Animals that Start with W

Updated: October 12, 2022
Michal Ninger/Shutterstock.com
Share on:

Advertisement


Read below for information on 106 different animals that start with the letter W, from the wallaby to the wrasse fish. The most popular animal that starts with the letter W is the white tiger, a rare species that hasn’t been seen in the wild in over 50 years. The least popular W animal is the water vole. Water voles are the largest vole species in the United Kingdom. Fun facts about letter W name animals include:

  • Weasels are the smallest carnivorous mammal in the world
  • Wildebeest can migrate more than 1,000 miles annually
  • Walrus can grow to weight an astonishing 3,700lbs or more, making them the second largest ocean mammal that also comes ashore (the largest is the elephant seal)

Jump to any letter


Watch on YouTube

Alphabetical List of Animals That Start with W

Animals that Start with W

A Wahoo Fish
Wahoo Fish

Wahoo can change colors when they're excited and while they hunt

A Waimanu
Waimanu

The albatross is related to the waimanu!

A Walking Catfish
Walking Catfish

The walking catfish can move on land while breathing air

A Wallaby
Wallaby

There are roughly 30 different species!

A Walleye Fish
Walleye Fish

Has great night vision

A Walrus
Walrus

Inhabits the freezing waters of the Arctic Circle!

A Wandering Albatross
Wandering Albatross

Featured in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”

A Warbler
Warbler

Warblers are so called because of the trills of their song.

A Warthog
Warthog

Has two sets of tusks on it's face!

A Wasp
Wasp

There are around 75,000 recognised species!

A Water Beetle
Water Beetle

Water beetles bite; they use their legs to inject venomous digestive saliva

A Water Buffalo
Water Buffalo

Has been domesticated for thousands of years!

A Water Bug
Water Bug

Some species of water bugs can deliver a painful bite when handled.

A Water Dragon
Water Dragon

Spends most of it's time in the trees!

A Water Vole
Water Vole

The largest Vole species in the UK!

A Waterbuck
Waterbuck

Often flee into water to escape predators

A Wattled Jacana
Wattled Jacana

They are typically noisy birds but take on a soft tone with their young.

A Wax Moth
Wax Moth

The Wax Moth larvae are more dangerous than the adult.

A Weasel
Weasel

The smallest carnivorous mammal in the world!

A Weaver Bird
Weaver Bird

The weaver constructs an elaborate nest for the breeding season

A Weimaraner
Weimaraner

The Weimaraner is nicknamed the gray ghost.

A Weimardoodle
Weimardoodle

This dog is also known as the Weimarpoo, the Weimaranerpoo, and the Weimaranerdoodle.

A Wels Catfish
Wels Catfish

The Wels catfish is O the largest freshwater fish in the world.

A Welsh Black Cattle
Welsh Black Cattle

Welsh Black Cattle were once used as currency in Wales and referred to as “black gold”.

A Welsh Corgi
Welsh Corgi

There are two distinct breeds!

A Welsh Springer Spaniel
Welsh Springer Spaniel

Due to being so attached to their owners, the Welsh Springer Spaniel does not do well with being left alone and can experience separation anxiety.

A Welsh Terrier
Welsh Terrier

The Welsh Terrier has the strength and tenacity to take on foxes and badgers.

A West Highland Terrier
West Highland Terrier

Most commonly white in colour!

A Western Blacklegged Tick
Western Blacklegged Tick

Western blacklegged ticks are only found in the west coast of the United States

A Western Blind Snake
Western Blind Snake

Western blind snakes are flourescent in black light!

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

They replace their fangs 2-4 times per year!

A Western Gorilla
Western Gorilla

There are two sub-species!

A Western Hognose Snake
Western Hognose Snake

Primarily solitary, these snakes only communicate with one another during breeding season.

A Western Kingbird
Western Kingbird

Western kingbirds have hidden red crown feathers that they can raise when threatened!

A Western Lowland Gorilla
Western Lowland Gorilla

One of the great apes!

A Western Rat Snake
Western Rat Snake

Western rat snakes have special scales on their belly that help them climb up trees.

A Western Rattlesnake (Northern Pacific Rattlesnake)
Western Rattlesnake (Northern Pacific Rattlesnake)

Western rattlesnakes are shy and try to avoid people whenever possible.

A Western Tanager
Western Tanager

They migrate farther north than any other tanager.

A Westiepoo
Westiepoo

This dog is known for cocking its head in a curious manner when listening to its owner.

A Whale Shark
Whale Shark

The largest species of fish in the world!

A Wheaten Terrier
Wheaten Terrier

Originally bred as a farm dog, the Wheaten Terrier can be very protective of its domain.

A Whimbrel
Whimbrel

The fastidious whimbrel sometimes washes off its prey before it eats it.


A Whinchat
Whinchat

The whinchat can imitate the songs of at least a dozen other tpes of birds!

A Whippet
Whippet

Quiet, gentle and restful dogs!

A Whiptail Lizard
Whiptail Lizard

Many whiptail species reproduce asexually.

A White Butterfly
White Butterfly

This butterfly determines the smell and taste of a flower with its feet.

A White Catfish
White Catfish

White catfish can grow up to 37 inches in size.

A White Crappie
White Crappie

Common freshwater fish in North America

A White Ferret / Albino Ferrets
White Ferret / Albino Ferrets

There are two different types of white ferrets!

A White German Shepherd
White German Shepherd

It was once thought that White German Shepherds were albinos, but that is not the case. Its white coat is part of the overall German Shepherd genetic composition.

A White Marlin
White Marlin

speedy open ocean billfish

A White Rhinoceros
White Rhinoceros

The second largest animal on the land!

A White Shark
White Shark

White Sharks live in all of the world's oceans.

A White Sturgeon 
White Sturgeon 

They don't have any teeth!

A White Tiger
White Tiger

None have been seen in the wild for 50 years!

A White-Crowned Sparrow
White-Crowned Sparrow

Males learn distinct songs from the community they grew up in and continue to sing in the same dialect as adults.

A White-Eyed Vireo
White-Eyed Vireo

During courtship, males put on exciting displays by fluffing their plumage, spreading their tails, and letting out a whining call.

A White-Faced Capuchin
White-Faced Capuchin

One of the world's most intelligent monkeys!

A White-tail deer
White-tail deer

White-tail deer are good swimmers

A White-Tailed Eagle
White-Tailed Eagle

It is one of the biggest birds of prey.

A Whitetail Deer
Whitetail Deer

Although deer are herbivores, they will sometimes eat mice and birds when they can catch them.

A Whiting
Whiting

"Whiting" can refer to certain other species of ray-finned fish

A Whoodle
Whoodle

Whoodles are good swimmers

A Whooping Crane
Whooping Crane

This species is named after the loud whooping sound it makes

A Wild Boar
Wild Boar

Males have a top tusk to sharpen the bottom one!

A Wildebeest
Wildebeest

Can trek more than 1,000 miles every year!

A Willow Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher

These birds live in the understory and are named for their propensity for flitting between willows and shrubs.

A Willow Warbler
Willow Warbler

This bird molts twice a year.

A Winter Moth
Winter Moth

Only the males fly and the females walk.

A Wire Fox Terrier
Wire Fox Terrier

The Wire Fox Terrier was bred from the now extinct Rough Coated Black and Tan Terrier to hunt down foxes.

A Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

A Wirehaired Pointing Griffon’s coat makes it look like it has a mustache and beard!

A Wiwaxia
Wiwaxia

The body of Wiwaxia was covered by rows of sclerites and spines

A Wolf
Wolf

Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!

A Wolf Eel
Wolf Eel

Wolf Eels may become tame and interact with human in areas where people frequently dive.

A Wolf Snake
Wolf Snake

Harmless, but with fangs like a wolf.

A Wolf Spider
Wolf Spider

Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.

A Wolffish
Wolffish

The wolffish has impressive canines with a powerful bite force!

A Wolverine
Wolverine

Releases a strong smelling musk in defence!

A Woma Python
Woma Python

Woma pythons often prey on venomous snakes and are immune to some venoms.

A Wombat
Wombat

Spends most of the day underground!

A Wood Bison
Wood Bison

The reintroduction of wood bison into Alaska is considered one of the world’s best conservation success stories.

A Wood Duck
Wood Duck

Adult male wood ducks sport a striking red eye and bill year-round!

A Wood Frog
Wood Frog

The wood frog lives the furthest north of any other North American amphibian including in the Arctic Circle.

A Wood Tick
Wood Tick

Almost always found above 4,000 feet in elevation

A Wood Turtle
Wood Turtle

Temperature determines the sex of turtle eggs

A Woodlouse
Woodlouse

This animal can roll up into a ball

A Woodlouse Spider
Woodlouse Spider

Unlike most spiders, woodlouse spiders don’t build a web.

A Woodpecker
Woodpecker

There are 200 different species!

A Woodrat
Woodrat

Pack rats love shiny objects and will steal your jewelry.

A Woolly Aphids
Woolly Aphids

Another name for these fuzzy insects is "boogie-woogie aphids" because of their habit of lifting their posteriors and pulsing them in synchronized motions when threatened.

A Woolly Mammoth
Woolly Mammoth

Tusks grew to 16ft long!

A Woolly Monkey
Woolly Monkey

Has a long, strong prehensile tail!

A Woolly Rhinoceros
Woolly Rhinoceros

The woolly rhinoceros roamed the earth between three and a half million and 14,000 years ago.

A Worm
Worm

Doesn’t have eyes.

A Worm Snake
Worm Snake

They emit a bad-smelling liquid if they are picked up!

A Wrasse
Wrasse

There are more than 500 different species!

A Writing Spider
Writing Spider

males pluck webs like strings on a guitar

A Wrought Iron Butterflyfish
Wrought Iron Butterflyfish

Is endemic to Japan.

A Wryneck
Wryneck

They feign death by making their bodies limp and closing their eyes.

A Wyandotte Chicken
Wyandotte Chicken

The Wyandotte chicken was the first dual-purpose American chicken bred for both meat and eggs!

A Wyoming Toad
Wyoming Toad

Releases poison from neck glands for defense!


A White Rhinoceros
White Rhinoceros

The second largest animal on the land!

A Wolf
Wolf

Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!

Newest Animals that Start with the Letter W

Whe most recently added Animals that start with the letter W.

A Willow Warbler
Willow Warbler

This bird molts twice a year.

A Western Kingbird
Western Kingbird

Western kingbirds have hidden red crown feathers that they can raise when threatened!

A Wood Duck
Wood Duck

Adult male wood ducks sport a striking red eye and bill year-round!

Animals that start with the letter W, including the Walrus & Wasp
Share on:
About the Author

AZ Animals is a growing team of animals experts, researchers, farmers, conservationists, writers, editors, and -- of course -- pet owners who have come together to help you better understand the animal kingdom and how we interact.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.