For decades researchers have turned to Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia for concise accounts of thousands of species, including information on evolution and systematics, physical characteristics, distribution, habitat, behavior, feeding ecology and diet, reproductive biology, conservation status and significance to humans.

The online version of Grzimek's (pronounced "Chimmek's") includes all the content of the print version, but with enhanced searching and browsing features. Species information can be browsed by order and family following the organization of the print encyclopedia (volumes cover Lower Metazoans and Lesser Deuterostomes, Protostomes, Insects, Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals). Species can also be looked up in the linked cumulative index, or searched by scientific or common name and keyword. Online content can be viewed as HTML or PDFs, and can be saved, downloaded or printed. For each volume there is a linked list of illustrations, and every HTML page includes a link to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary for looking up unfamiliar terms.