This list includes 88 Animals that start with A, from “Aardvark” to “Azure-winged Magpie”. Entries cover mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and insects, useful for school projects and quick reference.
Animals that start with A are species whose common names begin with the letter A. They include iconic examples like the aardvark and lesser-known regional natives, reflecting global biodiversity.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat, Description, and Conservation status.
Common name: The familiar English name that helps you recognize and search species quickly for study or reference.
Scientific name: The accepted Latin binomial that precisely identifies each species, useful when you need accurate taxonomy.
Habitat: A concise biome and regional note showing where each species lives, helping you understand ecological context.
Description: A short summary highlighting appearance, behavior, or diet, giving you clear and usable species insights.
Conservation status: A simple tag indicating extinction risk, so you quickly see which species need conservation attention.
Animals that start with A
| Common name | Scientific name | Habitat | Conservation status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aardvark | Orycteropus afer | Savanna and woodland — sub-Saharan Africa | LC |
| Aardwolf | Proteles cristata | Scrubland and savanna — Southern and Eastern Africa | LC |
| Abert’s Squirrel | Sciurus aberti | Ponderosa pine forests — Southwestern US and Mexico | LC |
| Addax | Addax nasomaculatus | Sandy and stony deserts — North Africa | CR |
| Adélie Penguin | Pygoscelis adeliae | Sea ice and coasts — Antarctica | LC |
| African Bush Elephant | Loxodonta africana | Savanna and forest — sub-Saharan Africa | EN |
| African Civet | Civettictis civetta | Tropical forests and savanna — sub-Saharan Africa | LC |
| African Clawed Frog | Xenopus laevis | Ponds and streams — sub-Saharan Africa | LC |
| African Fish Eagle | Haliaeetus vocifer | Lakes and rivers — sub-Saharan Africa | LC |
| African Grey Parrot | Psittacus erithacus | Rainforest — Central and West Africa | EN |
| African Penguin | Spheniscus demersus | Coastal islands — Southern Africa | EN |
| African Rock Python | Python sebae | Savanna and grassland — sub-Saharan Africa | NE |
| African Spurred Tortoise | Centrochelys sulcata | Semi-arid grassland — Sahel region of Africa | EN |
| African Tree Toad | Nectophryne afra | Tropical forest streams — West and Central Africa | LC |
| African Wild Dog | Lycaon pictus | Savanna and light woodland — Southern and Eastern Africa | EN |
| Agama Lizard | Agama agama | Scrubland and rocky areas — sub-Saharan Africa | NE |
| Albacore Tuna | Thunnus alalunga | Temperate and tropical oceans — Worldwide | NT |
| Alligator Gar | Atractosteus spatula | Rivers and lakes — Southern United States | LC |
| Alligator Snapping Turtle | Macrochelys temminckii | Freshwater rivers and swamps — Southeastern US | VU |
| Alpaca | Vicugna pacos | Andean mountains — South America | DD |
| Amazon River Dolphin | Inia geoffrensis | Amazon and Orinoco river basins — South America | EN |
| American Alligator | Alligator mississippiensis | Wetlands and swamps — Southeastern US | LC |
| American Badger | Taxidea taxus | Grasslands and prairies — North America | LC |
| American Beaver | Castor canadensis | Rivers and streams — North America | LC |
| American Bison | Bison bison | Plains and river valleys — North America | NT |
| American Black Bear | Ursus americanus | Forests and mountains — North America | LC |
| American Coot | Fulica americana | Marshes and ponds — North America | LC |
| American Crocodile | Crocodylus acutus | Coastal wetlands and rivers — Americas | VU |
| American Crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos | Open woodlands and urban areas — North America | LC |
| American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | Fields and gardens — North America | LC |
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | Open country — The Americas | LC |
| American Lobster | Homarus americanus | Rocky coastal waters — Northwest Atlantic Ocean | LC |
| American Marten | Martes americana | Coniferous forests — North America | LC |
| American Robin | Turdus migratorius | Woodlands and gardens — North America | LC |
| American Toad | Anaxyrus americanus | Forests and fields — Eastern North America | LC |
| Amur Leopard | Panthera pardus orientalis | Temperate forests — Russian Far East | CR |
| Anaconda, Green | Eunectes murinus | Swamps and rivers — South America | LC |
| Andean Bear | Tremarctos ornatus | Andean mountains — South America | VU |
| Andean Condor | Vultur gryphus | Andean mountains and coasts — South America | VU |
| Anemonefish | Amphiprion ocellaris | Coral reefs — Indo-Pacific | NE |
| Angelfish, Freshwater | Pterophyllum scalare | Amazon River basin — South America | NE |
| Anglerfish, Black Seadevil | Melanocetus johnsonii | Deep sea (bathypelagic zone) — Worldwide | LC |
| Anhinga | Anhinga anhinga | Freshwater swamps and marshes — The Americas | LC |
| Antarctic Krill | Euphausia superba | Southern Ocean — Antarctica | LC |
| Archerfish, Banded | Toxotes jaculatrix | Brackish mangrove estuaries — Southeast Asia and Australia | LC |
| Arctic Char | Salvelinus alpinus | Arctic and subarctic lakes/coasts — Northern Hemisphere | LC |
| Arctic Fox | Vulpes lagopus | Arctic tundra — Northern Hemisphere | LC |
| Arctic Hare | Lepus arcticus | Tundra — North American Arctic and Greenland | LC |
| Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | Arctic and subarctic coasts — Worldwide migrator | LC |
| Arctic Wolf | Canis lupus arctos | Arctic tundra — Canadian Arctic and Greenland | LC |
| Argentine Ant | Linepithema humile | Urban and agricultural areas — Native to South America; invasive worldwide | NE |
| Argentine Black and White Tegu | Salvator merianae | Savanna and forest — South America | LC |
| Armadillo, Nine-banded | Dasypus novemcinctus | Forests and grasslands — The Americas | LC |
| Army Ant | Eciton burchellii | Tropical forests — Central and South America | NE |
| Arowana, Silver | Osteoglossum bicirrhosum | Amazon River basin — South America | NE |
| Asian Elephant | Elephas maximus | Forests and grasslands — Southeast Asia | EN |
| Asian Giant Hornet | Vespa mandarinia | Temperate and tropical forests — East and Southeast Asia | NE |
| Asian Palm Civet | Paradoxurus hermaphroditus | Tropical forests — South and Southeast Asia | LC |
| Asiatic Black Bear | Ursus thibetanus | Forests and mountains — Asia | VU |
| Asp | Vipera aspis | Scrubland and hillsides — Southwestern Europe | LC |
| Atlantic Cod | Gadus morhua | Cold deep waters — North Atlantic Ocean | VU |
| Atlantic Puffin | Fratercula arctica | Coastal cliffs and islands — North Atlantic Ocean | VU |
| Atlantic Salmon | Salmo salar | Rivers and ocean — North Atlantic Ocean | LC |
| Atlantic Spotted Dolphin | Stenella frontalis | Temperate and tropical waters — Atlantic Ocean | LC |
| Atlas Moth | Attacus atlas | Tropical forests and shrublands — Southeast Asia | NE |
| Australian Green Tree Frog | Ranoidea caerulea | Forests and urban areas — Australia and New Guinea | LC |
| Australian Lungfish | Neoceratodus forsteri | Slow-flowing rivers — Queensland, Australia | EN |
| Australian Magpie | Gymnorhina tibicen | Open woodlands and urban areas — Australia | LC |
| Australian Sea Lion | Neophoca cinerea | Coastal islands — Southern and Western Australia | EN |
| Avocet, American | Recurvirostra americana | Shallow wetlands and mudflats — North America | LC |
| Axolotl | Ambystoma mexicanum | Lake Xochimilco complex — Mexico City, Mexico | CR |
| Aye-aye | Daubentonia madagascariensis | Rainforests — Madagascar | EN |
| Azure Jay | Cyanocorax caeruleus | Araucaria moist forests — Southern Brazil | NT |
| Azure Tit | Cyanistes cyanus | Temperate forests and wetlands — Eastern Europe and Asia | LC |
| Anole, Green | Anolis carolinensis | Trees and shrubs — Southeastern US and Caribbean | LC |
| Arowana, Silver | Osteoglossum bicirrhosum | Freshwater basins — South America | NE |
| Angelshark, Common | Squatina squatina | Sandy seafloors — Northeast Atlantic | CR |
| Apollo Butterfly | Parnassius apollo | Mountain meadows — Europe and Asia | VU |
| Appalachian Cottontail | Sylvilagus obscurus | High-elevation forests — Appalachian Mountains, USA | NT |
| Azure-winged Magpie | Cyanopica cyanus | Open woodlands — Eastern Asia and Iberian Peninsula | LC |
| Andean Flamingo | Phoenicoparrus andinus | High-altitude salt lakes — Andes of South America | VU |
| Assassin Bug | Platymeris biguttata | Forests and scrubland — Western Africa | NE |
| Atlantic Goliath Grouper | Epinephelus itajara | Shallow reefs and estuaries — Atlantic Ocean | VU |
| Auklet, Crested | Aethia cristatella | Sea cliffs and open sea — North Pacific | LC |
| Anchovy, European | Engraulis encrasicolus | Coastal waters — Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea | LC |
| Amazonian Giant Centipede | Scolopendra gigantea | Tropical forests — South America and Caribbean | NE |
| Anhinga | Anhinga anhinga | Freshwater wetlands — The Americas | LC |
| American Pygmy Shrew | Sorex hoyi | Forests and bogs — North America | LC |
Descriptions
Aardvark
A nocturnal, burrowing mammal with a pig-like snout and powerful claws. It uses a long, sticky tongue to feed almost exclusively on ants and termites, consuming up to 50,000 in one night.
Aardwolf
A small, insectivorous mammal related to hyenas. Despite its fierce name, the Aardwolf has weak jaws and primarily eats termites, licking them up with its long, sticky tongue.
Abert’s Squirrel
Also known as the tassel-eared squirrel for its long ear tufts. Its survival is closely linked to ponderosa pine trees, which provide nearly all its food, nesting sites, and cover.
Addax
A critically endangered antelope perfectly adapted to the Sahara desert. It can survive for long periods without drinking water, getting moisture from the plants it eats.
Adélie Penguin
A classic tuxedoed penguin that nests on rocky, ice-free shores of the Antarctic continent. They are skilled swimmers, feeding mainly on krill and small fish.
African Bush Elephant
The largest land animal on Earth, recognized by its large ears shaped like the African continent. They are highly intelligent, social animals living in complex family groups led by a matriarch.
African Civet
A solitary, nocturnal mammal known for the musky fluid it secretes, called civet, once used in perfumery. It has a unique black and white coat with spots and stripes.
African Clawed Frog
A fully aquatic frog that lacks a tongue and eyelids. It’s a popular lab animal and has been used extensively in medical and developmental biology research.
African Fish Eagle
A large eagle with a distinctive, piercing call often called “the voice of Africa.” It primarily feeds on fish, which it snatches from the water surface with its sharp talons.
African Grey Parrot
A highly intelligent bird renowned for its ability to mimic human speech and solve complex cognitive tasks. They are very social, forming large, noisy flocks in the wild.
African Penguin
The only penguin species that breeds in Africa. Also called the jackass penguin for its loud, braying call, it faces threats from overfishing and habitat loss.
African Rock Python
One of Africa’s largest snakes, reaching lengths over 6 meters. A non-venomous constrictor, it preys on animals as large as antelopes, crocodiles, and warthogs.
African Spurred Tortoise
The third-largest tortoise species in the world, known as the sulcata tortoise. They are powerful burrowers, digging extensive tunnels to escape the desert heat and find moisture.
African Tree Toad
A small, nocturnal toad with extensively webbed feet that help it navigate fast-flowing streams. The males are known for guarding clutches of eggs laid on leaves overhanging the water.
African Wild Dog
A highly social and endangered canine known for its large, rounded ears and patchy coat. They are formidable hunters, cooperating in packs to pursue prey over long distances.
Agama Lizard
A colorful lizard where dominant males display a bright orange or red head and a blue body. They are often seen basking on rocks or walls, doing “push-ups” to defend their territory.
Albacore Tuna
A species of tuna known for its particularly long pectoral fins. It is a commercially important fish, highly sought after and often marketed as “white” tuna.
Alligator Gar
A large, primitive-looking fish with a distinctive alligator-like snout and two rows of sharp teeth. It is one of the largest freshwater fish in North America, covered in hard, diamond-shaped scales.
Alligator Snapping Turtle
The largest freshwater turtle in North America, with a powerful, beaked jaw and a primeval appearance. It uses a unique worm-like lure on its tongue to attract unsuspecting fish.
Alpaca
A domesticated species of camelid, prized for its soft and luxurious fleece. Alpacas are social herd animals, smaller than their relative the llama, and are not used as pack animals.
Amazon River Dolphin
A freshwater dolphin, also known as the “boto” or “pink river dolphin.” It has a flexible neck and a long snout, which it uses to hunt for fish in flooded forests and riverbeds.
American Alligator
A large reptile that is a keystone species in its ecosystem, creating “gator holes” that provide water for other wildlife during droughts. They are a major conservation success story.
American Badger
A powerfully built, short-legged omnivore with formidable claws for digging. It creates extensive burrow systems and is known for its fierce, solitary nature.
American Beaver
An industrious rodent known for building dams, canals, and lodges. This “ecosystem engineer” creates wetlands that support a wide variety of other species.
American Bison
The largest land mammal in North America, also known as the buffalo. Once nearly extinct, these iconic grazers have made a remarkable comeback thanks to conservation efforts.
American Black Bear
The most common bear in North America. Despite their name, their fur can also be brown, cinnamon, or even white. They are skilled climbers and swimmers.
American Coot
A dark, duck-like waterbird with a distinctive white bill and forehead shield. Though they swim like ducks, they are more closely related to cranes and rails.
American Crocodile
A shy and reclusive crocodile species found from Florida to Peru. It is more salt-tolerant than the alligator and can be distinguished by its narrower, V-shaped snout.
American Crow
A highly intelligent and adaptable bird, known for its problem-solving skills and complex social structures. Crows have a diverse vocal repertoire, including their familiar “caw-caw” call.
American Goldfinch
A small, vibrant finch where the male has a brilliant yellow plumage in summer. They are skilled flyers with a bouncy, undulating flight pattern, often calling as they go.
American Kestrel
North America’s smallest and most colorful falcon. They are often seen perched on wires or hovering over fields as they hunt for insects and small rodents.
American Lobster
A large marine crustacean with a hard exoskeleton and two large, powerful claws. It can live for decades and continues to grow throughout its life, molting its shell as it gets bigger.
American Marten
A slim, agile member of the weasel family that spends much of its time in trees. It preys on small mammals, particularly red squirrels, and has a rich, yellowish-brown fur.
American Robin
A familiar songbird with a reddish-orange breast, often seen hopping across lawns searching for earthworms. Its cheerful song is one of the first signs of spring in many areas.
American Toad
A common, stout-bodied toad with warty skin and prominent cranial crests. It secretes a mild toxin from its parotoid glands behind its eyes as a defense against predators.
Amur Leopard
One of the rarest big cats in the world, with only about 100 individuals remaining in the wild. Its thick, pale coat is covered in widely spaced rosettes, providing camouflage in the snow.
Anaconda, Green
One of the world’s longest and heaviest snakes. A non-venomous constrictor, it ambushes prey like capybaras, deer, and caimans from the water, suffocating them in its powerful coils.
Andean Bear
Also known as the spectacled bear, it is the only bear native to South America. It has unique, light-colored markings around its eyes that resemble eyeglasses.
Andean Condor
A massive vulture with one of the longest wingspans of any land bird, over 3 meters. It soars on thermal air currents, scanning for carrion across vast, rugged landscapes.
Anemonefish
Famously known as the clownfish, this small, bright orange fish forms a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones. A protective mucus layer allows it to live safely among the anemone’s stinging tentacles.
Angelfish, Freshwater
A popular aquarium fish with a thin, disc-shaped body and long, graceful fins. In the wild, their vertical stripes provide camouflage among submerged plants and roots.
Anglerfish, Black Seadevil
A deep-sea predator where the female has a bioluminescent lure on her head to attract prey in the dark. The much smaller male is parasitic, fusing to the female for life.
Anhinga
A water bird often called the “snakebird” because it swims with only its long neck and head visible above the water. It spears fish with its sharp, pointed bill.
Antarctic Krill
A small, shrimp-like crustacean that forms massive swarms. It is a keystone species in the Antarctic ecosystem, serving as the primary food source for whales, seals, penguins, and birds.
Archerfish, Banded
A remarkable fish that spits jets of water with incredible accuracy to knock insects and other small prey off overhanging vegetation and into the water.
Arctic Char
A cold-water fish closely related to salmon and trout. It has the most northerly distribution of any freshwater fish and displays a vibrant red or orange belly during spawning season.
Arctic Fox
A small fox adapted to frigid environments, with a thick, warm coat that turns white in winter for camouflage. It has furry soles on its paws to insulate against the cold.
Arctic Hare
A large hare that survives extreme cold with a thick white coat and a low surface-area-to-volume ratio. They can run at speeds up to 60 km/h to escape predators like arctic wolves and foxes.
Arctic Tern
A seabird that undertakes the longest migration of any animal, flying from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back each year, experiencing two summers.
Arctic Wolf
A subspecies of the gray wolf, distinguished by its smaller size and white coat for camouflage in the snow. It lives and hunts in packs, preying on muskoxen and arctic hares.
Argentine Ant
A small, brown ant known for forming massive “supercolonies” that can stretch for hundreds of kilometers. It is a highly successful and ecologically disruptive invasive species.
Argentine Black and White Tegu
A large, intelligent lizard that can grow up to 1.2 meters long. It is an opportunistic omnivore and is known for its ability to regulate its own body temperature during breeding season.
Armadillo, Nine-banded
Known for its bony, armor-like shell and the nine movable bands around its midsection. When startled, it can jump straight up in the air before scurrying away.
Army Ant
A nomadic ant that doesn’t build permanent nests. Instead, they form massive, mobile colonies that conduct swarm raids, consuming any small animals that cannot escape their path.
Arowana, Silver
A sleek, powerful freshwater fish known for its large, metallic scales and ability to leap out of the water to catch prey like insects and small birds from overhanging branches.
Asian Elephant
Slightly smaller than its African cousin, the Asian elephant has smaller ears and a more rounded back. They are highly intelligent and play a critical role as ecosystem engineers.
Asian Giant Hornet
The world’s largest hornet, with a powerful sting and a large head. It is a formidable predator that can decimate entire colonies of honeybees to feed its young.
Asian Palm Civet
A cat-sized, nocturnal mammal known for its role in producing “kopi luwak” coffee. The coffee beans are eaten and passed through the civet’s digestive tract.
Asiatic Black Bear
Also known as the moon bear due to the white, crescent-shaped patch on its chest. It is an agile climber, often building nests in trees to feed and rest.
Asp
A venomous viper found in parts of Europe, with a distinctive, slightly upturned snout. Its bite is painful and can be dangerous to humans, though rarely fatal.
Atlantic Cod
A historically significant fish that supported entire economies for centuries. Overfishing has led to a dramatic collapse of many cod populations, making it a symbol of marine conservation challenges.
Atlantic Puffin
A charismatic seabird with a brightly colored, triangular beak during the breeding season. It nests in burrows on cliff edges and can carry multiple small fish back to its chick at once.
Atlantic Salmon
An anadromous fish, meaning it is born in freshwater, migrates to the ocean to mature, and returns to its natal river to spawn. It is famed for its incredible ability to leap up waterfalls.
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin
A social dolphin known for the distinctive spots that develop as it ages; calves are born without them. They are fast, energetic swimmers, often seen leaping from the water.
Atlas Moth
One of the largest moths in the world, with a wingspan of up to 24 cm. The tips of its wings have a unique pattern that resembles a snake’s head to deter predators.
Australian Green Tree Frog
A large, docile frog known for its bright green color and placid nature. It has adapted well to suburban life and is often found in bathrooms and water tanks.
Australian Lungfish
A “living fossil” that has changed very little in over 100 million years. It has a single lung, in addition to gills, allowing it to breathe air when water quality is poor.
Australian Magpie
A highly intelligent bird with a complex, beautiful song. It is infamous for its “swooping” behavior, where it aggressively defends its nest from perceived threats during breeding season.
Australian Sea Lion
Australia’s only native sea lion, and one of the rarest species in the world. They have an unusual breeding cycle, with females coming into estrus for only 24 hours every 17.5 months.
Avocet, American
An elegant shorebird with a long, slender, upcurved bill. It forages by sweeping its bill side-to-side through shallow water to detect aquatic invertebrates.
Axolotl
A unique species of salamander that retains its larval features, such as feathery external gills, throughout its adult life. It has remarkable regenerative abilities, able to regrow entire limbs.
Aye-aye
A nocturnal lemur with large eyes, rodent-like teeth, and a long, thin middle finger. It uses this specialized finger to tap on trees and extract insect grubs, filling a niche similar to a woodpecker’s.
Azure Jay
A vivid blue jay that plays a critical role in the dispersal of the Araucaria tree. It buries the tree’s seeds to eat later, but many forgotten seeds sprout into new trees.
Azure Tit
A small, passerine bird with striking pale blue and white plumage. It is closely related to the more common Blue Tit but prefers more marshy, scrubby habitats near water.
Anole, Green
A small lizard known for its ability to change color from bright green to brown, depending on mood and background. Males display a prominent pink or red dewlap (throat fan) for communication.
Arowana, Silver
A sleek, powerful predator often called a “water monkey” for its ability to leap out of the water to snatch insects, small birds, and bats from overhanging branches.
Angelshark, Common
A flattened, ray-like shark that ambushes prey from the seafloor. Once common, this critically endangered species has suffered severe population declines due to bottom trawling fisheries.
Apollo Butterfly
A large, beautiful white butterfly with distinctive red eye-spots on its hindwings. It is adapted to high-altitude environments, but its populations are threatened by climate change and habitat loss.
Appalachian Cottontail
A species of rabbit that was long confused with the more common eastern cottontail. It prefers the dense cover of high-altitude forests and is threatened by habitat degradation.
Azure-winged Magpie
A striking bird with a black cap, grey body, and blue wings and tail. It has a bizarrely disjunct distribution, with one population in East Asia and another isolated one in Spain and Portugal.
Andean Flamingo
The rarest flamingo in the world, distinguished by its yellow legs and large black tip on its pale yellow bill. It filters tiny algae from frigid mountain lakes for food.
Assassin Bug
A predatory insect known for its potent venomous saliva, which it injects into its prey to liquefy their insides. This species, the white-eyed assassin bug, is popular in the pet trade.
Atlantic Goliath Grouper
A massive fish that can grow up to 2.5 meters long and weigh over 360 kg. These gentle giants are slow-moving and curious, but have been overfished and are slow to recover.
Auklet, Crested
A small seabird with a flamboyant forward-curving crest of feathers and a distinct citrus-like odor. They nest in huge, noisy colonies on cliffs in the Bering Sea.
Anchovy, European
A small, schooling fish that is a vital part of the marine food web. It is also a major commercial species, commonly salted, cured, or processed into fish paste and sauces.
Amazonian Giant Centipede
One of the largest centipedes in the world, reaching over 30 cm in length. It is a voracious and venomous predator, capable of overpowering prey such as lizards, frogs, mice, and even bats.
Anhinga
Also known as the snakebird, it often swims with only its long, sinuous neck above water. Unlike ducks, its feathers are not fully waterproof, which helps it dive and hunt for fish underwater.
American Pygmy Shrew
One of the smallest mammals in the world, weighing less than a dime. It has an incredibly high metabolism and must eat constantly, consuming up to three times its body weight each day.
