69 Grrr-eat Names Of Wild Animals All Kids Should Know

Oluwatosin Michael
Jan 15, 2024 By Oluwatosin Michael
Originally Published on Apr 22, 2022
Edited by Lara Simpson
Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao
A Royal Bengal Tiger alert and staring at the Camera.
?
Age: 0-99
Read time: 7.9 Min

Wild animals' names are of great interest to all wildlife lovers.

Wild animals list of terrestrial animals includes animals such as cheetah, Arctic wolf, lion, coyote, snakes, zebra, kangaroo, raccoon, rabbit, chimpanzee, blue whale, gorilla, porcupine, monkey, and several other wild animals.

Did you know some camels, such as Mongolian camels, have two humps while others have only one hump? There are many different wild animals, and some probably live in your own backyard!

Read on to know more about different wild animals' names and other animals that will certainly intrigue you.

Names Of Wild Animals In Africa

Africa is the homeland for an enormous variety of the world’s most famous wild animals, including cheetah, fennec fox, lion, elephant, zebra, porcupine, and many more. Wild animals are not easy to tame. Here is a wild animals list of wild animals' names that can be found in Africa.

African crowned eagle is also known as the crowned hawk-eagle and is a wild animal name to feature in this wild animals list.

African lion is a muscular, deep-chested, round-headed, round-eared large cat with a hairy tuft. The lion is one of the most prominent wild animal names. A lion is a wild animal that lives in a small group. A lion would thrive in forests.

African leopard is a subspecies of the leopard family, which is a must include name in the wild animals' list.

African elephant refers to the African bush elephant and the smaller African forest elephant.

African golden cat is a species of wild cat that is a close relative of both the caracal and the serval. It is one of the unique wild animal names to feature in the wild animals' list.

African rabbit is a mammal species from the Leporidae family, one of the wild animal names to feature on this wild animals' list.

African palm civet is also known as the two-spotted palm civet. It is a small feliform mammal found in sub-Saharan Africa.

African penguin is confined to southern African waters and is one of the wild animal examples.

African wild dog, also known as the African hunting dog, is a wild canine native to sub-Saharan Africa.

Agama lizard belongs to the family of small-to-moderate-sized long-tailed, insectivorous lizards with at least 37 species found in Africa.

Aardvark is a nocturnal mammal with a long pig-like snout that lives in burrows and is medium in size.

Aardwolf, an insectivorous mammal from the family of Hyaenidae, is native to East and Southern Africa and is one of the famous wild animal names.

Bat-eared fox is a fox species named for its large ears and is found on the African savanna.

Bonobo is an Endangered species of the great ape, one of the two species of the genus Pan.

Bushbuck is a common and widespread species of antelope found in sub-Saharan Africa.

Bushpig is a pig family member that inhabits forests, woodlands, riverine vegetation, and cultivated areas.

Caracals, one of the rare wild animal names,are the middle-sized members of the wild cat family.

Chimpanzee is the great ape species, also known as a chimp. Chimpanzee species are intelligent creatures. Chimpanzee species prefer to live on a tree.

Common ostrich belongs to the species of flightless birds, which is also the largest living bird species.

Cape buffalo is the name given to the large sub-Saharan African bovines.

Cheetah, the fastest of the land animals and one of the most feared wild animal names, is a member of the large cat family native to Africa and Central Iran.

Crested mangabey with crests of hair on their heads and dark skin is the West African Old World monkey.

Colobus monkey is a black and white-colored Old World Monkey native to Africa. They are perfect examples of social animals.

Duiker is an antelope species with small to medium-sized brown ears native to sub-Saharan Africa.

Dwarf Mongoose is a native of Angola, northern Namibia, and is known to hunt snakes.

Eland, found in East and Southern Africa, is an antelope species.

Elephant shrew, a small insectivorous mammal native to Africa, is also known as the jumping shrew or sengis.

Ethiopian wolf, commonly known as the Simien jackal or Simien fox, is similar to the coyote in size and build, native to the Ethiopian Highlands. A coyote tends to enter human settlements as well.

Fennec fox, with the most distinctive feature of unusually large ears, is a native of the Sahara Desert and one of the most interesting wild animals names.

Giraffe is an even-toed, ungulate, tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth.

Genet consists of 14-17 species of small African carnivorans.

Grant’s gazelle is a species of gazelle that covers northern Tanzania to South Sudan and Ethiopia and the coast of Kenya to Lake Victoria.

Spotted hyena is currently the sole extant member of the Crocuta genus. It is also called the laughing hyena.

Hippopotamus, commonly called the hippo, is a large herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa which is almost impossible to tame.

Hartebeest, also known as kongoni, is an African antelope, the only member of the Alcelaphus genus.

Impala, found in eastern and southern Africa, is a medium-sized antelope.

Jackal is a medium-sized mammal belonging to the subtribe Canina and can easily catch the prey from a herd of deer.

Kob is an antelope species found in Central Africa and parts of Eastern and Western Africa.

Kori bustard, a must-have name on a wild animals list, is known as the largest flying bird native to Africa.

Mountain gorilla, an Endangered animal, belongs to one of the two eastern gorilla species. Gorilla is among the most powerful animals.

Nile crocodile is one of the large reptiles found in the freshwaters of 26 African countries.

Nubian bustard, found in many African countries, is a medium-sized member of the bustard family.

Rhinoceros, commonly known as the rhino, is a member of the Rhinocerotidae family.

Stork is a large, long-legged, long-necked wading bird with long, stout bills.

Wildebeest, also known as gnu, is a member of the antelope family with a large, box-like head and curving horns.

Warthog is a member species from the wild pig family found in sub-Saharan Africa's grasslands, savanna, and woodland.

Big gorilla beating its chest

Names Of Endangered Species And Animals

Here are some of the most famous species worldwide that are listed Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, or Critically Endangered.

Asian elephant is widely known as the Asiatic elephant.

Barbary macaque isnative to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco. This macaque species is also known as the Barbary ape.

Black spider monkey is also known as a red-faced spider monkey.

Blue whale is an Endangered animal and the largest animal to have ever existed.

Cape gannet, of the gannet family,is a large-sized seabird.

Cape vulture is an Old World vulture also known as Kolbe’s vulture.

Eurasian otter is also known as European otter, Old World otter, and Eurasian river otter.

Giant panda is an Endangered species native to South Central China. You can see a panda in a zoo. A panda lives near bamboo plants.

Gorilla inhabiting the tropical forests of equatorial Africa are predominantly ground-dwelling great apes. You can find them in a zoo. It is one of the common wild animal names.

Mediterranean monk seal is one of the marine mammals listed as Critically Endangered.

Orangutans, native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, belong to the species of great apes.

Saola is regarded among the rarest large mammals in the world.

Sea otter is known as one of the smallest marine animals.

Snow leopard is a species that uses the tail for balancing and making a fast turn while catching prey from the herd of sheep or goats.

Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial, initially found in Tasmania only. 

Tiger belongs to the largest living cat species, with its population decreasing. The tiger is among the extremely popular wild animal names featured on the wild animals' list. Tiger subdues its prey with its powerful grip. Some well-known tiger species are the Bengal tiger, Siberian tiger, and Sumatran tiger.

Whooping crane, an Endangered bird, is the tallest North American bird.

Names Of Homes Of Wild Animals

Some of the popular wild animals are the Arctic wolf, panda, chimpanzee, porcupine, kangaroo, lion, and fox. The most common homes of the various wildlife creatures that exist are mentioned below. 

Burrow is essentially in the shape of a tunnel or hole in the ground where animals such as a rabbit, armadillo, mole, polar bear, and porcupine live near a tree or two.

Den is the home for many wild animals such as lions, aardvarks, bears, tigers, hyenas, raccoons, and wolves, who live in small groups or all alone.

Lodge is home made by wild animals like beavers and otters.

Nest is a name given for homes of many animals, including alligators, apes, panda bears, gorillas, crocodiles, elephants, and gorillas, usually located near a tree.

Sett is a name given to underground holes where badgers live.

Names Of Animals In Where The Wild Things Are

‘Where The Wild Things Are’ is a 2009 movie based on the illustrated children’s book of the same title by Maurice Sendak, an American writer and artist. This movie is about a mischievous boy named Max who is in his pre-teens. Animals featured in the 'Wild Things are':

Alexander is a goat-like wild thing.

Bob and Terry are two owls in the movie.

Douglas is a cockatoo-like peace-keeper.

Judith is a three-horned wild thing.

The Bull is a quiet bull-like wild thing that rarely speaks.

We Want Your Photos!
We Want Your Photos!

We Want Your Photos!

Do you have a photo you are happy to share that would improve this article?
Email your photos

More for You

See All

Written by Oluwatosin Michael

Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

Oluwatosin Michael picture

Oluwatosin MichaelBachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

With a Bachelor's in Microbiology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oluwatosin has honed his skills as an SEO content writer, editor, and growth manager. He has written articles, conducted extensive research, and optimized content for search engines. His expertise extends to leading link-building efforts and revising onboarding strategies. 

Read full bio >
Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao

Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

Pradhanya Rao picture

Pradhanya RaoBachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.

Read full bio >