Creatures

A creature is a living being, a general noun used to describe animals and other life forms. In everyday language, it usually refers to animals; in science the more precise term organism is preferred. The word also appears in folklore and fiction to refer to fantastical beings such as dragons or fairies.

Biologically, creatures are organisms that carry out basic life processes such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli. They range from single-celled microbes to multicellular forms. In common usage, "creature" often means animals, especially those with defined forms and behaviors. Animals are classified into major groups such as vertebrates—fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals—and invertebrates, including insects, arachnids, mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms.

Ecologically, creatures interact within ecosystems as producers, consumers, or decomposers, and they form complex relationships such as predation, symbiosis, and competition. The fossil record documents countless ancient creatures, revealing the history of life on Earth. In culture, the term is used in folklore, literature, and media to describe beings with varying degrees of agency or moral status.