A large portion of kosher rules addresses animal-based foods and the way in which they are slaughtered and prepared.
Dairy is treated as a separate entity and should never be consumed or prepared alongside meat or meat products.Fish and eggs are considered pareve and have their own sets of rules, too.
Mammals: kosher mammals must have split hooves and chew its cud. It must have both kosher signs, one alone will not suffice. Examples of kosher mammals include: cows, sheep, goats, and deer; Non-kosher mammals include: pigs, rabbits, squirrels, bears, dogs, cats, camels, and horses.
Birds: The Torah lists 24 non-kosher bird species – mostly predatory and scavenger birds. Examples of kosher birds are the domestic species of chicken, duck, geese, turkey, and pigeon.
Fish & Seafood: Any water creature can be kosher if it has both fins and scales. Kosher examples include: salmon, tuna, pike, flounder, carp, and herring; Non-kosher seafood include: catfish, sturgeon, swordfish, lobster, shellfish, crabs, shark, eel, and all water mammals like dolphin and whale.
Reptiles, amphibians, worms and insects: With the exception of four types of locust, these are all not kosher to consume.
Kosher guidelines limit the consumption of animal-based foods to specific animals and cuts of meat which are slaughtered and prepared in a particular manner.
