Considering the wide variety of animals that you find in the animal kingdom, there are numerous animals whose names start with ‘A’. From axolotl to aardvark, there are multiple animals that have their names beginning with ‘a’.
In this article you will find a wide array of animals’ names as well as their short descriptions so that you can educate your toddler or school-going child on the names of animals with ‘a’.
Animals Beginning With the Letter A
The article not only include individual species but there are different well-known and popular groups of animals included. We have also tried to include the scientific names of the species. Read on to know more on the animals that start with ‘a’.
Aardvark
The scientific name of this animal is Orycteropus and there’s not much information on their conservation status. It is a nocturnal animal that you will mostly find in the grasslands, savannas and the woodlands of Saharan Africa.
This is the area that lies perfectly south of the Sahara Desert. It mostly lives on eating termites and ants but it also eats fruits like cucumber, a fruit whose seeds the animal helps in spreading. This animal has got strong claws and legs and they tend to be experts in digging the soil.
Adelie Penguin
The scientific name of this animal is ‘Pygoscelis adeliae’ and these animals are almost set to become rare or extinct. Just as other penguins, this penguin type is also a flightless bird as in it can’t fly even at a small height.
This bird lives in Antarctica and there is information that it migrates for around 8000 miles every year through the ice to find out its perfect breeding and feeding grounds. It looks similar to the normal penguin.
Aardwolf
The scientific name of this animal is Proteles cristata and the conservation status of this animal is not known. The aardwolf is a member of the hyena family but unlike its other relatives, it is not famous for eating other animals which means it can’t be called a carnivorous animal.
Instead of eating animals, it eats insects and it can eat a quarter of a million termites in a single night.
African Bush Elephant
The scientific name of this animal is Loxodonta Africana and their conservation status is vulnerable. This animal was previously called the African elephant but lately it has been categorized into 2 species – the African forest elephant and African bush elephant.
The African bush elephant is the largest land animal of the world. It can reach around 13.12 ft or 4m at the shoulders and it can weigh over 10 tonnes.
African Wild Dog
The scientific name of this animal is Lycaon pictus and this is almost an endangered species. As the name of the animal suggests, it is a wild animal that usually hunts in packs.
The scientific name of this animal means ‘painted wolf’. The arch enemy of this African wild dog is the hyena and it is always competing with the hyena for food and other resources.
African Grey Parrot
The scientific name of this animal is Psittacus Erithacus and this bird is also endangered and you will rarely find this anywhere. The African grey parrot is popular for being highly intelligent. This parrot is able to learn more than 100 words.
Though previously this was a famous pet in many houses, it is currently endangered in the wilderness. There are many other facts that you may try to know on grey parrots.
Albatross
Albatrosses are huge sized seabirds which are well-known for flying across long distances. There are a total of 22 species of albatross and one among them is the wandering albatross that has the largest wingspan of any bird. It looks similar to a duck and also walks in the same style.
Alpaca
The scientific name of this animal is Vicugna pacos and the conservation status of this animal is domesticated. The alpaca is one of the dearest members of the Camelidae animal family which comprise of llamas, camels and other similar species.
The alpaca looks similar to a hump-less camel but it is just smaller in size than the actual camel. This animal usually originates in South America and it used to be domesticated for several years. Humans use this animal for its wool.
Alligator Snapping Turtle
The scientific name of this animal is Macrochelys temminckii and the conservation status of this animal is vulnerable. The alligator snapping turtle usually resides in rivers that are located in the United States.
This turtle is said to be the largest freshwater turtle that you can ever get in the United States. This animal derives it name for its bite which is similar to an alligator and it is powerful. The ridges that you find on its shell are also similar to that of an alligator’s skin.
American Alligator
The scientific name of this animal is alligator mississippiensis and there’s not much information on its conservation status. This is one among only the two species of alligator and the other species of alligator is the Chinese alligator.
The American alligator is said to be a predatory reptile that resides mainly in lakes, rivers and swamps of the south-eastern United States. This reptile can reach up to 16feet in length and hence it is pretty huge.
Amur Leopard
The scientific name of this animal is called panthera pardus orientalis and this is a critically endangered animal. The Amur leopard is one of the 9 subspecies of leopards that have been formally recognized. This specific animal is found in China and southeast Russia.
In the year 2007, there were just 26 Amur leopards left in the wilderness and by 2020, the number became even lesser. According to a 2018 study, there were around 50 Amur leopards left in the wild.
Anglerfish
Anglerfishes are predatory fishes which are popular for the way they hunt. There is a peculiar growth on the top portion of their heads and this is similar to a bait or a fishing rod. There are chemicals in the ‘bait’ which make it glow in the dark.
This anglerfish is famous for moving this bait around in order to lure other fishes towards itself so that it can grab them with its powerful jaws. As the bait fish is close enough, the anglerfish simply pounces on its prey.