50 Wonderful Animals That Start With W | List, Fun Facts, And A Free Worksheet

Animals that start with W! How many can you name? Below, you’ll find an extensive list of animals that start with the letter W, followed by fun facts and a free worksheet to help you learn or teach these animal names.

List Of Animals That Start With W

Wolf
Whale
Wombat
Wallaby
Walrus
Weasel
Warthog
White-Tailed Deer
Water Buffalo
Wildebeest
Woodpecker
Wren
Worm
Walleye (a type of fish)
Weka (a bird native to New Zealand)
Waxwing (a type of bird)
Woodchuck (also known as a groundhog)
Waterbuck (a type of antelope)
Wasp
White Shark (also known as the Great White Shark)
Wapiti (also known as Elk)
Wahoo (a type of fish)
Whip-poor-will (a type of bird)
Warbler (a type of bird)
Woodlouse
Water Dragon (a type of reptile)
Whelk (a type of sea snail)
Wryneck (a type of bird)
White Rhinoceros
Water Moccasin (a type of snake)
Widgeon (a type of duck)
Wrasse (a type of fish)
Wallaroo (an Australian marsupial)
Weaver (a type of bird)
White-faced Capuchin (a type of monkey)
Wolverine
White-headed Capuchin (a type of monkey)
White-tailed Prairie Dog
Water Vole
Western Lowland Gorilla
Wireworm (a type of insect larvae)
Walking Stick (a type of insect)
White-nosed Coati
Wood Frog
Waxworm (a type of insect larvae)
Water Strider (a type of insect)
Whip Spider (a type of arachnid)
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Woolly Mammoth (extinct)
White-faced Saki (a type of monkey)

Animals That Start With W – Fun Facts

Wolf

Wolves have a complex communication system that involves body posture, scent marking, and vocalization. They are also one of the animal kingdom’s most devoted parents.

Whale

Whales are the largest animals on the planet, and the Blue Whale is the largest of them all. A Blue Whale’s tongue alone can weigh as much as an elephant.

Wombat

Wombats are the only animals known to produce cube-shaped feces. This peculiar shape helps their droppings stay in place and mark territory.

Wallaby

Wallabies, like kangaroos, carry their young (called joeys) in pouches. Unlike kangaroos, however, they are smaller and have brighter-colored fur.

Walrus

The tusks of a walrus, which are actually elongated canine teeth, can grow up to 1 meter long. They use these tusks to haul their enormous bodies out of frigid waters.

Weasel

Weasels have a speedy metabolism and need to eat up to 40% of their body weight each day.

Warthog

Warthogs have a clever defense strategy. When threatened, they will back into their burrow, leaving their formidable tusks facing outward to deter predators.

White-Tailed Deer

White-tailed deer, when threatened, will lift their tail to expose the white underside as a warning signal to other deer.

Water Buffalo

Water buffalo are responsible for the plowing and harrowing of rice fields in many parts of Asia, earning them the nickname “the living tractor of the East.”

Wildebeest

Every year, wildebeest embark on a migration in search of fresh grazing. This epic journey is considered one of nature’s greatest spectacles.

Woodpecker

Woodpeckers can peck up to 20 times per second. To prevent brain damage from this repetitive impact, they have special adaptations, including a sponge-like area in the skull to absorb shock.

Wren

Despite their small size, wrens have one of the loudest and most complex songs of all birds.

Worm

Earthworms don’t have lungs. Instead, they breathe through their skin as long as it stays moist.

Walleye

Walleyes, a kind of freshwater fish, have a special reflective layer in their eyes that allows them to see well in low light, an adaptation useful for their nocturnal feeding habits.

Weka

Weka, a bird species from New Zealand, are known to be quite curious and bold, often scavenging near human habitats.

Waxwing

Waxwings have a specialized diet of berries. Interestingly, they can metabolize alcohol produced in fermenting fruits, allowing them to eat overripe berries other birds cannot.

Woodchuck

Despite the saying, a woodchuck (or groundhog) cannot actually chuck wood. The phrase comes from a Native American legend, and the actual animal is a rodent that burrows into the ground.

Waterbuck

When threatened, the waterbuck secretes a smelly, oily substance from its sweat glands, which is thought to deter predators.

Wasp

Wasps play a crucial role in ecosystems as both predators of pests and pollinators.

White Shark

Great White Sharks, at full speed, can breach completely out of the water in pursuit of prey, a behavior known as “polaris breaching.”

Wapiti

The wapiti, also known as the elk, has a high-pitched whistle-like call known as a “bugle.” This call can be heard for miles during the mating season.

Wahoo

The Wahoo fish is known for its speed and high-quality flesh, making it a prized game fish among sport anglers.

Whip-poor-will

Whip-poor-wills are named after their haunting song, which sounds like they’re saying “whip-poor-will.”

Warbler

Warblers are small birds known for their beautiful songs. Many warbler species migrate long distances, traveling thousands of miles each year.

Woodlouse

Woodlice are one of the few crustaceans that live on land. They need damp environments to survive and can drink through their rear end.

Water Dragon

Water Dragons are semi-aquatic lizards that are excellent climbers and swimmers. If threatened, they can drop from trees into the water for safety.

Whelk

Whelks, a type of sea snail, have a long siphon that they use to draw in water to breathe while their bodies are buried in the sand.

Wryneck

Wrynecks, a type of bird, get their name from their ability to twist their necks almost 180 degrees when disturbed.

White Rhinoceros

The white rhinoceros is the largest of the five rhinoceros species. Despite their name, they are not white but gray.

Water Moccasin

Water Moccasins, also known as Cottonmouths, are one of the few venomous water snakes in North America. They get their name from the white interior of their mouths.

Widgeon

Widgeons are known as “poacher” ducks because they often snatch food away from other ducks.

Wrasse

Wrasses are known for their bright colors and prominent lips. Some wrasse species can change their gender during their lifetime.

Wallaroo

The Wallaroo is a marsupial that is smaller than a kangaroo but larger than a wallaby. Their name is a combination of the two.

Weaver

Weaver birds are named for their intricately woven nests, which are among the most complex of any birds.

White-faced Capuchin

White-faced Capuchins are known for their high intelligence and are often used in lab research. They also have complex social structures with strict hierarchies.

Wolverine

Despite their small size, Wolverines have been known to kill much larger prey. They are also excellent climbers and swimmers.

White-headed Capuchin

White-headed Capuchins are one of the most well-known monkey species, often seen in movies and TV.

White-tailed Prairie Dog

White-tailed Prairie Dogs are known for their “jump-yip” display, where they spring into the air and make a yipping sound, thought to be a way of assessing environmental threats.

Water Vole

Water voles are the largest species of vole in the UK. They are excellent swimmers and divers.

Western Lowland Gorilla

Western Lowland Gorillas are the most numerous and widespread of all gorilla subspecies. However, they are critically endangered due to habitat loss and disease.

Wireworm

Wireworms are not worms but the larvae of click beetles. They get their name from their slender, segmented, and hard bodies.

Walking Stick

Walking Stick insects are masters of camouflage, resembling the twigs of the trees they inhabit. Some species can also regenerate lost limbs.

White-nosed Coati

White-nosed Coatis are highly social animals that live in large groups, usually of females and young males. Adult males are typically solitary.

Wood Frog

Wood Frogs have a unique ability to freeze solid in winter and then thaw out in the spring, an incredible survival adaptation.

Waxworm

Waxworms are the larvae of wax moths and are often used as food for reptile pets. They get their name because they are pests of bee hives where they eat the wax.

Water Strider

Water Striders are unique insects that can walk on water thanks to the water-repellent hairs on their legs.

Whip Spider

Whip spiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions, aren’t spiders or scorpions but belong to a separate order of arachnids. They have elongated front legs that they use like whips.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is one of the most dangerous snakes in North America, known for its potent venom and aggressive nature when threatened.

Woolly Mammoth

Woolly Mammoths, now extinct, had long, curved tusks and a coat of long hair to keep them warm in the Ice Age. Scientists are attempting to use their preserved DNA to bring them back to life.

White-faced Saki

White-faced Sakis, also known as Guianan Sakis, are small monkeys with a dramatic sexual dimorphism: males are black with white faces, while females are lighter with mottled faces.

Animals That Start With W – Worksheet

This worksheet includes a list of animals that start with W in English. To complete the worksheet, you must match the animal name to the correct animal picture. As always, this worksheet is free.

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