11 Greatest Animals That Start With G

By Kevin Myers | 2023 Update

Mother Earth has so many incredible creatures, ranging from microscopic bacteria to apex predators like lions. There is a wide variety of animals starting with every letter in the alphabet, but we are focusing on the ones that start with “G” today. If you want to learn more about various animals whose names start with the letter G, read ahead because we have all the details you might be curious about.

Animals That Start With G

1. Gazelle

Gazelle is a graceful, intelligent, and alert creature found in deserts, grasslands, and savannas. They inhabit regions of Africa and Asia and closely resemble deer. Gazelles have 19 species belonging to the same family as cattle, goats, and sheep. Most gazelles are tan-colored with long necks and long, curved horns in both males and females. They are mammals that feed on grass, shrubs, roots, and other plants.

Fun fact: A gazelle can jump 10 feet in the air and run up to speeds of 60 mph in short bursts.

2. Giraffe

Giraffes are the world’s tallest land animals towering up to 14 feet tall. They are mammals that feed on the leaves and shoots of trees and shrubs. Giraffes have adapted to various habitats and can be found in desert landscapes, woodlands, and savannah environments. Their long neck allows them to exploit the leaves and vegetation too high up for other animals. Giraffes tend to be white with unique brown or reddish markings that cover its body.

Fun fact: Giraffes can stand within half an hour of being born!

3. Goat

Goats are stout-bodied mammals with horns and cloven hooves. They are widespread mammals, domesticated for about 10,000 years for their milk, meat, and other by-products. Goat populations are mainly found in Asia, with the highest number in China, followed by India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Goats are curious, inquisitive, and social animals usually found in groups. Being in a familiar company gives each goat a sense of security. 

Fun fact: Goats use a sneeze to warn each other of danger, real or presumed.

4. Gorilla

Gorillas are exceptionally large and powerful primates. They are stocky animals with broad chests and shoulders, large, human-like hands, and small eyes set into hairless faces. There are two gorilla species in the world: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla. These herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes can be found in equatorial Africa. The gorilla is one of the closest living relatives to humans, sharing 98% of  DNA.

Fun fact: Gorillas can learn sign language, utilize rudimentary tools, and even have unique fingerprints, like humans.

5. Goldfish

Goldfish are the most commonly kept freshwater fish species across the globe. They tend to live in bodies of water with slow or no movement. They can adapt to temperature fluctuations, changes in pH, cloudy water, and even low dissolved oxygen levels. Goldfish were first domesticated in China more than a thousand years ago. These omnivores are opportunistic feeders that feed on insects, plants, and crustaceans. 

Fun fact: Having a “goldfish memory” is often used as an insult, but goldfish are actually very intelligent creatures and have long-term memory that can span weeks, months, and even years. Enjoy this interesting article that busts many well-known myths about goldfish.

6. Groundhog

The Groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, is one of 14 species of marmots, a subgroup of the squirrel family. Their fur is yellowish-brown to black, and they have short legs and bushy tails. Groundhogs weigh around 7-14 lbs and are approximately 25 inches length-wise, including the tail.

They spend much of their days alone, foraging for plants and grasses and digging burrows up to 66 feet long. Groundhogs are intelligent animals that form complex social networks. They are able to understand social behavior, communicate threats through whistling, and work cooperatively to solve tasks such as burrowing.

Fun fact: Groundhogs hibernate from late fall to late winter or early spring, adding up to as many as six months of deep sleep.

7. Grizzly Bear

The grizzly bear is a member of the brown bear species that occur in North America, Europe, and Asia. The grizzly bear is so named because its hair is grizzled or silver-tipped. Grizzly bears mainly get their food from eating insects, grass, broad-leaved herbs, tubers, sedges, berries, and roots. Grizzlies, especially sow with cubs, can be aggressive towards other bears and people they perceive as threats. These bears have an average lifespan of 25 years in the wild. 

Fun fact: The hump on the back of a grizzly bear is a large muscle that the bear uses to power its front legs. 

8. Geese

Geese are one of the largest waterfowls that live near the freshwater rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams of Europe, Asia, and North America. They eat seeds, nuts, grass, plants, and berries. They have strong flocking instincts and can easily be herded from one area to another. These birds can fly around 40 to 70 miles per hour during migration.

Fun fact: Fossils of these birds have been found dating back some 10 to 12 million years ago.

9. Guppy

Guppies are tiny tropical fish native to the coastal streams of northeast South America that are sometimes also known as rainbow fish or million fish. There are 276 species of guppies. They are low-maintenance, easy to feed, and reproduce almost effortlessly. Guppies live an average of 2 to 3 years and are one of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby because of their brilliant colors and lively personalities.

Fun fact: Guppies have been used to fight malaria.

10. Grouse

Grouse are medium-sized, stocky birds that live in the Northern Hemisphere. They are about 18 different species of these small game birds that are related to quails, partridges, and chickens. They can be found on moorlands in northern England, Wales, and Scotland as well as in Ireland. Grouse are omnivores that feed heavily on insects and other small animals for the first few weeks, gradually shifting to a diet of green plant materials and fruits. These birds are best known for their courtship displays and thunderous takeoffs.

Fun fact: Grouse can reach a flight speed of up to 70 miles per hour, flying low to the ground and often changing direction at the last minute.

11. Gnat

Gnats are typically small, slender flies with long legs and a single pair of wings. Both male and female gnats feed on plant nectar. Moisture and organic material attract gnats which then can take advantage of these favorable conditions for continuous development and reproduction. The average adult gnat’s lifespan is one week. Gnats do not cause damage to homes, but they have been known to carry parasites and spread diseases to humans and livestock. 

Fun fact: Gnats can lay up to two hundred eggs during their short lifespan.

List of All Animals that start with G:

  • Gaboon Viper
  • Gadwall
  • Galapagos Penguin
  • Galapagos Shark
  • Galapagos Tortoise
  • Gar
  • Garden Eel
  • Garden Spider
  • Gargoyle Gecko
  • Garter Snake
  • Gastornis
  • Gazelle
  • Gecko
  • Genet
  • Gentoo Penguin
  • Geoffroys Tamarin
  • Gerberian Shepsky
  • Gerbil
  • German Cockroach
  • German Longhaired Pointer
  • German Pinscher
  • German Shepherd Guide
  • German Shepherd Mix
  • German Sheppit
  • German Sheprador
  • German Shorthaired Pointer
  • German Spitz
  • German Wirehaired Pointer
  • Gharial
  • Ghost Catfish
  • Ghost Crab
  • Giant African Land Snail
  • Giant Armadillo
  • Giant Beaver
  • Giant Clam
  • Giant Desert Centipede
  • Giant Golden Mole
  • Giant House Spider
  • Giant Isopod
  • Giant Leopard Moth
  • Giant Panda Bear
  • Giant Salamander
  • Giant Schnauzer
  • Giant Schnoodle
  • Giant Siphonophore
  • Giant Trevally
  • Giant Weta
  • Giant Wood Moth
  • Gibbon
  • Gigantopithecus
  • Gila Monster
  • Giraffe
  • Glass Frog
  • Glass Lizard
  • Glechon
  • Glen Of Imaal Terrier
  • Glowworm
  • Gnat
  • Goat
  • Goberian
  • Goblin Shark
  • Goby Fish
  • Goldador
  • Goldcrest
  • Golden Dox
  • Golden Eagle
  • Golden Irish
  • Golden Jackal
  • Golden Lancehead
  • Golden Lion Tamarin
  • Golden Masked Owl
  • Golden Mole
  • Golden Newfie
  • Golden Oriole
  • Golden Pyrenees
  • Golden Retriever
  • Golden Retriever Mix
  • Golden Saint
  • Golden Shepherd
  • Golden Shiner
  • Golden Tortoise Beetle
  • Golden Trout
  • Golden-Crowned Flying Fox
  • Golden-Crowned Kinglet
  • Goldendoodle
  • Goldfish
  • Goliath Beetle
  • Goliath Frog
  • Goliath Grouper
  • Goliath Tigerfish
  • Gollie
  • Gomphotherium
  • Goonch Catfish
  • Goose
  • Gooty Sapphire Tarantula
  • Gopher
  • Gopher Snake
  • Gopher Tortoise
  • Goral
  • Gordon Setter
  • Gorgosaurus
  • Gorilla
  • Goshawk
  • Gouldian Finch
  • Gourami
  • Grapevine Beetle
  • Grass Carp
  • Grass Snake
  • Grass Spider
  • Grasshopper
  • Grasshopper Mouse
  • Gray Catbird
  • Gray Fox
  • Gray Tree Frog
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Great Crested Flycatcher
  • Great Dane
  • Great Dane Mix
  • Great Danoodle
  • Great Egret
  • Great Hammerhead Shark
  • Great Kiskadee
  • Great Plains Rat Snake
  • Great Potoo Bird
  • Great Pyrenees
  • Great Pyrenees Mix
  • Great White Shark
  • Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
  • Grebe
  • Green Anaconda
  • Green Anole
  • Green Aphids
  • Green Bee-Eater
  • Green Bottle Blue Tarantula
  • Green Frog
  • Green Heron
  • Green June Beetle
  • Green Mamba
  • Green Rat Snake
  • Green Snake
  • Green Sunfish
  • Green Tree Frog
  • Green Tree Python
  • Greenland Dog
  • Greenland Shark
  • Grey Heron
  • Grey Mouse Lemur
  • Grey Reef Shark
  • Grey Seal
  • Greyhound
  • Griffon Vulture
  • Griffonshire
  • Grizzly Bear
  • Groenendael
  • Ground Snake
  • Ground Squirrel
  • Groundhog (Woodchuck)
  • Groundhog Tick
  • Grouper
  • Grouse
  • Grunion
  • Guadalupe Bass
  • Guinea Fowl
  • Guinea Pig
  • Gulper Catfish 
  • Gulper Eel 
  • Guppy
  • Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee
  • Gypsy Moth
  • Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

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