We're not talking parties here!

Shooting wildlife is a completely different kind of photography.  We often have less time to take our picture than with people or scenes.  It's difficult to get a moose to pose!  So, we often have to sacrifice some of the more creative aspects of photography.  But, if you plan it right, you shouldn't have too much of a problem. 

There are only a few rules that I'll indicate here:

Always show the animals eye...
How many people have you photographed as a subject where you could not see their eye(s) in the picture??  Probably not many.  But how many animals have you photographed where you couldn't see their eyes?  Since animals are so much more difficult to photograph than people, we tend to take their picture quickly - and often poorly.  Eyes show life.  When photographing animals, in the wild, at the zoo or in your living room (it's not easy getting a moose in your living room!), always try to get their eyes in the picture.

Capture their natural behavior...
Try to photograph animals doing what they do (keep it clean, now).  Foraging for food, preening, peering out of their den, etc.  This guy just finished fishing.

Show the animal in its natural environment...
Try to photograph animals where they live.  This red-spotted newt is a tiny creature.  If photographed on bare ground or on a rock, you'd have no appreciation for it's size.  But with the red maple leafs in the picture to give an appreciation for scale, you can see how small it really is.