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Animal Names

Animals That Start With K (Wildlife Exploration Guide)

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by Emily Wolfe

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You know, it’s a bit tricky to think of animals that start with ‘K’, isn’t it? It’s not like ‘C’ or ‘D’, where names just roll off the tongue. But, when you stop to consider it, there’s a fascinating array of creatures under this letter. 

From the well-known kangaroo, bounding across the Australian outback, to the more obscure kinkajou, swinging through the rainforests of Central America, ‘K’ animals are a diverse bunch. 

List Of Animals That Start With K

  • Kangaroo
  • Koala
  • Kingfisher
  • Kinkajou
  • Kiwi (bird)
  • Komodo Dragon
  • Kudu (antelope)
  • Kakapo (parrot)
  • Killer Whale (Orca)
  • King Cobra
  • Kookaburra
  • Krill
  • Koi (fish)
  • Keel-Billed Toucan
  • Kemp’s Ridley Turtle
  • Kestrel
  • Knobbed Hornbill
  • Kagu (bird)
  • Kangaroo Rat
  • Key Deer
  • Kiang (wild ass)
  • Kit Fox
  • Klipspringer (antelope)
  • Kermode Bear (Spirit Bear)
  • King Penguin
  • Kakariki (parakeet)
  • Krait (snake)
  • Kori Bustard (bird)
  • Knifefish
  • Katydid (insect)

Animals That Start With K (Fun Facts & Species Details)

1. Kangaroo

Kangaroo

Fun Fact: Kangaroos are known for their powerful hind legs and the unique way they move – hopping! They can reach speeds of over 35 miles per hour and leap over 25 feet in a single bound.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameMacropus
OriginAustralia
FamilyMacropodidae

2. Koala

Koala

Fun Fact: Koalas have fingerprints that are so similar to humans’ that they can sometimes confuse crime scene investigators.

DetailInformation
Scientific NamePhascolarctos cinereus
OriginAustralia
FamilyPhascolarctidae

3. Kingfisher

Kingfisher

Fun Fact: Kingfishers are expert hunters, able to spot their prey from above water and dive in with incredible precision.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameAlcedinidae
OriginWorldwide
FamilyAlcedinidae

4. Kinkajou

Kinkajou

Fun Fact: Kinkajous have a prehensile tail, acting like a fifth hand, especially useful for their life in the trees.

DetailInformation
Scientific NamePotos flavus
OriginCentral and South America
FamilyProcyonidae

5. Kiwi (bird)

Kiwi

Fun Fact: Kiwis are flightless birds with nostrils at the end of their beaks, a unique feature among birds.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameApteryx
OriginNew Zealand
FamilyApterygidae

6. Komodo Dragon

Komodo Dragon

Fun Fact: Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards in the world, with some individuals measuring over 10 feet long.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameVaranus komodoensis
OriginIndonesia
FamilyVaranidae

7. Kudu (antelope)

Kudu

Fun Fact: Male kudus have spectacular spiraling horns, which can grow as long as 72 inches.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameTragelaphus
OriginAfrica
FamilyBovidae

8. Kakapo (parrot)

Kakapo

Fun Fact: The kakapo is the world’s only flightless parrot and is also nocturnal.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameStrigops habroptilus
OriginNew Zealand
FamilyStrigopidae

9. Killer Whale (Orca)

Killer Whale

Fun Fact: Orcas are highly intelligent and have complex social structures, often living in matrilineal family groups.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOrcinus orca
OriginWorldwide
FamilyDelphinidae

10. King Cobra

King Cobra

Fun Fact: The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake, with lengths up to 18 feet.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOphiophagus hannah
OriginSoutheast Asia, India
FamilyElapidae

11. Kookaburra

Fun Fact: The kookaburra is famous for its distinctive, laughter-like call, which is often used in movies as a jungle sound effect.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameDacelo
OriginAustralia and New Guinea
FamilyAlcedinidae

12. Krill

Fun Fact: Krill may be small, but they’re mighty in numbers. They form some of the largest animal gatherings on Earth, visible even from space!

DetailInformation
Scientific NameEuphausiacea
OriginOceans worldwide
FamilyEuphausiidae

13. Koi (fish)

Fun Fact: Koi fish are known for their longevity, with some living over 200 years!

DetailInformation
Scientific NameCyprinus rubrofuscus
OriginEast Asia
FamilyCyprinidae

14. Keel-Billed Toucan

Fun Fact: The keel-billed toucan’s colorful bill, which can be up to one-third of its body length, is surprisingly light due to its hollow structure.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameRamphastos sulfuratus
OriginCentral and South America
FamilyRamphastidae

15. Kemp’s Ridley Turtle

Fun Fact: Kemp’s Ridley turtle is known for its unique mass nesting called “arribada,” where thousands of females come ashore together to lay eggs.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameLepidochelys kempii
OriginGulf of Mexico
FamilyCheloniidae

16. Kestrel

Fun Fact: Kestrels are able to spot the urine trails of rodents due to their ability to see ultraviolet light, aiding them in hunting.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameFalco tinnunculus
OriginWorldwide
FamilyFalconidae

17. Knobbed Hornbill

Fun Fact: The knobbed hornbill has a striking casque on its bill, used in aerial jousting competitions during mating rituals.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameRhyticeros cassidix
OriginIndonesia
FamilyBucerotidae

18. Kagu (bird)

Fun Fact: The kagu is a flightless bird with ghostly pale plumage and red eyes, leading to its nickname “ghost of the forest.”

DetailInformation
Scientific NameRhynochetos jubatus
OriginNew Caledonia
FamilyRhynochetidae

19. Kangaroo Rat

Fun Fact: Kangaroo rats can survive in the desert without ever drinking water; they get their moisture from the seeds they eat.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameDipodomys
OriginNorth America
FamilyHeteromyidae

20. Key Deer

Fun Fact: The Key deer is the smallest subspecies of North American white-tailed deer, found only in the Florida Keys.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOdocoileus virginianus clavium
OriginFlorida Keys, USA
FamilyCervidae

21. Kiang 

Fun Fact: The Kiang is the largest of the wild asses, known for its hardiness in surviving the extreme conditions of the Tibetan plateau.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameEquus kiang
OriginTibetan Plateau
FamilyEquidae

22. Kit Fox

Fun Fact: The Kit Fox is the smallest wild canine in North America and has large ears that help it dissipate heat.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameVulpes macrotis
OriginNorth America
FamilyCanidae

23. Klipspringer (antelope)

Fun Fact: Klipspringers are excellent rock climbers, with specialized hooves that allow them to balance on the tips of rocks.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOreotragus oreotragus
OriginEastern and Southern Africa
FamilyBovidae

24. Kermode Bear (Spirit Bear)

Fun Fact: The Kermode Bear, also known as the Spirit Bear, is a rare subspecies of the American black bear with a unique white or cream-colored coat.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameUrsus americanus kermodei
OriginBritish Columbia, Canada
FamilyUrsidae

25. King Penguin

Fun Fact: King Penguins are the second largest species of penguin, known for their striking coloration and long breeding cycle.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameAptenodytes patagonicus
OriginSubantarctic Islands
FamilySpheniscidae

26. Kakariki (parakeet)

Fun Fact: Kakariki parakeets are known for their playful nature and are one of the few parrot species that can lay up to eight eggs in a single clutch.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameCyanoramphus
OriginNew Zealand
FamilyPsittaculidae

27. Krait (snake)

Fun Fact: Kraits are highly venomous snakes known for their banded patterns and are more active at night.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameBungarus
OriginSouth and Southeast Asia
FamilyElapidae

28. Kori Bustard (bird)

Fun Fact: The Kori Bustard is one of the heaviest flying birds, with males weighing up to 19 kg (42 lbs).

DetailInformation
Scientific NameArdeotis kori
OriginAfrica
FamilyOtididae

29. Knifefish

Fun Fact: Knifefish are unique for their long, slender bodies and their ability to generate weak electric fields to navigate and communicate in murky waters.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameGymnotiformes
OriginCentral and South America
FamilySeveral families within Gymnotiformes

30. Katydid (insect)

Fun Fact: Katydids are known for their song, produced by rubbing their wings together, and are often mistaken for grasshoppers due to their similar appearance.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameTettigoniidae
OriginWorldwide
FamilyTettigoniidae
About
Emily Wolfe

Emily is a lifelong animal lover and the founder of PETS CRAZIES. She started this blog after realizing the great need for quality pet information on the internet. Emily has two dogs, a cat, and two rabbits of her own.

She has a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University and is a professional writer specializing in the pet industry. Learn More About Our Team!