There are some amazing animals that start with H. Whether they have fins or hooves, fur or scales. Some may live in water, fly, gallop, or nest. One thing is for sure, they are all fabulous in their own right. In the following list we look at some examples of just a few of these creatures.
11 Animals That Start With H
North America has its fair share of animals that start with H. From the delightfully cute to the endangered. Read on to see some great pictures and fabulous facts about 11 animals that start with H.
1. Horse
Scientific name: Equus caballus
With over 200 breeds found all over the world, the horse is one of the most beloved animals in North America. Wild horses can be found roaming small forests and grasslands. Typically, horses will live in herds.
Horses are herbivores that eat grass, fruit and leaves. The average equine can run up to 40 miles per hour. One calf at a time is birthed. The color ranges from black, brown, tan, and white. Size wise they range from 840 to 1200 pounds.
Predators include wolves and bears. Their average lifespan is 30 to 30 years.
2. Hawk
Scientific name: Accipitridae
Found on all continents except Antarctica, the hawk species is abundant in North America. There are 25 types of hawk in the United States alone.
Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, they also have excellent eyesight.
Preferring an open area where they can easily grab prey, they’re preferred habitats are deserts and plains. Prey includes snakes, lizards, fish, and squirrels.
3. Honey Bee
Scientific name: Apis mellifera
The Honey bee works hard during its short 30 to 60 days of life. When it’s not out pollinating crops, the bee helps to construct the intricate wax nests where its colony lives. During all this they still manage to make honey! Nutrition for the honey bee consists of pollen and nectar. Only the female honey bee can sting.
4. Heron
Scientific name: Ardeidae
These large birds are found all over North America near rivers, lakes, marshes, swamps, and tidal areas. Known for their long S shaped neck, beak, and legs, they have a wingspan of up to 90 inches. The heron is either brown,gray, white, or black. Usually weighing between 3 to 6 pounds and 34 to 55 inches tall. Standing in the water, they will usually wait for their prey, which includes fish, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.
5. Horned Lizard
Scientific name: Phrynosomatidae
This animal species can be found mostly in the Southwestern United States. Their habitat is usually desert areas and forests.
The horned lizard is characterized by the small spikes on its body and the row of horns on its head. Harmless to humans, they do have the unique ability to squirt blood from their eyes. This defense will repel predators like wolves, hawks, snakes, and roadrunners.
Their main diet includes ants, beetles, spiders, and even pebbles.
6. Hamster
Scientific name: Cricetidae
Although they are best known for being a popular house pet, hamsters live in the wild all over North America. Burrowing animals, will spend much of their time underground avoiding predators like foxes and birds.
Feeding mostly on seeds and fruit, the occasional insect can also be a meal. Short and stout in their furry appearance, they are known for their large cheek pouches that help them hoard food.
Hamsters come in a variety of mixed colors, such as black, brown, white, yellow-orange, and grey. The hamsters’ lifespan is about 2 to 3 years.
7. Housefly
Scientific name: Musca domestica
These well-known pests are thought to have originated in the Middle East during the Cenozoic Era. The Housefly is now the most common fly found all around North America and the world! Adults live up to 28 days and are gray and black with clear, membrane wings.
Females will lay about 100 eggs on things such as food waste, garbage, feces, and decaying matter. Their nutritional source is any variety of food that has been liquefied by their saliva. The housefly can carry a variety of disease-causing pathogens.
8. Horseshoe Crab
Scientific name: Limulidae
Despite it’s name, this animal is more closely related to spiders and scorpions. Fossil records show the Horseshoe crab’s existence dating back as far as 480 million years.
In North America, they can be found up and down the Atlantic coast in brackish waters. Their body is protected by a large carapace. The eyesight of the crab is poor despite having 7 eyes.
Horseshoe crabs eat worms, clams, algae, and crustaceans. Sought after by humans for their ambocytes, they are subject to blood harvesting.
9. Haddock
Scientific name: Melanogrammus aeglefinus
Most commonly found in New England’s Gulf of Maine, the haddock is spotted as far south as Cape May, NJ. Members of the cod family, haddock grow to be 2 to 7 pounds and 1 to 3 feet long and can be identified by the distinctive black spot on either side of their body.
The life of the haddock can be more than 10 years. Females can lay up to 850,000 eggs a year! Living on the ocean bottom, they will eat worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and sand dollars.
10. Hare
Scientific name: Lepus saxatilis
Often thought of as just another name for a rabbit, the hare is a totally different animal. Hares have 48 chromosomes as opposed to 44 in the rabbit. Hares are larger than rabbits and have much bigger ears. Also, they nest above ground, unlike the burrowing rabbit.
Being able to run at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour helps the hare out run predators like owls, hawks, and coyotes. The diet of the hare includes buds, leaves, berries, roots, and twigs.
Usually shy and calm, hares become quite outgoing during the spring mating season. Often fighting each other for dominance.
11. Hawaiian Monk Seal
Scientific name: Monachus schauinslandi
With only 1,000 left in existence, what this seal lacks in notoriety it makes up for with its unique attributes. The Hawaiian Monk Seals can only be found near the Hawaiian islands. Also, they are one of only two mammals endemic (native) to Hawaii (the Hawaiian Hory hat being the other).
Weighing in at anywhere between 300 to 600 pounds, they grow to be about 8 feet long. Most of their time is spent swimming, but they do take time to lie on the beaches or volcanic rocks to soak up some sun. This seal’s diet consists of fish, eels, and squid.
Sadly, the Hawaiian Monkfish is on the endangered list due to habitat loss and getting caught in commercial fishing nets.
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