Popular beast alternate modes

There's more of these than you'd think.

Earth is a planet literally teeming with organic life forms. Millions of genera, of all shapes and sizes, inhabit the planet, and a Cybertronian might scan any of them for a potential alternate mode. Some genera, however, are extremely popular with Cybertronians.

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 (more or less) organized in chronological order of toy release or fictional appearance.

Arthropods

Arachnids

Spiders

Not an Avengers member.

Black Widow Spiders (Latrodectus mactans)

Scorpions

Willing to trade his bee for a city mode.

Crustaceans

Crabs

When all the world is metrosexual, the Crab People will finally reign supreme!

Insects

Stag beetles (family Lucanidae)

Not Pinsir.

Scarabs and rhinoceros beetles (family Scarabaeidae)

Not Heracross.

Grasshoppers and locusts (order Orthoptera)

Wasps and ants (order Hymenoptera)

A rare shot of Waspinator not getting blown up.

Buzz Saw (BW) / Waspinator (BW) / Starscream (G1) Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)
Dirgegun
Injector / Latolata ^[2]
Inferno (BW) / Antagony (BW)
Scavenger (BW)
Buzzer-Bot / Billy (Go-Bots)
Waspinator (Animated) / Inferno (Animated) / Antagony (Animated)
Storm Rider / King Waruder / Paralyzer / Bug Bite II / Parasite / Skywasp / Mudfighter / Waspinator (Shattered Glass)
Venin / Crusher (Diaclone) / Buzzer (Diaclone) / B-Navi / Ripper (Diaclone) / NAVI-Q / Thrasher (Diaclone) / Daros / Buggy

Mantises (order Mantodea)

Manterror / Mantis
Buzzclaw (BW) / Buzzclaw (G1) / Dirge (Timelines) / Virulent Clone / Repugnus (G1) ^[2]
Magi / Shou / Scalpel (ROTF)

Dragonflies (order Odonata)

Fishes

Chondrichthyes

Rays

Manta Ray (Manta birostris)

Starring in the next Shark Attack movie.

Sharks

Hammerhead shark (genus Sphyrna and others)

Great White shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

Reptiles

Crocodylians

Don't flush him down the toilet.

Lizards

Geckobot
Sky Shadow (BW) / Drancron ^[2]
Buzzclaw (BW) / Buzzclaw (G1) / Dirge (Timelines) / Virulent Clone / Repugnus (G1) ^[2]
Wreckloose (Cybertron) / Wreckloose (TF 2010)
Iguanus (BW) / Crazybolt
Reptilion
Zado / Zad
Crazybolt (RID) ^[1]
Slicedice ^[1]

Snakes

Cobras (genus Naja and others)

Turtles

Snapping turtles (genera Chelydra and Macroclemmys)

Dinosaurs

Ankylosaurs

Brontosaurus^[5]

Pachycephalosaurus

Spinosaurus

Stegosaurus

"Slag stole my name." :'(

Styracosaurus

Triceratops

Tyrannosaurus

"Down, Dino. Down, boy! Down, boy! Down!!"

Velociraptor

Pterosaurs

Pteranodon

Won't you, take me, on your mighty wings...

Birds

Condors (genera Vultur and Gymnogyps)

Eagles (order Accipitriformes)

Hawks and falcons (order Falconiformes)

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's both!

Owls (order Strigiformes)

Beast Wars Prowl.

Synapsids

Dimetrodon

Dinobots Sludge

Mammals

Bats

He tried to get a recurring role in Batman Beyond.

Bovids

Not a Terror dog, we swear.

Canines

Wolves / Dogs (Canis lupus)

Timber from G.I. Joe Crossovers...if such a toyline existed.

Proboscideans

Equines

Felines

Jaguars (Panthera onca)

Tigers (Panthera tigris)

Tigertron after visiting a tanning salon.

Lions (Panthera leo)

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)

Primates

Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla)

Humans (Homo sapiens)

"I'm not an animal! I'm a ~~human being~~ Pretender shell!"

Cloudburst / Phoenix (G1) ^[4]
Landmine (G1) / Lander ^[4]
Waverider / Diver (G1) ^[4]
Groundbreaker ^[4]
Sky High (Pretender) ^[4]
Splashdown ^[4]
Metalhawk (G1) ^[4]
Doubleheader ^[4]
Pincher (G1) ^[4]
Stranglehold ^[4]
Bumblebee (G1) ^[4]
Grimlock (G1) ^[4]
Jazz (G1) ^[4]
Starscream (G1) ^[4]
Crossblades (G1) ^[4]
Skyhammer (G1) ^[4]
Vroom (G1) ^[4]
Simon Furman (In a Titan magazine letters column, Starscream joked that Furman was a Maximal).
Michael Bay (Hasbro jokingly produced a toy of him, included as an "easter egg" on the live-action movie DVD.)
Sari Sumdac (Animated)
Alice
Reflector (G1) ^[4]
The new lab assistant
Sovereign / G.B. Blackrock ^[8]
Quintessa
Overlord (G1) ^[8]

Rhinos

Just when you thought a rhino's skin couldn't get any tougher...

Rabbits

Beast Wars Neo Stampy

Rodents

Rats

Ursines

Bears (genus Ursus)

Rise and Shine, Ursine!

Mythical creatures

Dragons

Moonlights as a Yu-Gi-Oh! card.

Doublecross
Sinnertwin (G1) / Sinnertwin (SG)
Hun-Gurrr (G1)
Snapdragon (G1)
Deathsaurus (G1) / Deathsaurus (SG)
Likely Esmeral / Esmeral (SG)
Mechatron
Megatron (BW) / Cryotek (RID)
Galvatron (BW) / Unicron
Nightscream (Classics) / Dragoyell / Brimstone (Universe) / Sling (AOE)
Savage
Megatron (RID)
Scourge (Cybertron) / Trypticon (Classics) / Bruticus (RID)
Predaking (Prime) / Dragotron
Ripclaw / Ser-Ket (Prime) / Bakudora
Skystalker (Prime) / Backbite (Prime) / Skylynx (Prime) / Judora
Lazerback (Prime) / Vertebreak (Prime) / Gaidora
Hun-Gurrr (Prime) / Dorara
Twinstrike (Prime) / Garara / Thrash (TLK)
Blight (Prime) / Burara / Gorge
Windrazor (Prime) / Divebomb (Prime) / Barara / Rupture
Hydrax
Optimus Exprime
Dragonus / Windra / Dragonblaster
Flamesnort ^[1]
Drake (RB)
Wingblaze / Freezer Burn
Knight Watch Bumblebee
Crashbash / Clobber / Overboard / Butla ^[7]
Steelbane / Skullitron / Crimsonflame
Dragonstorm
Rootwing / Smerg the Sad
Sugar Breath / Milton
Sour Wing / Aday / Sweet Fang
Heatwave (RB)

References

↑ ^1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 ^1.11 ^1.12 ^1.13 ^1.14 ^1.15 ^1.16 ^1.17 ^1.18 ^1.19 ^1.20 This character qualifies because of their robot mode motif.
↑ ^2.00 ^2.01 ^2.02 ^2.03 ^2.04 ^2.05 ^2.06 ^2.07 ^2.08 ^2.09 ^2.10 ^2.11 ^2.12 ^2.13 ^2.14 ^2.15 ^2.16 ^2.17 ^2.18 This character partially qualities because of their nature as a Fuzor.
↑ This character qualifies even though vipers are not cobras.
↑ ^4.00 ^4.01 ^4.02 ^4.03 ^4.04 ^4.05 ^4.06 ^4.07 ^4.08 ^4.09 ^4.10 ^4.11 ^4.12 ^4.13 ^4.14 ^4.15 ^4.16 ^4.17 ^4.18 ^4.19 ^4.20 ^4.21 ^4.22 ^4.23 ^4.24 This character qualifies due to their pretender shell only.
↑ Due to the changing classification status of various fossils, these molds may have been described as either Brontosaurus or Apatosaurus at the time of release.
↑ Vertebreak's beast mode is based on the dinosaur previously known as Dracorex. However, as of 2020, Dracorex is recognized as being the juvenile form of Pachycephalosaurus.
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 This character qualities even if they are a partner drone.
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 This character qualifies due to their portrayal in the 2005 IDW continuity only.
↑ Characters using this mold technically turn into teddy bears.

[motif-0] 1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 ^1.11 ^1.12 ^1.13 ^1.14 ^1.15 ^1.16 ^1.17 ^1.18 ^1.19 ^1.20 This character qualifies because of their robot mode motif.

[fuzor-1] 2.00 ^2.01 ^2.02 ^2.03 ^2.04 ^2.05 ^2.06 ^2.07 ^2.08 ^2.09 ^2.10 ^2.11 ^2.12 ^2.13 ^2.14 ^2.15 ^2.16 ^2.17 ^2.18 This character partially qualities because of their nature as a Fuzor.

[2] This character qualifies even though vipers are not cobras.

[pretender-3] 4.00 ^4.01 ^4.02 ^4.03 ^4.04 ^4.05 ^4.06 ^4.07 ^4.08 ^4.09 ^4.10 ^4.11 ^4.12 ^4.13 ^4.14 ^4.15 ^4.16 ^4.17 ^4.18 ^4.19 ^4.20 ^4.21 ^4.22 ^4.23 ^4.24 This character qualifies due to their pretender shell only.

[4] Due to the changing classification status of various fossils, these molds may have been described as either Brontosaurus or Apatosaurus at the time of release.

[5] Vertebreak's beast mode is based on the dinosaur previously known as Dracorex. However, as of 2020, Dracorex is recognized as being the juvenile form of Pachycephalosaurus.

[partner-6] 7.0 ^7.1 This character qualities even if they are a partner drone.

[IDW-7] 8.0 ^8.1 This character qualifies due to their portrayal in the 2005 IDW continuity only.

[8] Characters using this mold technically turn into teddy bears.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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[8]

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