Animals that start with V! How many can you name? Below you’ll find a list of 50 animals beginning with the letter V, together with fun facts and a free worksheet to help you learn or teach these animal names.
List Of Animals That Start With V
- Vulture
- Viper
- Vampire Bat
- Vicuña
- Veery (a type of thrush)
- Velvet Ant (actually a type of wasp)
- Velvet Worm
- Vervet Monkey
- Virginia Opossum
- Vinegaroon (a type of arachnid)
- Vireo (a type of bird)
- Vizsla (a breed of dog)
- Volcano Rabbit
- Velvet Crab
- Vaquita (a type of porpoise)
- Vanga (a type of bird)
- Vermilion Flycatcher (a type of bird)
- Vogelkop Bowerbird
- Vampire Squid
- Vole
- Velvet Scoter (a type of sea duck)
- Variegated Squirrel
- Variable Hawk
- Velvet Belly Lanternshark
- Violet-backed Starling
- Venezuelan Troupial (national bird of Venezuela)
- Variable Pitohui (a type of bird)
- Vanellus (a type of bird, includes species like Lapwings and Plovers)
- Vanga Flycatcher
- Varied Thrush
- Verreaux’s Sifaka (a type of lemur)
- Variable Checkerspot (a type of butterfly)
- Velvet Asity (a type of bird)
- Viperfish
- Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise
- Verdin (a type of bird)
- Victoria Crowned Pigeon
- Velvet-fronted Grackle (a type of bird)
- Varied Lorikeet
- Victoria’s Riflebird
- Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
- Vietnamese Mossy Frog
- Velvet Purple Coronet (a type of hummingbird)
- Venezuelan Red Howler (a type of monkey)
- Vine Snake
- Velvet Mite
- Variable Oystercatcher (a type of bird)
- Variable Sunbird
- Varied Carpet Beetle
- Veiled Chameleon
Animals That Start With V – Fun Facts
Vulture
Vultures have highly acidic stomachs that allow them to eat rotting carcasses filled with bacteria and toxins that would be deadly to many other animals.
Viper
Vipers are one of the few snake species that give birth to live young, as opposed to laying eggs.
Vampire Bat
Vampire bats are the only mammals that feed exclusively on blood. They can consume up to half their body weight in blood each night!
Vicuña
Vicuñas are relatives of the llama and have the finest wool in the world. They can only be shorn every three years and must be done without causing them any harm.
Veery
Veeries are songbirds known for their haunting, downward-spiraling song that sounds like an echo in a well.
Velvet Ant
Despite their name, velvet ants are not ants at all but wasps. The females are wingless and have a potent sting, earning them the nickname “cow killers”.
Velvet Worm
Velvet worms are ancient creatures. They have existed for over 500 million years and are known to “shoot” slime at their predators when threatened.
Vervet Monkey
Vervet monkeys use a complex system of vocalizations to communicate with each other and warn about specific types of predators.
Virginia Opossum
Virginia opossums are the only marsupial—pouched mammal—native to the United States.
Vinegaroon
Vinegaroons, also known as whip scorpions, spray a vinegar-like substance from their tails when threatened. This spray contains acetic acid, the main ingredient in vinegar.
Vireo
Vireos are one of the few bird species in which the males help incubate the eggs.
Vizsla
Vizslas are a dog breed from Hungary. Known as “Velcro vizslas,” they’re known to stick closely to their human companions.
Volcano Rabbit
The volcano rabbit, or zacatuche, is one of the world’s smallest rabbit species and lives near the volcanoes of Mexico.
Velvet Crab
Velvet crabs, also known as velvet swimming crabs, are the largest swimming crabs found in UK waters.
Vaquita
Vaquita, the world’s smallest cetacean, is also the most endangered marine mammal, with only a few individuals left in the wild.
Vanga
Vangas are a group of birds endemic to Madagascar, showing an extraordinary amount of adaptive radiation where different species have evolved to fill a variety of ecological roles.
Vermilion Flycatcher
The vermilion flycatcher is a strikingly colored bird found in the Americas. The males have bright red plumage to attract females.
Vogelkop Bowerbird
The male Vogelkop Bowerbird builds an elaborate structure, called a bower, from sticks and brightly colored objects in order to attract a mate.
Vampire Squid
Despite their fearsome name, vampire squids are not predators but detritivores, feeding on falling ‘marine snow’—dead organic material that falls from upper waters to the deep sea.
Vole
Voles, small rodents related to mice, have a higher number of babies at one time than any other mammal. A single mother may give birth to up to a dozen babies every three weeks.
Velvet Scoter
The Velvet Scoter is a large sea duck that can dive to depths of up to 60 feet to forage for food.
Variegated Squirrel
The variegated squirrel, found in Central America, comes in various color forms depending on its location, leading to its ‘variegated’ name.
Variable Hawk
The Variable Hawk is named for its variable plumage. Individuals across their range can appear quite different, from nearly all white to dark grey or brown.
Velvet Belly Lanternshark
This deep-sea shark gets its name from the photophores, or light-producing organs, on its underside that give off a ghostly glow.
Violet-backed Starling
This bird is sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females look very different. The males have vibrant, violet-colored backs, while the females are brown.
Venezuelan Troupial
The Venezuelan Troupial is the national bird of Venezuela and is known for its beautiful, varied song.
Variable Pitohui
The Variable Pitohui is one of the few known poisonous birds, carrying a neurotoxin in its skin and feathers.
Vanellus
Species in the Vanellus genus, such as the Lapwing, have a unique crest on their heads and are known for their noisy calls.
Vanga Flycatcher
The Vanga Flycatchers are part of the endemic Vanga family in Madagascar, which show a wide variety of beak shapes and sizes for different feeding habits.
Varied Thrush
The Varied Thrush’s haunting song can carry for long distances through its dense forest home, and each individual has a unique song.
Verreaux’s Sifaka
Verreaux’s Sifaka, a type of lemur, is known for its mode of locomotion – it bounds across the ground on its hind legs, holding its arms aloft for balance.
Variable Checkerspot
The Variable Checkerspot butterfly has a fascinating relationship with its food plant. Its population can rise and fall dramatically in response to the plant’s cycles.
Velvet Asity
The Velvet Asity is a small bird from Madagascar known for its bright green ‘spectacles’ or rings around its eyes.
Viperfish
The Viperfish, one of the most unusual-looking deep sea creatures, uses a long, bioluminescent lure on its back to attract prey in the dark depths.
Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise
The male Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise has an elaborate courtship dance where he fans out his feathers to create a sort of dance floor, then hops around a female to impress her.
Verdin
Verdins are small songbirds that build spherical nests, unusual among North American birds. These nests have a side entrance and are built year-round, serving as shelters from extreme temperatures.
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
The Victoria Crowned Pigeon is one of the largest species of pigeon and is named for Queen Victoria. It has a unique crest of feathers on its head that resembles a crown.
Velvet-fronted Grackle
The Velvet-fronted Grackle, a bird species from South America, is not actually a true grackle but a type of Cowbird.
Varied Lorikeet
The Varied Lorikeet, native to Australia, is a small, brightly colored parrot known for its acrobatic flight and high-pitched call.
Victoria’s Riflebird
Victoria’s Riflebird is a bird of paradise native to Australia. Males perform an intricate mating dance and can change the sheen of their feathers from black to iridescent green.
Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, also known as the Milky Eagle Owl, is the largest African owl. It’s known to take prey as large as small mammals and large birds.
Vietnamese Mossy Frog
The Vietnamese Mossy Frog has extraordinary camouflage skills. Its skin looks like moss or lichen, making it almost invisible in its natural environment.
Velvet Purple Coronet
The Velvet Purple Coronet is a hummingbird species known for its striking purple coloration and rapid wing beats.
Venezuelan Red Howler
The Venezuelan Red Howler, a species of howler monkey, is one of the loudest animals in the world. Its howls can be heard up to 5km away.
Vine Snake
Vine Snakes are slender, arboreal snakes that mimic vines in their environment. They are also one of the few snake species with binocular vision.
Velvet Mite
Velvet Mites are beneficial arachnids. They are predators of pests, and their larvae are parasitic on other pests.
Variable Oystercatcher
The Variable Oystercatcher, a bird native to New Zealand, varies in color from all black to pied (black and white), hence its name.
Variable Sunbird
Variable Sunbirds are small, brightly colored birds from Africa. The males change color when viewed from different angles.
Varied Carpet Beetle
The Varied Carpet Beetle can be a pest in homes as the larvae feed on natural fibers and can damage carpets, furniture, and clothing.
Veiled Chameleon
The Veiled Chameleon is known for its ability to change color based on its mood, temperature, and exposure to light. It also has eyes that can move independently of each other.
Animals That Start With V – Worksheet
Download and print this free worksheet to practice animal names that start with V. To complete the worksheet, you must read the animal names and match it with the correct picture.
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