In 2022, a variety of new animal species have been discovered around the world. Taxonomists have described thousands of new extant (living) species, including a millipede named after Taylor Swift, a tree named after Leonardo DiCaprio, a bamboo-dwelling tarantula, and a leafhopper with a metallic sheen.

In the Greater Mekong region, 224 new species were discovered in 2020 and announced in January 2022. In Ohio, fish management crews discovered a small longhead darter fish in the fall of 2022. A rare sighting of a blanket octopus was seen off the coast of the Great Barrier Reef in January 2022.

The rose-veiled fairy wrasse was discovered in March 2022 in the Maldives' "twilight zone". Two families of dolphins previously unknown to Switzerland were identified by researchers from the University of Zurich in April 2022. In May 2022, two high school students from California Academy of Sciences discovered two new scorpions.

A kentriodontid dolphin and squalodelphinid dolphin were found to have swam in Switzerland's waters about 20 million years ago. Salazar’s pit viper (Indian Pit Viper), Popa langur (a primate species), tiny Lilliputian frog (new frog species), Madagascar giant frog types, and new orchids galore were also discovered in 2022.

Additionally, Eriovixia Gryffindori (the Harry Potter spider) and Potamotrygon Rex (the king of freshwater stingray) were both found this year as well.