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Friday, 25 September 2026

Global Animal Guide

Animals A–Z index Conservation Wildlife help

Animals that start with A

There are 34 animals that start with the letter A, including the Aardvark, Aardwolf, Adder, and more. See photos, facts, and full guides for each.

34 animals beginning with A

Aardvark with long snout foraging at night on African savanna

Mammal

Aardvark

Africa's ant-eating oddity

Aardwolf with vertical stripes and mane erect standing on short-grass savanna at dusk

Mammal

Aardwolf

Termite-eating hyena relative of African plains

European adder with a dark zigzag pattern coiled on heathland among heather

Reptile

Adder

Britain's only venomous snake

Smooth olive-gray African clawed frog floating in water with limbs splayed out

Amphibian

African Clawed Frog

The fully aquatic lab and pet frog

African elephant with large tusks and ears walking across a dusty savanna

Mammal

African Elephant

The largest land animal alive today

African grey parrot with pale grey feathers and a bright red tail perched on a branch

Bird

African Grey Parrot

One of the most intelligent talking birds

African wild dog with mottled coat in savanna

Mammal

African Wild Dog

Africa's cooperative pack hunter

Alligator snapping turtle with ridged shell and hooked beak resting on a muddy riverbed

Reptile

Alligator Snapping Turtle

The prehistoric lure-fishing giant of American rivers

Alpaca with thick fleece grazing in a green field

Mammal

Alpaca

The Andean fleece specialist

American alligator resting at the edge of a sunlit swamp with reeds

Reptile

American Alligator

The armored survivor of the southern swamps

American bison with a shaggy dark brown coat and curved horns standing on open prairie

Near Threatened

Mammal

American Bison

North America's largest land animal

American black bear foraging in a deciduous forest

Mammal

American Black Bear

North America's adaptable forest bear

Large green American bullfrog sitting at the edge of a pond among reeds

Amphibian

American Bullfrog

North America's largest and loudest frog

Breeding male American goldfinch with lemon-yellow body and black forehead on a thistle head

Bird

American Goldfinch

Bright yellow finch of North American fields

Dark blue-green American lobster with large front claws on a rocky seabed

Invertebrate

American Lobster

The long-lived clawed crustacean of cold seas

American mink on riverbank

Mammal

American Mink

The semi-aquatic mustelid

American robin with orange-red breast standing on green grass

Bird

American Robin

The orange-breasted herald of spring

American white ibis probing wet lawn with curved red bill and black-tipped wings folded

Bird

American White Ibis

Red-billed white wader of the Southeast

Male Andean condor with black plumage, white neck ruff, and fleshy head comb on a cliff ledge

Bird

Andean Condor

Giant New World vulture of the Andes

Dark deep-sea anglerfish with a glowing lure and large toothy mouth

Fish

Anglerfish

The deep-sea hunter with a glowing lure

Close-up of a black ant standing on soil

Insect

Ant

The tireless team-working insect

Arctic fox in thick white winter coat sitting on snow-covered tundra

Mammal

Arctic Fox

The white fox of the frozen tundra

Army ant swarm of Eciton workers cascading over leaf litter in a rainforest raid

Insect

Army Ant

Nomadic swarm-raiding ants of the Neotropics

Asian elephant with smaller ears walking through tropical forest

Mammal

Asian Elephant

The smaller cousin of Africa's giant

Large Asian giant hornet with orange head and striped body on a wooden surface

Insect

Asian Giant Hornet

The world's largest hornet

Asian water monitor with dark scaly skin and yellow markings walking near water

Reptile

Asian Water Monitor

One of the largest lizards in the world

Atlantic bluefin tuna with a streamlined metallic blue body swimming in open ocean

Fish

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

The warm-blooded ocean speedster

Atlantic cod with barbel on chin over sandy seabed

Fish

Atlantic Cod

The fish that built Atlantic nations

Atlantic horseshoe crab with a domed shell and long pointed tail on a sandy beach

Invertebrate

Atlantic Horseshoe Crab

The ancient living fossil with blue blood

Atlantic puffin with a colorful orange and blue bill standing on a grassy cliff

Bird

Atlantic Puffin

The colorful 'sea parrot' of the North Atlantic

Silver Atlantic salmon leaping up a rushing river

Fish

Atlantic Salmon

The fish that swims upriver to spawn

Australian lungfish with dark scales and paddle tail swimming in murky Queensland river

Fish

Australian Lungfish

Queensland river survivor from the age of dinosaurs

Pink axolotl with feathery external gills underwater

Critically Endangered

Amphibian

Axolotl

The salamander that never grows up and can regrow body parts

Aye-aye with large eyes and elongated finger

Mammal

Aye-aye

Madagascar's nocturnal oddity

Animals starting with B

Animals that start with A: FAQs

What animals start with the letter A?

Animals beginning with A include Aardvark, Aardwolf, Adder, African Clawed Frog, African Elephant, and 29 more.

How many animals begin with A?

Our guide currently covers 34 animals whose names start with A.