Popular beast alternate modes
When arriving on Earth, there are millions of animal species a Cybertronian might scan for an alternate mode. Some genera, however, are extremely popular with Cybertronians.
TFWiki.net: The Transformers Wiki has certain requirements for an animal to be listed here. There must be at least three unique toy molds (or in-fiction appearances, in the case of non-toy bodies/characters) that share the beast mode. There must also be at least one unique character per mold--a single character getting numerous revamps in similar bodies over the years would not count as a "popular mode."
Each mold is listed on its own line, with all different-character decoes/retools on the same line. The list is organized in chronological order of toy release.
Arthropods
Insects
Stag beetles (family Lucanidae)
Scarabs and rhinoceros beetles (family Scarabaeidae)
Grasshoppers and locusts (order Caelifera)
Wasps and ants (order Hymenoptera)
- Waspinator / Dirgegun
- Buzz Saw
- Injector / Rartorarta (partially)
- Inferno (BW) / Antagony
- Scavenger (BW)
- Waspinator (Animated)
Spiders
Black Widow Spiders (Latrodectus mactans)
Scorpions
- Double Punch (G1)
- Pincher
- Poison Bite
- Scorpia
- Scorponok (G1) / BlackZarak
- Scorponok (BW) / Sandstorm (BW) / Double Punch (BW)
- Quickstrike (BW) (partially)
- Scorpulator
- Scorponok (Energon) / Dark Scorponok
- Scorponok (Movie)
Crabs
Fish
Manta Rays (Manta birostris)
Sharks
Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Hammerhead shark (genus Sphyrna and others)
- Cybershark / Hellscream / Overbite (Universe)
- Air Hammer (partially)
- Hammerstrike
Dragons
- Megatron (BW)
- Cryotek
- Doublecross
- Deathsaurus
- Galvatron (BWII) / Unicron
- Nightscream (Classics) / Dragoyell / Brimstone (Universe)
- Savage
- Snapdragon
- Hun-Gurrr
- Megatron (RID)
- Scourge (Cybertron) / Trypticon (Classics) / Bruticus (RID)
Reptiles
Crocodylians
American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
- Skullcruncher
- Megatron (BW) / Albitron
- Terragator (partially)
- Soundwave (BW)
- Gatoraider
Turtles
Snapping turtles (genera Chelydra and Macroclemmys)
- Snaptrap / Turtlar / Halfshell
- Snapper
- Terragator (partially)
Snakes
Cobras (genus Naja and others)
- Cohrada
- Quickstrike (BW) (partially)
- Nightviper (even though vipers aren't cobras)
- Cobrabreast
Lizards
- Geckobot
- Sky Shadow (BW) / Drancron (partially)
- Buzzclaw (BW) / Buzzclaw (Timelines) / Dirge (Descent into Evil) / Virulent Clone / Repugnus (Universe) (partially)
- Wreckloose
- Iguanus (BW) / Crazybolt
- Reptilion
Dinosaurs
Tyrannosaurus
- Grimlock (G1) / Grimlock (Shattered Glass)
- Overkill
- Gōryū (Victory) (pretender shell only)
- Megatron (BW) / T-Wrecks
- Trypticon (G1) / Gigastorm
- Tyrannitron
- Terrorsaur (Classics) / Gnashteeth / Chromebite
- Grimlock (Energon)
- Megatron (Cybertron)
- Predacon (Armada)
- Grimlock (Animated)
- Goryu (Shattered Glass)
Triceratops
- Slag (G1)
- Kakuryū (pretender shell only)
- Guiledart / Triceradon (BM) / Triceradon (Dinobots)
- Knockdown (Classics) / Ironlunge
- Snarl (Animated)
Stegosaurus
- Snarl (G1)
- Slugfest (G1) / Slugfest (Shattered Glass)
- Doryū (pretender shell only)
- Saberback / Striker / Snarl (Dinobots)
- Hacksaw
"Brontosaurus" (Apatosaurus)
- Sludge (G1)
- Saur
- Rairyū (pretender shell only)
Velociraptor
Pterosaurs
Pteranodon
- Swoop (G1)
- Graphy
- Yokuryū (pretender shell only)
- Terrorsaur / Fractyl / Lazorbeak / Hydra / Terranotron (Dinobots)
- Terranotron (BM) / Terrorsaur (Armada) / Ravenus
- Reptix
- Swoop (Energon)
- Brimstone (Cybertron)
- Swoop (Animated)
Birds
Eagles (order Accipitriformes)
- Divebomb (G1)
- Squawktalk
- Eaglebreast
- Silverbolt (G1) / Skywarp (BWII)
- Silverbolt (BW) / Windrazor (BW) (partially)
- Screech
- Dreadwing (Classics) / Wedge Shape
Condors (genus Vultur and Gymnogyps)
- Laserbeak (G1) / Buzzsaw (G1) / Garboil / Sundor / Laserbeak (Shattered Glass) / Buzzsaw (Shattered Glass)
- Silverbolt (BW)
- Laserbeak (Cybertron) / Hell Buzzsaw / Blockrock
- Laserbeak (Animated)
Hawks and falcons (order Falconiformes)
- Hawkbreast
- Wingspan
- Doubledealer / Doubleclouder
- Airazor (BW)
- Tigerhawk / Razorclaw (Universe) (partially)
- Air Hammer (partially)
- Sights
- Airazor (Armada)
- Divebomb (Energon) / Blackout (Energon)
Mammals
Bats
- Komoribreast
- Mindwipe
- Nightscream (BM)
- Nightshriek / True One
- Noctorro (partially)
- Optimus Primal / Onyx Primal
- Ratbat (G1)
- Skar / Clouder
- Sonar (BW)
- Soundwave (BW)
- Megatron (RID)
- Ratbat (Animated)
Bears (genus Ursus)
Canines
Wolves / Dogs (Canis lupus)
- Carnivac
- Sinnertwin
- Wolfang (Maximal) / Wolfang (Predacon) / K-9 / Max-B
- Weirdwolf
- Sixshot
- Silverbolt (BW) / Windrazor (BW) (partially)
- Quickstrike (BM)
- Overbite (Classics) / Gredator / Razorclaw (Shattered Glass)
- Bruticus (RID)
- Snarl (Cybertron)
Felines
Jaguars (Panthera onca)
Tigers (Panthera tigris)
- Rampage (G1)
- Snarl (Classics) / Apexus
- Tigerbreast
- Toraizer
- Tigatron
- Tigerhawk / Razorclaw (Universe) (partially)
- Bantor (partially)
Lions (Panthera leo)
- Angela / Dark Eggleo / Eggleo
- Lio Convoy / Black Lio Convoy
- Lionbreast
- Leonicus
- Prowl (G1) / Lio Junior
- Razorclaw (G1)
- Lionizer
- Snarl (BM) / Alpha Trion
- Lione
- Steeljaw
- Under-3
- Victory Leo
- Leobreaker / Nemesis Breaker
Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)
Elephants/Mammoths
- Shuffler
- Ironhide (G1) / Santon
- Torca / Elephorca (partially)
- Big Convoy / Black Big Convoy / Nemesis Prime (Universe 2003)
- Galvatron (RID)
Rhinos
- Headstrong
- Ramhorn
- Rhinox (BW)
- Stranglehold
- Greatshot
- Rhinobreast
- Top-Heavy
- Rhino
- Backstop
- Rhinox (Armada)
Bovines
- Tantrum
- Noctorro (partially)
- Horri-Bull
- Longhorn (BM)
- Bonecrusher (BW) / Bighorn
- Bisonbreast
- Ramulus / Longhorn (Universe)
Primates
Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla)
