunning predator, the red fox is present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus parts of North Africa.
Commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in the United Kingdom, this particular coccinellid species is the farmer's friend, preying as it does on invasive bugs such as aphids and scale insects.
One of the most vibrant of sea creatures found in the Mediterranean Sea, the red sea star is a stunning starfish that thrives in a variety of habitats.
The dainty and delicate red lacewing enjoys a range across much of Southeast Asia. In males, the dorsal sides of the wings are bright orange red, framed by a black outline with white spots, an astonishing pattern that helps disguise the shape of the butterfly.
A Pacific salmon species, the sockeye is found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it, and is primarily red in hue during spawning.
The red ruffed lemur is one of the largest primates of Madagascar, and one of the rarest. The IUCN lists this magnificent creature as Critically Endangered.
Endemic to Christmas Island and Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean, these impressive land crabs are known for the epic annual mass migration they undertake to lay their eggs in the ocean.
A beautiful member of the parrot family, the red lory is the second-most commonly kept lory in captivity, after the rainbow lorikeet. In the wild, this pretty bird is seen across Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, and the Pacific.
The red deer inhabits most of Eurasia. An animal that for centuries has been cited in myth and legend, it roams freely across much of Eurasia and is the fourth-largest extant deer species, behind the moose, elk, and sambar deer.
The miniscule red velvet mite is an arachnid found in various parts of the world. Its body of plush, velvety red makes it one of the more attractive species of mite. Interestingly, the oil from the red velvet mite is used in traditional Indian medicine to treat paralysis.
While the strawberry poison frog is famous for its widespread variation in coloration, it's for the florid vermillion glow of its skin that this toxic amphibian is named. It calls the forests of Central America home.
Once a species at risk, the bird branded as vermin and relentlessly killed and targeted by egg collectors, the red kite has made a remarkable comeback thanks to concerted conservation efforts. That said, the raptor currently breeds only in Europe.
The wonderfully named Spanish dancer is a large and colorful sea slug so named because if disturbed it unfolds its edges and can swim through contractions and undulations of the body, the movement akin to a female flamenco dancer's ruffled skirt.
The red velvet ant is actually a species of parasitoid wasp that ranges from Connecticut to Kansas in the north and Florida to Texas in the south. It's the largest of the velvet ant species in the eastern United States.
The aptly named tomato frog is native to Madagascar. When threatened by a predator, it puffs up its body. And if grabbed, it will secrete a toxic substance that occasionally causes allergic reactions in humans.
Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, this honeycreeper, a member of the finch family, is noted as having a unique odor to its plumage, a strong musky smell similar to moth balls.
Widely distributed throughout the world, the red net-winged beetle has burgundy wings, a warning to predators of its acidic, burning taste.
The scarlet kingsnake, like all kingsnakes, is nonvenomous. It's found in the southeastern and eastern portions of the United States across a wide variety of habitats, including prairies, pine savannas, and even urban environments.
The exotic pompadour cotinga lives in the Amazon Basin, with males having a distinctive burgundy head and body, bright white wings, and yellow eyes.
Only in its juvenile stage does the eastern newt acquire its red-orange coat, during which the tiny amphibian is often referred to as a red eft. It's found in small lakes, ponds, and streams across eastern North America.
The scarlet macaw is one of the most colorful birds in the animal kingdom. While predominantly of a reddish hue, its plumage is a kaleidoscope of green, yellow, and blue. It's native to humid evergreen forests of the Americas.
The red milkweed beetle has a crimson red body dotted with ink black spots and conspicuously long black antennae. As its name suggests, the insect is found in places where milkweed plants grow.
Long-horned orb-weavers are actually spiders, and it's the females who possess the spectacular long, curved spines that sprout from their ruby-red abdomens like Viking horns. The species occurs throughout India and China through Southeast Asia to Indonesia.
Endemic to the eastern United States, the red salamander is recognized for its red-orange skin with random black spots. The amphibian lacks lungs and respires through its skin.
A species of damselfly, the male American rubyspot boasts a lustrous copper red head and thorax. The abdomen of both genders is brilliant green.
A freshwater shrimp native to China, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and Vietnam, the cherry shrimp boasts a fantastically bright flame-colored body.
Sources: (IUCN)
See also: The most painful animal bites and stings humans can experience
Wildlife in radiant red
Animals 'dressed' in scarlet hues
LIFESTYLE Nature
The animal kingdom is astonishing in its diversity and its color. Red is an especially vibrant and attractive hue. In the natural world, red is the color of dominance. Many species use red as a way of attracting mates, or as a threat display to ward off rivals or predators. Indeed, red often serves as a warning. But not always. The color is also a rather fashionable, with many animals, birds, and insects flaunting red as a symbol of beauty.
So, who does red best? Click through and observe wildlife that's blushed and flushed.