GTA 6 has more than 170 animal species, according to Rockstar in Game Informer's September 29, 2026 feature. We collected only what is confirmed: which animals appear in official screenshots and the An Extended Look video, which ones the developers named, what you can do with animals and what Rockstar hasn't revealed yet.
How many animals are in GTA 6
The main source on Leonida's wildlife is a big Game Informer feature from September 29, 2026, for which Rockstar gave interviews and 12 exclusive screenshots. According to the developers, the game has more than 170 animal species: over 60 bird species, over 30 land mammals, plus fish, reptiles and other creatures.
Rockstar's VP of dynamic art Michael Kane explained the idea: Florida has a diverse ecosystem, and the studio wanted to carry it faithfully into Leonida's different biomes. That is why native species share the map with invasive ones, the kind that have long been a problem in real-life Florida.
Rockstar hasn't published a full list. The "all 170 animals" tables on fan sites are built from guesses and screenshots, so we only include animals Rockstar has shown or named itself.
Which animals have been shown officially
| Animal | Where Rockstar showed or named it | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| Alligator | Grassrivers description in the "Only in Leonida" section of the game's site; official Grassrivers screenshots; Game Informer | Lives in the swamps; in screenshots they lie in the water next to a chase and hang as a trophy in a shack |
| Flamingo | Game Informer (developer quotes) | One of Florida's "recognizable" species |
| Pelican | Game Informer | Coasts and bays |
| Manatee | Game Informer | Marine mammal of Florida's warm waters |
| Green iguana | Official Leonida Keys screenshots; Game Informer | Invasive species; in a screenshot it crawls across a small-town road |
| Cane toad, rhesus macaque, nine-banded armadillo | Game Informer | Named among the invasive species |
| Sharks | Game Informer | Mentioned among the marine life |
| Sea turtle, fish | Official underwater Leonida Keys screenshot | Swimming by a reef next to scuba divers |
| Deer | Official Mount Kalaga screenshot | Grazing by the water in a forest |
| Big wild cat | The same Mount Kalaga screenshot | Stalking toward a watering hole; Rockstar didn't name the species |
| Dog | An Extended Look video; Leonida Keys screenshot | Jason pets a dog, the first animal interaction shown |
According to Dexerto's summary, the same Game Informer conversation also mentioned whales, jellyfish and feral cats, without details. There are over 60 bird species, but Rockstar has named only a few.
Where to find animals in Leonida
The official region descriptions on the game's site hint at where to expect wildlife. More on each region on the GTA 6 map page.
- Grassrivers: swamps and mangroves. Rockstar says outright that alligators live here and that "more dangerous predators" and strange finds lurk among the mangroves.
- Leonida Keys: a tropical archipelago with, in Rockstar's words, some of the most beautiful and most dangerous waters in America. Official screenshots show iguanas, a sea turtle and reef fish.
- Mount Kalaga: a national landmark in the north of the state that Rockstar describes as a place for hunting, fishing and off-roading. A screenshot shows deer and a big cat by the water.
- Vice City and the coast: pet dogs, birds, marine life near the beaches.
What you can do with animals
Pet and interact. In An Extended Look (August 27, 2026), Jason walks up to a dog, and holding L2 brings up "pet", "scold" and "study" options. Jason pets the dog and an angel-shaped icon flashes above him. Rockstar hasn't explained what that icon means or what "scold" does.
Study. The "study" option recalls Red Dead Redemption 2, where studied animals went into a compendium. Whether GTA 6 has such a compendium hasn't been officially stated. According to Game Informer's reporting, you can also visit a zoo in the game.
Look for rare ones. The developers told Game Informer that animals are split into common, rare and legendary, as in RDR 2. Which animals count as legendary, Rockstar is keeping secret.
Hunt and fish. Both activities are named in the official Mount Kalaga description, and Rockstar North's Rob Nelson told Famitsu that fishing is his favorite activity in the game. Details on the GTA 6 side activities page.
What Rockstar hasn't revealed yet
- The full species list. There are only per-group numbers and a few names.
- Legendary animals. The feature is confirmed, the specific species are not.
- Pets. Whether you can own a dog or another animal hasn't been officially stated.
- Horses. The official GTA 6 material we reviewed contains no horses.
- Dangerous animals. Rockstar hints at "more dangerous predators" in Grassrivers, but whether alligators or sharks attack the protagonists hasn't been shown.
All of this will become clear when the game launches on November 19, 2026. More on mechanics, weather and how the world behaves on the GTA 6 gameplay page.
GTA 6 animals FAQ
How many animals are in GTA 6?
More than 170 species: over 60 bird species, over 30 land mammals, plus fish and reptiles. Rockstar gave the numbers in Game Informer's September 29, 2026 feature.
Are there alligators in GTA 6?
Yes. Alligators are mentioned in the official description of the swampy Grassrivers region and appear in official screenshots.
Can you pet the dog in GTA 6?
Yes, in An Extended Look Jason pets a dog. The interaction menu also has "scold" and "study" options.
Will GTA 6 have hunting?
Rockstar mentions hunting and fishing in the Mount Kalaga region description. The developers also confirmed rare and legendary animals, as in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Are there legendary animals in GTA 6?
Yes, Rockstar confirmed it to Game Informer, but hasn't revealed which species are legendary.
Will there be horses in GTA 6?
Rockstar's official trailers, screenshots and descriptions show no horses. We'll know for sure after the game launches on November 19, 2026.
Sources
- Official: Rockstar Games, Rockstar Newswire, Rockstar Support, Take-Two Interactive
- Databases and guides: GTABase, GTA Wiki, GTA BOOM, PowerPyx
- Press: GamesRadar, PC Gamer, IGN, VGC, Game Informer
Every fact is checked against official sources or at least two independent ones; player-sourced data is labelled in the text. Images are official Rockstar Games material. GTA Top is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.