Many things start with the letter R, such as rings, radios and raspberries. But when it comes to animals, most of us can’t name more than a few. Believe it or not, there are a whole lot more animals whose names begin with R.
Here is a list of some animals with a name starting with R.
1. Raccoon
This fluffy mammal can be found in parks, forests, or even lurking through dumpsters. They have black spots on their eyes and a long striped tail too. These animals are nocturnal and are very cunning when it comes to looking for food.
Fun Fact: Raccoons are known to wash their food before eating it.
2. Red Fox
The red fox can be found in forests throughout North America, Europe and Asia. This animal gets its name from its ginger-colored fur. Red foxes are actually quite shy and run away when encountered by humans.
Fun Fact: Red foxes live in burrows that they dig on their own.
3. Rhinoceros
Rhinos are known for their long facial horns and an odd number of toes. These animals have been around for centuries. They also love to live in solidarity and often become hostile when they see humans.
Fun Fact: Rhinos help shape African landscapes by grazing on grass.
4. Rabbit
Rabbits are adorable fluffy animals that are kept as pets. They have long ears, a circular tail and long front teeth. These cute animals love to eat crunchy vegetables and dried hay. They are the mascots of the Easter holiday as well.
Fun Fact: Despite popular beliefs, rabbits do not lay eggs! They are mammals and have a 28-40 day gestation period.
5. Reindeer
No, reindeers aren’t just fictional Christmas characters. They exist in real life! They are domestic animals that are kept for carrying loads and as transport. A reindeer’s diet consists of grass, shrubs and even tree bark.
Fun Fact: Reindeers are excellent swimmers.
6. River Otter
A river otter is a semi-aquatic mammal that lives in North America. Otters are adorable creatures that spend their days floating on water and eating yummy shellfish. They use rocks to smash clams and crustaceans, cracking them open and eating the meat inside.
Fun Fact: Otters hold their babies on top of their bodies while they sleep, so they don’t drift away from them.
7. Roe Deer
Roe deer is a species of deer that lives in Europe and has a set of long antlers. Their fur changes color depending on the season. In the summer, they have a reddish tinge to their fur, and it turns dark grey in the winter.
Fun Fact: Roe deers make beds out of leaves and twigs to rest on.
8. Rockhopper Penguin
If you’ve seen Surf’s Up, you probably recognize this species of penguin. It is well known for the yellow and black spiky feathers on their forehead. They get their name from how they hop on rocks to get around. This species of penguin is the most aggressive towards humans and other penguins.
Fun Fact: Rockhopper penguins cannot slide on their bellies like other penguins.
9. Red Panda
A red panda is nothing like a regular panda. In fact, it is much smaller and has a bear-like body with thick russet fur. As the name suggests, this cute fluffy animal has red colored fur. They live in the Himalayan and southwestern Chinese regions, residing in forests. This cute mammal stays in trees and eats bamboo, fruits, and insects.
Fun Fact: When red pandas get scared, they put their paws up.
10. Radiated Tortoise
This species of tortoise can be found in places like Mauritius and Madagascar. Unfortunately, radiated tortoises are highly endangered due to the illegal pet trade. Like most tortoise species, the radiated tortoise can have a long lifespan. They can live up to 50 years.
Fun Fact: Despite having a hard shell, the radiated tortoise can feel even the slightest touch.
11. Red Finch
The red finch gets its name for its unique red face feathers. This bird lives in North America and Canada, and can even be found in Mexico. Only the Male red finches have red feathers. The females have brown and black spots on their feathers.
Fun Fact: In some cultures, seeing a red finch is a symbol of freedom.
12. Ringed Kingfisher
The ringed kingfisher is a large bird that uses its pointy beak to catch fish. What’s cool about this bird is its unique and loud chirp. These birds have greyish-blue feathers as well as red belly feathers.
Fun Fact: Many Japanese bullet trains are modelled after a kingfisher’s beak design.
13. Reef Shark
Reef sharks are the calmer species of sharks since they aren’t aggressive towards humans. There are many subspecies of the reef shark, such as the blacktip and grey reefs. These sharks can be found all over the world and live in reefs.
Fun Fact: If reef sharks stop swimming, they can drown.
15. Red-Handed Tamarin
The red-handed tamarin is a unique species of monkey that is also known as the golden-handed tamarin. These black monkeys get their name from their paws covered in yellow fur. They are quite intelligent and live on a diet of both plants and insects.
Fun Fact: Many people keep Tamarins as pets since they are clean and docile creatures.
16. Roseate Spoonbill
When it comes to unique-looking birds, the roseate spoonbill is on top of the list. This bird has beautiful pink feathers, similar to those of a flamingo. It also has blue coloring around its crest and a long spoon-shaped beak.
Fun Fact: These birds eat by sweeping their long beak into the water.
17. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Staying on the topic of unique birds, the ruby-throated hummingbird belongs to America and Mexico. It gets its name from the red feathers on its neck area. This small bird can beat their wings up to 50 times in a second.
Fun Fact: Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. This is why most hummingbird feeders are red.
18. Red-Winged Blackbird
This bird gets its name from the patch of red on its wing feathers. The red-winged blackbird can be identified by its dark black feathers. In many cultures, seeing this blackbird species is a symbol of good luck!
Fun Fact: This bird only lives for up to two years in the wild.
19. Red-Eared Slider
This small turtle has red markings on its ears and a cool pattern on its shell. The red-eared slider is an invasive turtle species that can be found all over the world. They are often kept as pets and are amiable creatures.
Fun Fact: The red-eared slider can live up to 30 years.
20. Red Squirrel
This adorable species of squirrel has red fur and a big bushy tail. The red squirrel lives in northern Europe as well as in Asia. These furry animals eat a diet of acorns, seeds and fruits.
Fun Fact: Red squirrels have a great sense of smell. They can smell food underground.
21. Rattlesnake
If you ever hear rattling sounds coming from the bushes, chances are there’s a rattlesnake nearby. These reptiles get their name from their tail which has a rattle on them. They love to eat small animals like mice and frogs.
Fun Fact: A rattlesnake’s tail is actually made up of hollow pieces stacked on each other.
Conclusion
Wow! So many animal names start with the letter R. Next time you’re stuck thinking about an animal name starting with R, look at this list.
We hope this article was helpful and helped you learn about new animals.
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