Animals That Start With O | List, Fun Facts, And A Free Worksheet
Animals that start with O! How many can you name? Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of animals beginning with the letter O, together with fun facts and a free worksheet to help you learn or teach these animal names.
List Of Animals Starting With O
- Ocelot
- Octopus
- Okapi
- Olive Baboon
- Olingo
- Opossum
- Orangutan
- Orca
- Oriole
- Orinoco Crocodile
- Ornate Box Turtle
- Ostrich
- Otter
- Owl
- Ox
- Oxpecker
- Old English Sheepdog
- Old World Flycatcher
- Olive Ridley Turtle
- Olive Sea Snake
- Onager (a type of wild ass)
- Osprey
- Otterhound (a dog breed)
- Oriental Shorthair (a cat breed)
- Ouakari (a type of monkey)
- Oystercatcher (a bird)
- Orange Roughy (a deep-sea fish)
- Ornate Ghost Pipefish
- Ornate Wobbegong (a type of shark)
- Orb Weaver (a type of spider)
- Oriental Fire-bellied Toad
- Otter Shrew
- Oribi (a type of antelope)
- Oriental Turtle Dove
- Ocellated Turkey
- Ochre Sea Star
- Oldfield Mouse
- Orange-winged Amazon (a type of parrot)
- Olive Flounder
- Oval Squid
- Orange-tip Butterfly
- Overo Horse
- Oriental Cockroach
- Orlov Trotter (a horse breed)
- Oriental Rat Flea
- Obscure Berrypecker (a bird)
- Orange Weaver (a type of bird)
- Ogilby’s Duiker (a type of antelope)
- Otago Skink
- Orphean Warbler (a type of bird)
Animals That Start With O – Fun Facts
Ocelot
Ocelots are nocturnal animals and have superb night vision which is six times better than that of humans.
Octopus
Some species of octopuses can change their skin color and texture to blend seamlessly into their environment, making them the ultimate masters of camouflage.
Okapi
Despite its striped hindquarters that resemble a zebra, the Okapi is actually a relative of the giraffe.
Olive Baboon
Olive baboons use over 30 different vocalizations to communicate with each other.
Olingo
The Olingo is often mistaken for its relative, the kinkajou, because they both have similar body structure and are from the same family, Procyonidae.
Opossum
Opossums have a prehensile tail, which they can use to grab branches, carry small objects or even hang upside down.
Orangutan
Orangutans are among the most intelligent primates. They use a variety of sophisticated tools and construct elaborate sleeping nests each night from branches and foliage.
Orca
Also known as Killer Whales, Orcas are not whales at all. They are actually the largest species of the dolphin family.
Oriole
The Baltimore Oriole is the state bird of Maryland and was named for the 17th-century Lord Baltimore, because its colors matched the coat-of-arms of the lord’s family.
Orinoco Crocodile
The Orinoco Crocodile is critically endangered and is one of the most threatened crocodile species in the world.
Ornate Box Turtle
These turtles are known for their domed shell which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to retreat inside and close the shell tightly to protect itself from predators.
Ostrich
The Ostrich is the largest bird in the world and, although flightless, can outrun many land predators with its speed of up to 60 mph.
Otter
Some otters use rocks as tools to crack open their food – they’re one of the few mammal species known to do this.
Owl
Owls have specialized feathers with fringes of varying softness that help muffle sound when they fly. Their silent flight gives them an advantage when they’re hunting.
Ox
Oxen are bovines trained as draft animals. Often they are adult, castrated males of the species Bos taurus.
Oxpecker
Oxpeckers and large mammals like rhinos or zebras have a symbiotic relationship where the birds eat the parasites off the mammal’s skin.
Old English Sheepdog
Despite their name, Old English Sheepdogs are not that old. They’ve been around since the early 19th century and were actually developed in the west of England.
Old World Flycatcher
Old World Flycatchers are named after their feeding habits – they catch insects in flight.
Olive Ridley Turtle
Olive Ridley Turtles are known for their mass nesting called “arribadas”. During these events, thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
Olive Sea Snake
Olive sea snakes are one of the few species of sea snakes that have been observed mating underwater.
Onager
Onagers, a type of wild ass, are one of the fastest mammals, capable of reaching speeds up to 70 km/h (43 mph) in short sprints.
Osprey
The Osprey is unique among raptors for its habit of routinely diving underwater for its prey. It’s the only bird of prey to have a reversible outer toe to help it grip fish.
Otterhound
The Otterhound, a dog breed from England, is one of the most endangered dog breeds, with fewer than 800 of them thought to exist worldwide.
Oriental Shorthair
Oriental Shorthairs have a long, thin tail that tapers to a point, which complements their sleek, elegant appearance.
Ouakari
Ouakari monkeys, native to the Amazon, are known for their distinctive bald heads and bright red faces.
Oystercatcher
Despite their name, oysters do not make up a significant part of the oystercatcher’s diet. They actually eat a wide variety of shellfish.
Orange Roughy
The Orange Roughy is a deep-sea fish known for its extraordinary lifespan. Some individuals have been estimated to live for up to 150 years.
Ornate Ghost Pipefish
Ornate Ghost Pipefish are masters of disguise. They change their color to match their surroundings and float with their heads down to blend in with the seagrass and coral.
Ornate Wobbegong
The Ornate Wobbegong is a type of carpet shark known for its intricate, maze-like markings, which help it blend into the ocean floor.
Orb Weaver
Orb Weaver spiders are named for their beautiful, round, wheel-like webs. They build and abandon a new web each day.
Oriental Fire-bellied Toad
When threatened, Oriental Fire-bellied Toads will arch their bodies to show off their bright red or orange underside as a warning to predators.
Otter Shrew
Despite their name, Otter Shrews are not true shrews. They are semi-aquatic mammals native to Africa and have dense, waterproof fur and webbed hind feet.
Oribi
Oribi are small antelope that inhabit the grasslands of Africa. They can leap high in the air as a sign to predators that they have been spotted, a behavior known as “stotting”.
Oriental Turtle Dove
Oriental Turtle Doves are also known as Rufous Turtle Doves. They are native to Europe and Asia, and their song is a cooing sound, similar to other doves.
Ocellated Turkey
The Ocellated Turkey, native to the Yucatán Peninsula, is named for the eye-like spots (or ocelli) on its tail feathers.
Ochre Sea Star
The Ochre Sea Star can regenerate lost arms, making it a master of survival in the harsh intertidal zone.
Oldfield Mouse
Oldfield mice, found in the southeastern United States, are often monogamous – a rare trait in mammals.
Orange-winged Amazon
The Orange-winged Amazon is a bright, colorful parrot native to South America. Its name comes from the distinctive orange feathers in its wings, which are usually only visible in flight.
Olive Flounder
The Olive Flounder, also known as the Japanese Flounder, is a flatfish that lies on its side on the ocean floor.
Oval Squid
Oval Squid are able to rapidly change their skin color. They use this ability for communication and camouflage.
Orange-tip Butterfly
Only the males of the Orange-tip Butterfly species have the orange tips on their wings. The females’ wings are mostly white.
Overo Horse
Overo is a pattern of white spotting in horses. Overo horses are not a breed, but can be found in many breeds.
Oriental Cockroach
The Oriental Cockroach is sometimes called a “waterbug” because it prefers dark, moist places.
Orlov Trotter
The Orlov Trotter, a horse breed from Russia, was specifically bred for speed and stamina to cover long distances in trotting races.
Oriental Rat Flea
The Oriental Rat Flea is historically significant because it was a principal vector for the Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Death, in the Middle Ages.
Obscure Berrypecker
The Obscure Berrypecker, a bird from New Guinea, is aptly named. It’s rarely seen and little is known about its behavior and habits.
Orange Weaver
The male Orange Weaver bird builds an elaborate nest to attract a mate, using grasses and thin strips of leaves.
Ogilby’s Duiker
Ogilby’s Duiker is a small species of antelope found in the forests of West Africa. They are solitary animals, with males and females usually only coming together to mate.
Otago Skink
The Otago Skink, one of the largest lizards in New Zealand, gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs, which is unusual for a lizard.
Orphean Warbler
The Orphean Warbler, a songbird from Europe, is named after Orpheus, a character from Greek mythology who was a gifted musician.
Worksheet – Animals That Start With O
This free worksheet has a list of 12 common animals that start with the letter O, together with pictures. To complete the worksheet, you must match the animal name to the corresponding picture.
Learn More Animal Names
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 J
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
