Rockstar Games has stated that GTA VI will feature more than 170 animal species in Leonida. The fauna will be spread across land, air, and sea, bringing together native, exotic, and invasive species inspired by Florida's ecosystems.

Animals mentioned include flamingos, manatees, pelicans, and alligators. Green iguanas, cane toads, feral cats, and rhesus macaques are also part of the selection mentioned by the company. The breakdown includes more than 60 types of birds, more than 30 land mammals, as well as fish and reptiles.

Michael Kane, Rockstar Games' vice president of dynamic art, said that the art and animal population teams aimed to portray researched real-world species with their own movements and animations. The developer also described visual features such as fur, feathers, iridescence, bioluminescence, and translucency.

Rockstar confirmed that some animals can be tracked and classified as Rare, Discoverable, and Legendary. This points to a discovery system tied to wildlife, but it does not confirm hunting as an activity or a catalog or bestiary along the lines of Red Dead Redemption 2's Compendium.

The comparison to Red Dead Redemption 2 is natural: Rockstar had stated that its Western game featured around 200 species and a complex ecosystem. Even so, that title's hunting and compendium systems should not be considered confirmed for GTA VI until the developer provides details on those mechanics.