Here you’ll find 38 Animals that start with Y that begin with Y, organized from “Eastern Yellowjacket” to “Yucatan Squirrel”. Use this list for classroom activities, quick research, and general wildlife reference.
Animals that start with Y are species whose common names begin with the letter Y, from insects to mammals. Notable examples include the Eastern Yellowjacket, a widespread wasp, and the Yucatan Squirrel, a regional tree squirrel.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat, Description, and Conservation status.
Common name: The everyday name you recognize, helping you quickly spot and relate species in lists or lessons.
Scientific name: The Latin binomial used for precise identification across languages and research, helping you confirm exact species.
Habitat: Brief biome and region details showing where the animal lives, so you understand its environmental context.
Description: A concise one- or two-sentence summary of appearance, behavior, or diet that gives you quick insight.
Conservation status: Simple tags like “Least Concern” or “Endangered” so you can gauge population risk at a glance.
Animals that start with Y
| Common name | Scientific name | Conservation status | Habitat (biome + region) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yak | Bos grunniens | Vulnerable | Alpine tundra — Tibetan Plateau and Central Asia |
| Yellow-bellied Marmot | Marmota flaviventris | Least Concern | Alpine meadows — Western North America |
| Yellow-eyed Penguin | Megadyptes antipodes | Endangered | Coastal forests — New Zealand |
| Yacare Caiman | Caiman yacare | Least Concern | Freshwater wetlands — Central South America |
| Yellowfin Tuna | Thunnus albacares | Least Concern | Pelagic oceans — Worldwide tropical/subtropical waters |
| Yabby | Cherax destructor | Not Evaluated | Freshwater streams and dams — Australia |
| Yellowhammer | Emberiza citrinella | Least Concern | Farmland and open country — Europe and Asia |
| Yellow-backed Duiker | Cephalophus silvicultor | Near Threatened | Rainforests — Central and Western Africa |
| Yellow Perch | Perca flavescens | Least Concern | Freshwater lakes and rivers — North America |
| Yellow Garden Spider | Argiope aurantia | Not Evaluated | Gardens and open fields — North America |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | Coccyzus americanus | Least Concern | Woodlands and orchards — The Americas |
| Yellow-throated Marten | Martes flavigula | Least Concern | Mountain forests — Asia |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | Least Concern | Freshwater marshes — North America |
| Yucatan Jay | Cyanocorax yucatanicus | Least Concern | Tropical dry forests — Yucatán Peninsula |
| Yellow-bellied Sea Snake | Hydrophis platurus | Least Concern | Marine pelagic zones — Tropical Indo-Pacific |
| Yellow-spotted River Turtle | Podocnemis unifilis | Vulnerable | Freshwater rivers — Amazon and Orinoco basins |
| Yellow Tang | Zebrasoma flavescens | Least Concern | Coral reefs — Pacific Ocean, near Hawaii |
| Yellow Admiral | Vanessa itea | Not Evaluated | Open areas and gardens — Australia and New Zealand |
| Yap Flying Fox | Pteropus yapensis | Critically Endangered | Tropical moist forests — Yap Islands, Micronesia |
| Yarkand Hare | Lepus yarkandensis | Near Threatened | Desert basins — Taklamakan Desert, China |
| Yosemite Toad | Anaxyrus canorus | Endangered | Alpine meadows — Sierra Nevada, California |
| Yellow-crowned Night Heron | Nyctanassa violacea | Least Concern | Coastal wetlands and swamps — The Americas |
| Yellow-billed Kite | Milvus aegyptius | Least Concern | Savannas and woodlands — Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Yellow-footed Antechinus | Antechinus flavipes | Least Concern | Forests and woodlands — Eastern Australia |
| Yellow-pine Chipmunk | Neotamias amoenus | Least Concern | Coniferous forests — Western North America |
| Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | Least Concern | Wetlands and damp meadows — Europe, Asia, Africa |
| Yellow Warbler | Setophaga petechia | Least Concern | Riparian thickets and woodlands — The Americas |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus varius | Least Concern | Deciduous and mixed forests — North America |
| Yellowfin Goby | Acanthogobius flavimanus | Not Evaluated | Estuaries and coastal waters — Native to East Asia |
| Yellowtail Snapper | Ocyurus chrysurus | Least Concern | Coral reefs — Western Atlantic Ocean |
| Eastern Yellowjacket | Vespula maculifrons | Not Evaluated | Forests and urban areas — Eastern North America |
| Yellow-billed Stork | Mycteria ibis | Least Concern | Freshwater wetlands — Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | Setophaga coronata | Least Concern | Coniferous and mixed forests — North America |
| Yucatan Squirrel | Sciurus yucatanensis | Least Concern | Tropical forests — Yucatán Peninsula |
| Yellow-bellied Slider | Trachemys scripta | Least Concern | Freshwater ponds and rivers — Southeastern U.S. |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | Vireo flavifrons | Least Concern | Deciduous forests — Eastern North America |
| Yellow Rail | Coturnicops noveboracensis | Least Concern | Sedge marshes and wet meadows — North America |
| Yemen Linnet | Linaria yemenensis | Least Concern | High-altitude shrubland — Southwestern Arabian Peninsula |
Descriptions
Yak
A large, long-haired bovid adapted to high altitudes. Wild yaks are larger and shier than their domesticated counterparts and are facing population decline.
Yellow-bellied Marmot
A large ground squirrel known for its loud whistles, social colonies, and long hibernation periods spent in extensive underground burrows.
Yellow-eyed Penguin
One of the world’s rarest penguin species, recognized by the pale yellow band of feathers around its eyes. It is a solitary nester.
Yacare Caiman
A small to medium-sized crocodilian found in rivers and wetlands, known for its visible lower teeth when its jaw is closed.
Yellowfin Tuna
A large, powerful, and fast-swimming tuna prized in commercial fishing. It is recognizable by its long, bright yellow second dorsal and anal fins.
Yabby
A freshwater crayfish native to Australia, known for its burrowing behavior and its popularity in aquaculture. It can survive long droughts by aestivating in burrows.
Yellowhammer
A small bunting known for the male’s bright yellow head and a repetitive song often described as “a little bit of bread and no cheese.”
Yellow-backed Duiker
The largest species of duiker, a small antelope, recognized by the yellow patch on its back that bristles when it is threatened or excited.
Yellow Perch
A popular game fish with a yellow to brass-colored body and dark vertical bars. It often travels in schools in clear, vegetated waters.
Yellow Garden Spider
A large, brightly colored orb-weaver spider known for the distinctive zigzag stabilimentum in the center of its large, circular web.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
A slender, long-tailed bird that migrates long distances. It is sometimes called the “rain crow” due to its habit of calling on hot, humid days.
Yellow-throated Marten
A large, powerful marten with a striking yellow throat and chest. It is a bold and opportunistic predator that sometimes hunts in small packs.
Yellow-headed Blackbird
A striking marsh bird with a brilliant yellow head and breast contrasting with a black body. It is known for its harsh, mechanical-sounding song.
Yucatan Jay
A social and noisy jay with a black head and body and vivid blue wings. Juveniles are strikingly different, with a white body and yellow bill.
Yellow-bellied Sea Snake
A highly venomous snake that lives its entire life in the ocean. It has a flat, paddle-like tail for swimming and a distinct yellow belly.
Yellow-spotted River Turtle
A large South American turtle named for the bright yellow spots on the heads of juveniles, which fade with age. It faces threats from overharvesting.
Yellow Tang
A vibrant, all-yellow surgeonfish popular in marine aquariums. It grazes on algae using its small, protrusible mouth and has a defensive scalpel-like spine.
Yellow Admiral
A medium-sized butterfly with dark brown wings featuring a prominent yellow band and red markings. Its caterpillars feed on nettle plants.
Yap Flying Fox
A large fruit bat facing a very high risk of extinction due to habitat loss and hunting. It is a crucial pollinator on its native islands.
Yarkand Hare
A species of hare endemic to a specific desert basin in China. It is adapted to arid environments and is threatened by habitat degradation.
Yosemite Toad
A high-elevation toad found only in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. It is threatened by disease, climate change, and habitat alteration.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
A stocky heron, primarily active at night or twilight. Adults have a striking black and white head pattern with a pale yellow crown.
Yellow-billed Kite
A medium-sized bird of prey, easily identified by its entirely yellow bill and slightly forked tail. It is a common and opportunistic scavenger and predator.
Yellow-footed Antechinus
A small, shrew-like marsupial known for its frantic mating season, after which all males die from stress-related exhaustion and immune system collapse.
Yellow-pine Chipmunk
A small, agile chipmunk with distinct stripes on its back. It is commonly found in pine forests, where it forages for seeds and fungi.
Yellow Wagtail
A slender bird known for its constantly wagging tail. Males have bright yellow underparts and a variety of head patterns depending on the subspecies.
Yellow Warbler
One of the most widespread warblers, often called the “wild canary” for its bright, uniform yellow plumage. It has a sweet, musical song.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
A medium-sized woodpecker that drills neat rows of shallow holes in tree bark to feed on the oozing sap and the insects attracted to it.
Yellowfin Goby
A large goby that can tolerate a wide range of salinities. It is considered an invasive species in several parts of the world, including California.
Yellowtail Snapper
A popular reef fish for both anglers and diners, recognized by a prominent yellow stripe running from its snout to its deeply forked yellow tail.
Eastern Yellowjacket
A predatory social wasp that builds large paper nests, often underground. It is known for its aggressive defense of its colony and painful sting.
Yellow-billed Stork
A medium-sized wading bird with a long, bright yellow bill that is slightly decurved at the tip. It catches fish by touch, snapping its bill shut in the water.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
A common and adaptable warbler, easily identified by the bright yellow patch on its rump. It is one of the first warblers to arrive in spring.
Yucatan Squirrel
A medium-sized tree squirrel with grizzled gray and black fur. It is an important seed disperser in its native dry forest habitat.
Yellow-bellied Slider
A common aquatic turtle recognized by the broad yellow blotch behind its eye and a yellowish plastron (lower shell). Often seen basking on logs.
Yellow-throated Vireo
A stocky songbird with a bright yellow throat and “spectacles.” It moves slowly through the forest canopy, singing a burry, persistent song.
Yellow Rail
A small, secretive marsh bird that is heard more often than seen. It makes a distinct clicking sound, like two stones being tapped together.
Yemen Linnet
A small finch endemic to the mountains of Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It is adapted to high, arid environments, feeding on seeds.
