There are thousands of animal species in the world, and each one’s name has a different combination of letters of the alphabet to make it unique. Some animals have very short names while others have very looooong names. This article focuses on animals with exactly 8 letters in their names.
20 Animals with 8 Letters
1. Aardvark
Scientific name: Orycteropus afer
The aardvark is a mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are insectivores, meaning their diet mainly consists of insects.
Aardvarks use their long, pig-like snouts and sticky tongues to scoop up insects. Aardvarks can have a body length of up to 53 inches, not including the tail, and weigh up to 180 pounds.
2. Anaconda
Scientific name: Eunectes
The anaconda is a large boa constrictor native to South America. They can grow up to 29 feet in length and weigh up to 550 pounds. Anacondas are excellent swimmers and spend a lot of time in the water.
Their diet consists of terrestrial animals that get too close to the water to drink. Since they are boa constrictors, they wrap their bodies around the animals, squeezing them to death before swallowing the prey whole.
3. Antelope
Scientific name: Alcelaphina
There are around 91 antelope species worldwide, but the majority live in Africa. These prey animals have very good eyesight to help them see predators from long distances.
They are herbivorous creatures, relying on shrubs, grass, and herbs to sustain themselves. Antelope can run long distances and jump distances of up to 33 feet, which is helpful when trying to evade predators.
4. Capybara
Scientific name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
The capybara is the largest rodent on earth, measuring up to 4.6 feet long, two feet high at the shoulder, and weighing up to 143 pounds. Capybaras are native to South Africa and are closely related to guinea pigs. Like their beaver cousins, capybaras are excellent swimmers, using their partially webbed toes to paddle through the water.
5. Chipmunk
Scientific name: Tamias
Chipmunks are small, striped members of the squirrel family. They are typically brown with black and white stripes on their cheeks and backs.
There are over 25 species of chipmunk worldwide, all but one of which can be found in North America. These small mammals hibernate in the winter, meaning they spend the colder months sleeping in dens.
6. Elephant
Scientific name: Elephantidae
Elephants are large, gray gentle giants. There are three species of elephant, two of which are native to Africa and one of which is native to Asia.
Elephants are known for their large ears and long trunks. They are also the largest land mammals on earth, measuring up to 13 feet in height and weighing between 6000 and 8000 pounds.
7. Flamingo
Scientific name: Phoenicopterus
There are six flamingo species in the world. Flamingoes are wading birds with two long legs. Flamingoes are known for their pink feathers but are actually born with white feathers.
Their diet of shrimp and other creatures with high amounts of carotenoids turn their feathers the pink color that is so recognizable.
8. Hedgehog
Scientific name: Erinaceinae
Hedgehogs are small, prickly mammals native to Africa and parts of Europe. They use their spines for self-defense, which cover all of their body except the face, legs, and belly.
Hedgehogs can curl into a tight ball to protect the parts not covered in prickly spines. This makes it difficult for predators to hurt them.
9. Kangaroo
Scientific name: Macropus
There are four species of kangaroo, all of which are native to Australia. Kangaroos are known for their large back feet and powerful hind legs, which they use to jump distances of up to 30 feet in one leap.
A group of kangaroos is called a mob and can be made up of fifty or more kangaroos. They are marsupials, meaning they have a pouch to keep their babies after birth.
10. Reindeer
Scientific name: Rangifer tarandus
Reindeer, also known as caribou, are herbivorous mammals that can grow to be five feet at the shoulder and weigh up to 700 pounds. These creatures can be found in North America, northern Europe, and Asia. Reindeer are part of the deer family and are the only members of the deer family in which the males and females grow antlers.
11. Scorpion
Scientific name: Scorpiones
The scorpion is an arachnid found in deserts and dry lands on every continent except Antarctica. Like other arachnids, scorpions have eight legs. They also have a set of pincers in front and a long tail that curves over their backs.
The tail is equipped with a stinger used to inject venom into the scorpion’s victims. These victims are usually insects, but some scorpion species also eat small rodents, spiders, and lizards.
12. Seahorse
Scientific name: Hippocampus
There are 36 seahorse species in the world, and they are found in tropical and temperate coastal waters around every continent except Antarctica. These fish are named for their head’s resemblance to a horse.
One unique fact about these fish is that the male has a brood pouch in which the female lays her eggs. The male then carries the eggs in the pouch for around 45 days until they are ready to hatch.
13. Starfish
Scientific name: Asteroidea
Despite the name, starfish are not actually fish. Starfish lack a backbone, so they are invertebrates. There are more than 1600 starfish species, most of which have five arms.
However, some starfish species can have up to 50 arms. Starfish are carnivorous and spend their time slowly moving across the ocean floor, looking for clams, oysters, and snails.
14. Stingray
Scientific name: Dasyatidae
Stingrays are fish closely related to sharks. Stingrays do not have bones but are made up of a substance called cartilage, the same material found in the nose and ears of humans
They have venomous barbs on their long tails that they use for self-defense. These prehistoric creatures have been around for 150 million years.
15. Tortoise
Scientific name: Testudinidae
The tortoise is a land turtle with a hard shell used for protection. They range in size from around 12 inches to up to 59 inches in length. Tortoises are known for their long life spans, with some larger species reaching up to 200 years of age.
There are around 49 tortoise species, all of which are herbivorous. They can be found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
16. Platypus
Scientific name: Ornithorhynchus anatinus
The platypus is a unique mammal that is native to the eastern regions of Australia. It is part of a group called monotremes, which is one of the three main groups of living mammals. In addition to its peculiar appearance, the platypus has a unique electromechanical system of electroreceptors and touch receptors that allow it to navigate perfectly underwater.
17. Porpoise
Scientific name: Phocoenidae
Porpoises are small, toothed whales that belong to the family Phocoenidae. They’re distinguishable from dolphins by their compact build, blunt snout, and flattened, spade-shaped teeth. They’re typically 5 to 6 feet long and weigh between 110 to 260 pounds. A unique fact about porpoises is that they’re often seen in small groups of two or three due to their shy nature.
18. Pangolin
Scientific name: Pholidota
Pangolins are mammals covered in hard, overlapping scales made of keratin. They have a small head, long, thin tongue, and no teeth. They use their sticky tongue to capture ants and termites, their primary food source. They’re found in tropical regions of Asia and Africa, can range from 1 to 3 feet long, and are the only mammals completely covered in scales.
19. Mosquito
Scientific name: Culicoidea
Mosquitoes are small flying insects that belong to the family Culicidae. Only female mosquitoes feed on blood, which they need to produce eggs. They’re known to transmit serious diseases and have long, feather-like antennae that detect carbon dioxide from a person’s breath and movement of air.
20. Tarantula
Scientific name: Theraphosidae
Tarantulas are large, hairy spiders that can range from 2.5 to 10 centimeters in length. They have eight legs, two large fangs, and two additional leg-like appendages called pedipalps. Tarantulas are found in tropical and desert regions around the world and can live up to 30 years.
They’re nocturnal and use their keen sense of touch and vibration to navigate their surroundings. A unique fact about tarantulas is that they can regenerate lost limbs, which is a rare ability among arachnids.
