How we choose the animals

Scientists have described more than a million kinds of animals, and choosing which ten go in a deck is harder than it looks.

We'll feature the famous animals. But the natural world is an incredible place, so we'll also share animals you may not have heard of, and we hope they surprise and delight you just as much.

Each deck follows a few rules. Ten animals from across the tree of life, so a deck is never just mammals — over the series that means birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects too. A mix of habitats. And a mix of conservation stories: animals doing fine, and animals that need help.

Then one rule that isn't written down anywhere: every animal has to be special once you look closely. A deck might have a deep-sea fish whose young grow their eyes on stalks, or a bird you walk past on the sidewalk every day that feeds its chicks milk made in its throat.

Which animal would you put in a deck?