Just the Zoo of Us 🐊🐌🦬さんのイラストまとめ

Cutiefly and its evolution Ribombee are based on Japanese bee flies! They belong to a family called Bombyliidae, which is where Ribombee gets its name. They have a long proboscis for feeding on nectar and pollen. (thank you @SebbySpresso!)

The Trapinch/Vibrava/Flygon line is really neat - they're based on a family of insects called antlions! Many species of antlions, when they are larvae, dig funnel-shaped pits in sand that trap their prey. As adults they resemble dragonflies.

Alomomola is based on the ocean sunfish, AKA "mola mola." These are the largest bony fish (meaning not sharks or rays) in the world! You may have heard some unkind things said about them on the Internet, but don't fall for it. They're actually really cool.

Turtonator gets its flat, jagged looks from the mata mata turtle! Their rough appearance helps them stay camouflaged in the murky waters of the Amazon river, and their pointy nose lets them breathe air from the surface without revealing their body.

Drowzee is based on the tapir! More specifically, the baku, a spirit that takes a form resembling a tapir & eats nightmares. This is referenced by Drowzee's attack Dream Eater. Tapirs have a long prehensile snout, which they use to strip leaves off of branches AND as a snorkel :)

Sandslash is based on the pangolin! These insectivorous mammals are covered head to toe in scales made of keratin, the same material as your hair and nails. Many pangolins live in trees, but ground pangolins dig their burrows in the dirt, hence Sandslash's ground typing.

i can't believe this pun was right there and i totally missed it until a friend in the facebook group hit me withthis...
it's a PANda.

Tom Nook's name in Japanese is "tanukichi!" The tanuki is also referenced in the Super Mario Bros series, where Mario can receive a "tanooki suit" that lets him fly, glide, or turn into a statue.