Niffler

• Ministry of Magic Classification: Beast (XXX)
• Native to: Great Britain
• Habitat: Subterranean lairs, up to twenty feet below ground
• Distinguishing Features: Fluffy black fur, long snout, marsupial-like pouch on its belly for storing treasure

A Niffler is a long-snouted, burrowing creature native to Britain with a powerful attraction to shiny and glittering objects. They are described as having fluffy black fur and resemble a cross between a mole and a platypus. Their most remarkable feature is a pouch on their bellies which functions similarly to a container with an Undetectable Extension Charm, allowing it to hold a vast quantity of treasure. While generally gentle and even affectionate by nature, Nifflers can be incredibly destructive in their single-minded pursuit of valuables. They will relentlessly dig through and ransack property to acquire anything that glitters, which makes them unsuitable as common house pets. Due to their innate talent for locating treasure, they are often employed by Goblins to burrow for precious metals. A female Niffler is known to give birth to litters of six to eight young.

Nifflers were first seen during the 1994-1995 Hogwarts school year, when Rubeus Hagrid brought them to a Care of Magical Creatures lesson. He tasked his students with using the creatures to find hidden Leprechaun Gold, with the winner receiving a large bar of Honeydukes chocolate. Ron Weasley's assigned Niffler proved particularly adept at the task. During Dolores Umbridge's time as Hogwarts High Inquisitor, Lee Jordan used a Levitation Charm to send two Nifflers into her office as a prank. The creatures proceeded to wreck the office in their search for shiny objects, even attempting to take the rings from Umbridge's fingers. She incorrectly blamed Hagrid for the incident. In the Battle of Hogwarts, Hagrid brought his Nifflers to join the fight. They proved to be a surprising asset, swarming over Death Eaters and attacking them by trying to bite and snatch away shiny buttons, buckles, and other valuables. They were seen attacking the Death Eater Yaxley in this manner.

The name Niffler most likely derives from the archaic English dialect word “niffle,” which means “to pilfer” or “to steal items of little value.” This directly relates to the creature's primary characteristic of hoarding shiny objects. The name also evokes words like “sniff” and “snuffle,” alluding to its long snout used for smelling and digging for treasure. The adjective “nifty,” meaning attractive or clever, could also be related, reflecting the desirable treasures they find.

• A Niffler features prominently in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film series as a companion to Newt Scamander. This particular Niffler is known for frequently escaping from Newt's suitcase to pursue treasure, driving many of the subplots. (film)
• J.K. Rowling has stated that while the concept of the Niffler's pouch was inspired by the echidna, real-life echidnas do not hoard treasure. (J.K. Rowling interview)