Iranian animals refer to the mythological creatures with predominant animalistic features who were a part of the belief system and cosmology of the Iranian or Persian kingdom before the introduction of the Shia sect of Islam in the region.

These animals tend to have strong influences from both the erstwhile Zoroastrian religion and also from the Babylonian and Sumerian myths with a lot of the characters being influenced by these mythologies. There is also an influence of European mythology with some of the animals seemingly “borrowed” from the region like dragons and mythical birds.

Iranian animals also tend to have a strong influence in the pre Islamic architecture and sculptures that were found in the region. Not much is left today from the ancient times as all of these characters were considered to be anti Islam and therefore destroyed.