I have seen two threads related to this: Those two threads are useful, but unfortunately they don't have complete information. I would like the next version of the Chao Island website (which is in development) to have the quickest locations for every single animal. For convenience, each animal should preferably have at least two methods to obtain it: one with a hero character, and one with a dark character. We should also have a time estimate for how long it takes to collect the animal once the level has started.
I have some information for this already, but there are gaps. If you can fill any of these gaps, or you know a faster way to collect one of the animals for which a method is already listed, then please post the necessary information here.
Penguin:
- (Hero) Sonic: Metal Harbor. From the start, run through the fixed path and the loop, and then take the first launch pad. When you land on the platform ahead, you will see the penguin to the left side. This should take around 12 seconds.
- (Hero) Knuckles: Aquatic Mine. From the start, move to the left and jump into the water. Dive down to the next level. You will find the penguin in the corner, next to a spring. This should take around 6 seconds.
- Dark: No known method.
- Hero: No known method.
- Dark: No known method.
- (Hero) Knuckles: Aquatic Mine. From the start, move forward and to the right to the far corner of the floating platform. Dive into the water on the right side of this corner, and drop to the very bottom level. You will find the seal by the wall on the right, just ahead of a sign marking that floor as level 3. Thanks to Crazo3077 for this method. This should take around 9 seconds.
- (Dark) Shadow: Radical Highway. From the start, grind the rail and land on the first platform. Head back towards the camera, and over to the left side of the platform. You will find the seal hidden behind a roadblock. Thanks to moonsoul for this method. This should take around 5 seconds.
- (Hero) Tails: Eternal Engine. When you land at the start of the level, you will see some enemies in front of you and a big canister directly to the left. Ignore the enemies and destroy the canister to reveal the condor hidden underneath. This should take around 4 seconds.
- (Dark) Shadow: Sky Rail. After the first set of springs, move forward and land on the (very high) beam). You will find a condor up there. This should take around 15 seconds.
- (Hero) Sonic: Green Forest. From the start, run down the path and take the launch pad (as you have to do). You will be presented with two paths: a higher path on the left, and a lower tunnel path in front. Take the lower path, into the tunnel. As you emerge from the tunnel, stop immediately before you take the launch pad. You will see the parrot to the right of this platform. Thanks to moonsoul for this method. This should take around 17 seconds. Alternatively: You can take the higher path, but there is a launch pad which sends you flying straight over the parrot. You must remember to jump down to the lower platform before running into that launch pad. This method can shave a few seconds off the time. This should take around 14 seconds.
- (Dark) Rouge: Security Hall. From the start, run forward and turn left. Jump up on top of the large block, and take the spring hidden between two black crates. At the peak of your climb, you will see a help monitor and crane in front of you. Ignore these, and instead glide towards the camera and to the right of the screen. You may want to adjust the camera so you can see where you're going. Continue gliding into the corner of the blue floor (B Block). You will see the parrot on another large block, underneath a help monitor. Thanks to moonsoul for this method. This should take around 14 seconds.
- (Hero) Sonic: Metal Harbor. From the start, run through the fixed path and the loop, and then take the first launch pad. When you land on the platform ahead, you will see the penguin to the left side. Ignore it and continue down the road and take the higher path; in other words, use the homing attack on the two floating robot enemies, and land on the raised platforms. You will find a peacock on the second raised platform. This should take around 16 seconds.
- (Dark) Rouge: Dry Lagoon. From the start, glide forward and to the left. You will find the peacock on the floor at the base of the single tree. This should take around 5 seconds.
- Hero: No known method.
- (Dark) Shadow: Radical Highway. Near the beginning of the level, after the first loop, you will be launched across a gap onto a new platform. The opposite end of this platform will have a crane to the right side, a robot to the left of that, a tall stack of wooden crates to the left of that, and a Chao Box hidden to the left those wooden crates. Behind the crane is a large sign on wheels. You will usually find the warthog hidden behind this sign; however, it can wander around underneath it or in front of it. If you don't see it, just wait for it to crawl out from underneath. This should take around 25 seconds.
- (Hero) Knuckles: Wild Canyon. From the start, glide forward and to the left, to a large statue in the back corner of the room. You will find the cheetah at the base of this statue. Please note that from the starting position, both the statue and the cheetah are obscured from view by some of the columns. Be careful not to get sucked into the big gust of wind. This should take around 5 seconds.
- (Dark) Shadow: Radical Highway. Near the beginning of the level, after the first loop, you will be launched across a gap onto a new platform. The opposite end of this platform will have a crane to the right side, a robot to the left of that, a tall stack of wooden crates to the left of that, and a Chao Box hidden to the left those wooden crates. Destroy the tallest stack of wooden crates to reveal a cheetah hidden underneath. This should take around 26 seconds. Optional extra: Take the crane to the next road, and run all the way down it to a second crane at the end. Just behind this crane is a cheetah standing on top of some beams. This should take around 9 extra seconds, for a total of 35.
- Hero: No known method.
- (Dark) Eggman: Cosmic Wall. From the start, just move forward on the same platform. You will the rabbit to the right of the black crates which are in front of you. This should take around 3 seconds.
- Hero: No known method.
- (Dark) Shadow: Sky Rail. After you grind the rail at the start, land on the higher (main) platform. Look to the right for a bear near the wall, in between some of the beams. This should take around 10 seconds.
- (Hero) Tails: Mission Street. From the start, you will see a red box ahead and to the right of you. Whistle at this box to reveal the hidden gorilla. This should take around 4 seconds.
- Dark: No known method.
- (Hero) Tails: Hidden Base. From the start, drop down to the lower platform in front of you, and hover over to the angled red platform. Ignore the enemies and destroy the single grey crate on this platform. You will find the tiger hidden inside. This should take around 8 seconds.
- Dark: No known method.
- (Hero) Sonic: Metal Harbor. From the very start (as you are falling), make sure that you are on the right side of the path. The speed pad will send you running into the raccoon. This should take around 2 seconds.
- (Dark) Rouge: Mad Space. As soon as you start the level, you will see a grey crate just ahead and to the right of you. Break open this crate to find the raccoon. This should take around 2 seconds.
- (Hero) Knuckles: Meteor Herd. From the start, just move forward and to the right. You'll find the sheep in plain view on the very same platform that you start on. This should take around 3 seconds.
- (Dark) Shadow: Sky Rail. After you grind the rail at the start, land on the very low platform, or drop down there from the higher one. You'll find a sheep next to an extra life. This should take around 10 seconds.
- (Hero) Tails: Hidden Base. From the start, simply move to the right and collect the skunk. It is sometimes difficult to see, as one of the walls is often blocking it from the camera's view, but the skunk is definitely right there. This should take around 3 seconds.
- (Hero) Knuckles: Aquatic Mine. From the start, turn left and glide over to the corner of the large room that you start in. You will find the skunk in plain sight in the corner. This should take around 5 seconds.
- Dark: No known method.
- Hero: No known method.
- (Dark) Eggman: Sand Ocean. From the start, simply walk backwards (towards the camera), and drop down to a platform below. You will the bat over to the left side. This platform is very thin, so be careful not to walk too far; otherwise, you will fall into the sand below and die. This should take around 3 seconds.
- Hero: No known method.
- Dark: No known method.
- (Hero) Knuckles: Pumpkin Hill. From the start, glide over to the rocket which is in front of you and to the left. Take the rocket to the top of Church Mountain, where you will find a skeleton dog wandering around between the graves. This should take around 15 seconds.
- Dark: No known method.
- (Hero) Knuckles: Wild Canyon. From the start, glide into the gust of wind directly in front of you. It will carry you up into the air. Take the left path when you emerge above, and glide all the way to the end. Climb the wall above the Lonely Statue, and dig into the picture that you'll find there. You will dig into a small room. Climb the wall behind you, and move up and to the right. You find a dragon hiding in this corner of the room. This should around 17 seconds.
- Dark: No known method.
- (Hero) Sonic: Metal Harbor. (PAL version only?) Continue through the level until you reach the large platform with jets and plenty of speed boosters. You will find two yellow hats against the left wall. Underneath one of them will be the phoenix. This should take around 30 seconds.
- Dark: No known method.
- Hero: No known method.
- Dark: No known method.