34 Animals That Start With J - Wildlife Explained (2024)

Curious about the animals that start with J? You’re in the right place! Here’s a fun list of all types of animals that start with the letter J!

There is no doubt that the complete list of animals beginning with J is exhaustive. Still, we created this article with the most diverse animals from Central and South America to Asia so you can leave about the beautiful creatures of our world.

Here, you’ll discover many fun things about these animals that begin with J, so if you’re looking this up to help you with a school project, you’re in the right place.

Hey you! Have we missed any animal that starts with the letter J? Then please drop us a comment below and let us know.

Animals That Start With J

Here are some of the most exciting animals that begin with the letter J. Some are common animals, others you probably have never heard of! But no worries. You’re about to expand your knowledge!

Jaguar

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The third largest cat in the world, the jaguar often gets mistaken for leopards because of the black spots.

Unlike most species of cats, it’s not uncommon to find jaguars enjoying occasional dips in the water. The strong swimmers love swamps and dense forests with rivers. Also, jaguars are among the strongest animals in the world!

In addition, these big cats are agile animals that can inhabit a wide range, from tropical rainforests in Brazil in South America to Mexico and Texas in North America.

Japanese Spider Crab

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You guessed it. Japanese spider crabs appear like a spider though they’re marine crabs found in water bodies surrounding Japan.

The crab species has the longest legs found on a crab to date, with one crab by the name of “Big Daddy” sporting 4 ft 8.5 in long legs.

Because of that, the Japanese spider crab is among the biggest animals on Earth!

Jaguarundi

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Native to the American continent, the jaguarundi cats are wild cats with spots on their fur at the time of birth, which disappear when they become three months old.

Active day and night, their 60mph running speed allows them to jump 6.5 feet in the air to catch their prey.

Also, jaguarundis are usually found in South and Central America, northern Mexico, and the southern United States.

Japanese Skink

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Native to Japan, Plestiodon kishinouyei or the Japanese Skink is a lizard species on the IUCN list as “vulnerable.”

About 9 inches long in form, their legs are shorter than other lizards, and some are born with no legs, wiggling the way snakes do.

Jackal Buzzard

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The first on our list of animals that start with J is the jackal buzzard, a native African bird of prey.

Called the most handsome buzzard, their distinct “kaaaa-haa-haa” call resembles that of a Jackal, hence the backstory of their name.

Japanese Macaque

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Japanese macaque or snow monkeys have a strong hierarchical structure with a male and female leader, who often get the first benefits.

The daughter is the next in line, and younger siblings have more power than the older ones.

These primates bathe together in hot springs to warm up during winter.

Javan Rhinoceros

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Only 60 Javan Rhinoceros are accounted for in the entire world, living in Ujung Kulon National Park.

About 10 feet in length and 6 feet in height, they have a 10-inch single horn on the head with gray skin which folds loosely.

Javanese Cownose Ray

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Among the animals that begin with the letter J, Javanese Cownose Ray is open seas and coral reef fish species.

The stinger on their tail doesn’t hold too harmful a venom and feels like a bee sting at most.

Javanese Bird Grasshopper

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Common to all of Southeast Asia, Javanese bird grasshoppers are most common in Singapore.

An extremely pretty species, they are usually yellow-green in appearance with blue marks. The male hoppers are 1.8 to 2.2 inches, while female ones are only 0.6 to 3.0 inches.

Jungle Cat

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Chausie, the hybrid domestic and jungle cat species, get their name from the scientific name of the jungle cat, which is Felis chaus.

Solitary by nature, only mother and kitten stay together until the kitten is of age.

Jungle Babbler

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Sticking to a family of six to ten while foraging, the habit has earned jungle babblers the nickname of Seven Sisters in Northern Indian and Saath bhai or Seven brothers in the Bengali language. The social birds tend to make constant noises.

Jungle Myna

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The gray plumage of jungle myna turns almost black when it comes to their heads and wings.

They rub insects all over their body to derive nutrition from the insects, also known as anting, but they primarily use millipedes.

Jungle Nightjar

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Jungle nightjars are night-dwelling birds with an appearance that gets them mistaken for owls.

Their black, brown, and white plumage makes them excellent at camouflage. Large eyes give them a broad vision to spot their prey, and the bristles on the side of their mouth add to their appearance.

Jungle Bush-quail

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This bird species walks around dry grasslands in a grouper ranging from 6 to 25 bush-quails. Jungle bush-quails are part of the pheasant family, Phasianidae.

Oval in shape, they have a brown and black back; and black and white stripes on the front. They make ‘tiri-tiri’ calls when they leave their group for a short time.

Jamaican Oriole

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The Jamaican orioles whistle that sound like ‘tie-tiewu’. People claim it sounds like they’re saying, “Aunt Katie.”

They are also known as Banana Katies because they prefer the fruit over others. They don’t migrate and tend to stick to Jamaica and the Colombian islands, where they’re native.

Jamaican Fruit-Eating Bat

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Jamaican fruit-eating bats strongly prefer rainforests but can easily live in dry forests and plantations.

They rest inside caves and in hollow trees. Usually, a colony consists of about 14 females and one or two males.

Jackson’s Three-Horned Chameleon

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Going by Kikuyu three-horned chameleon, sometimes, the name of the species is a nod to the three horns on their face.

Native to East Africa, these chameleons can also be found in Hawaii, Florida, and California.

It’s better to keep them apart from others of the same species as they joust with their horns.

Jackson’s Widowbird

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Near threatened on the IUCN list, Jackson’s widowbird is native to Kenya and Tanzania.

Male widowbirds perform displays at dancing rings, owning 2-3 of them. Dancing rings are flat grass encircling tufts. The male birds are solitary animals while being highly territorial.

Jackson’s Hornbill

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On the list of animals that start with J, Jackson’s hornbill sticks to North East Uganda and North West Kenya.

The appearance is startlingly similar to Von der Decken’s hornbill, and some argue they are a subspecies.

However, the white spots on the otherwise black wings help differentiate Jackson’s hornbill from the other species.

Japanese Four-Lined Ratsnake

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For one, the Japanese four-lined ratsnake isn’t a venomous species by any means.

Japanese people call the species Shimahebi in their native tongue. They are about 40 to 60 inches in length and with ridges on the dorsal scale of adults.

Japanese Dormouse

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The native Japanese dormice go by the name Yamane in Japan and have temperate forests as their habitat.

They can run at a speed of 8 mph and do so upside down, rushing down from branches they frequent. One of the smallest of the known species weighs about 1.41 ounces.

Jabiru

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The tallest flying bird in South America and the owner of the second widest wing in North America, the jabiru is striking in appearance. Also, the jabiru is a member of the stork family, Ciconiidae.

All white plumage, gray bill, black head, and neck with a brick red down encircling their throat, it’s hard to look away.

Julia Butterfly

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Julia butterfly is a species native to America, specifically in tropical and subtropical regions.

The butterfly species has passionvine as their main host plant, with only a few species they can rely on. Also referred to as the flame, Julia butterflies have brush-like small legs.

Jean’s Jumping Spider

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Jean’s jumping spiders belong to the biggest family of spiders among the different species.

They tend to have all kinds of bright colors on their skin with spectacularly large eyes. The jumping spiders have scales all over their body which one might identify as strands of hair as well.

Jeannel’s Zebra Blue

No, these aren’t zebras. Jeannel’s blues are a species of butterflies found at low altitudes.

The name is due to the patterns on their body, reminding one of a zebra. Except they have a sort of translucent blue color instead of white.

Jonah Crab

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Jonah crab is a species of crab inhabiting the eastern coast of North America.

One of the most commonly cooked, affordable crabs, the species has a rough shell. The shell has light yellow spots, and the claws are brown and black at the tip.

Jerusalem Cricket

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One of the largest insects and crickets in the west of North America, they’re about 2 inches long.

They look different from the cricket species you’re familiar with large oval heads, longer hind legs, and black and white stripes on the stomach region.

John Dory Fish

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Peter’s fish or St Pierre, the John Dory fish all have respectable names. They’re of the Zeus genus.

They stay close to the seafloor and actively prey on schooling fishes. The 2 feet, mostly blue fish, have sharks as their biggest enemy.

Javan Langur

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An Old World monkey species among animals that start with J, the langur in their name is taken from Hindi, which translates to a long tail.

These picky eaters don’t bother consuming anything that’s not fresh leaves. They range from orange to black in color.

Javan Warty Pig

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Native to Indonesia, specifically Bawean and Java, Javan warty pigs are considered endangered on the IUCN list. They have even-toes with a completely black body and elongated head.

Interestingly, these omnivorous animals have three types of warts on their face. Javan warty pigs have a short lifespan, barely reaching eight years.

Japanese Beetle

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Native to Japan, the beetle species love hanging around on a sunny day.

They feed in groups with over 300 species of plants to choose from. However, they appear to avoid burning bush, magnolia, and boxwood. They don’t bite people, nor can their teeth break the skin.

Julia Skimmer

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Julia Skimmers found fluttering around Cape Town are also known as Cape Skimmers. These dragonflies are capable hunters and are good to have in your garden.

These blue dragonflies are fans of woodland areas, preferably with water nearby. They love flowering plants too.

Jerdon’s Courser

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These nocturnal animals, the Jerdon’s courser, are actually critically endangered species.

They make these ‘twick-too’ sounds, with notes repeating per second in a series of 16 at least. Their call can encourage other species of birds to join the mayhem.

Jackson’s Francolin

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Jackson’s francolin or Jackson’s spurfowl are bird species found in Uganda and Kenya.

They thrive among bamboo stands and mountain forests. They have brown and white plumage with red at the beak and light brown, specifically around the area of their eyes.

Animal Alphabet List

Animals that start with A

Animals that start with B

Animals that start with C

Animals that start with D

Animals that start with E

Animals that start with F

Animals that start with G

Animals that start with H

Animals that start with I

Animals that start with K

Animals that start with L

Animals that start with M

Animals that start with N

Animals that start with O

Animals that start with P

Animals that start with Q

Animals that start with R

Animals that start with S

Animals that start with T

Animals that start with U

Animals that start with V

Animals that start with W

Animals that start with X

Animals that start with Y

Animals that start with Z

Animals With J

Hey you, we sincerely hope you appreciated this interesting animal list! Please, help us spread the word, and share it with your friends on social media.

Are we missing any animals beginning with J? Then let us know in the comments!

34 Animals That Start With J - Wildlife Explained (2024)

FAQs

What is J for wild animal? ›

Jackal, Jackrabbit, Jaguar, Jay, Jellyfish.

What is a rodent that starts with J? ›

Jerboas are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia, and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts.

How many wildlife animals are there? ›

One of the most widely cited figures comes from Camilo Mora and colleagues; they estimated that there are around 8.7 million species on Earth today.

What are predators that start with J? ›

J
  • Jaguar.
  • Javan leopard.

What extinct animal starts with J? ›

Dinosaurs beginning with J
  • Janenschia.
  • Jaxartosaurus.
  • Jingshanosaurus.
  • Jinzhousaurus.
  • Jobaria.
  • Juravenator.

What animals start with the letter J in French? ›

J is for jaguar, or jaguar. K is for kangourou, or kangaroo. L is for lapin, or rabbit. M is for mouton, or sheep.

What mammals start with J? ›

List of Mammals that start with the letter J
  • Jack Russells.
  • Jackabee.
  • Jackal.
  • Jackrabbit.
  • Jaguar.
  • Jaguarundi Cat.
  • Japanese Chin.
  • Japanese Macaque.
Jan 24, 2023

Is there a bird that starts with J? ›

Here's a list of birds whose names start with J: Jabiru. Jack Snipe. Jackal Buzzard.

What breed is bunny rat? ›

The bunny rat, or hairy-soled conyrat (Reithrodon auritus ) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, native to southern South America. Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...

What are the 5 largest rodents in the world? ›

List of largest rodents
RankCommon nameScientific name
1Giant pacaranaJosephoartigasia monesi
2Phoberomys pattersoni
3CapybaraHydrocho*rus hydrochaeris
4North American beaverCastor canadensis
10 more rows

What is a queen rat? ›

January 03, 2024. Naked mole-rats live in large colonies with a queen, who is the only breeding female. They are only one of two mammalian species that are eusocial, or live in a colony.

What animal has 10 species left? ›

The vaquita is the most endangered cetacean in the world. With as few as around 10 left, the species will become extinct without a fully enforced gillnet ban throughout their entire habitat. WWF is urgently working to ensure they can live and thrive in their natural habitat.

What is 20000121091000000000? ›

Breaking it even further, there's an estimated 20,000,121,091,000,000,000 or, 20 quintillion, or 20 billion billion Individual creatures.

Have humans wiped out 70 of animals? ›

Earth's wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 69% in just under 50 years, according to a leading scientific assessment, as humans continue to clear forests, consume beyond the limits of the planet and pollute on an industrial scale.

What is a wild dog that starts with J? ›

While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) and side-striped jackal (Lupulella adusta) of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal (Canis aureus) of ...

What is a wild animal name? ›

List of 100 Wild Animal Names
TigerLionElephant
PantherCheetahWolf
HyenaGiraffeDeer
GorillaMonkeyChimpanzee
Wild BoarHippopotamusKangaroo
20 more rows

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