Have you ever found yourself scratching your head, trying to think of animals that start with ‘L’? It’s a surprisingly tricky task, isn’t it? From the majestic lion, king of the jungle, to the less celebrated but equally fascinating lemur, the animal kingdom is brimming with ‘L’ starters. But why does this matter, you ask?
Well, it’s not just a fun trivia challenge. Knowing about these animals can deepen our understanding and appreciation of biodiversity.
List Of Animals That Start With L
Lion
Leopard
Lemur
Lynx
Llama
Lobster
Ladybird
Lamprey
Langur
Lemming
Liger
Leafcutter Ant
Locust
Lyrebird
Lungfish
Lory (bird)
Lapwing
Leatherback Turtle
Louse
Loon (bird)
Leafhopper
Lizardfish
Loggerhead Turtle
Liger
Longhorn Beetle
Leaf-tailed Gecko
Lionfish
Long-eared Owl
Lappet-faced Vulture
Little Penguin
Animals That Start With L (Fun Facts & Species Details)
1. Lion
Fun Fact: A lion’s roar can be heard from as far as 5 miles away.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Panthera leo
Origin
Africa, India
Family
Felidae
2. Leopard
Fun Fact: Leopards are incredibly strong and can carry prey twice their weight up a tree.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Panthera pardus
Origin
Africa, parts of Asia
Family
Felidae
3. Lemur
Fun Fact: Lemurs use their long, bushy tails for communication and balance.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Lemuriformes
Origin
Madagascar
Family
Lemuridae
4. Lynx
Fun Fact: Lynxes have remarkable hearing, thanks to their tufted ears.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Lynx
Origin
North America, Europe, Asia
Family
Felidae
5. Llama
Fun Fact: Llamas are social animals and live in herds.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Lama glama
Origin
South America
Family
Camelidae
6. Lobster
Fun Fact: Lobsters can live up to 100 years.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Nephropidae
Origin
Worldwide oceans
Family
Nephropidae
7. Ladybird
Fun Fact: Ladybirds can eat up to 5,000 insects in their lifetime.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Coccinellidae
Origin
Worldwide distribution
Family
Coccinellidae
8. Lamprey
Fun Fact: Lampreys are one of the few species of jawless fish still existing today.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Petromyzontiformes
Origin
Worldwide in temperate regions
Family
Petromyzontidae
9. Langur
Fun Fact: Langurs are predominantly leaf-eating monkeys and have a complex stomach to digest tough foliage.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Semnopithecus
Origin
South Asia
Family
Cercopithecidae
10. Lemming
Fun Fact: Lemmings are known for their dramatic population fluctuations.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Lemmus
Origin
Arctic tundra
Family
Cricetidae
11. Liger
Fun Fact: The liger is a hybrid offspring of a male lion and a female tiger, known for being the largest of all known extant felines.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Panthera leo × Panthera tigris
Origin
Captivity (not found in the wild)
Family
Felidae
12. Leafcutter Ant
Fun Fact: Leafcutter ants don’t eat the leaves they cut; instead, they use them to grow a fungus, which is their primary food source.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Atta and Acromyrmex
Origin
Americas
Family
Formicidae
13. Locust
Fun Fact: Locusts are capable of transforming their behavior and appearance dramatically during population surges, known as swarming.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Various species within the family Acrididae
Origin
Worldwide, especially Africa, Asia, and Australia
Family
Acrididae
14. Lyrebird
Fun Fact: The lyrebird is renowned for its exceptional ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from its environment.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Menura
Origin
Australia
Family
Menuridae
15. Lungfish
Fun Fact: Lungfish have the unique ability to breathe air using lungs as well as gills.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Dipnoi
Origin
Africa, South America, Australia
Family
Various, including Lepidosirenidae, Protopteridae, and Ceratodontidae
16. Lory (bird)
Fun Fact: Lories are known for their playful personalities and vibrant plumage.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Loriinae
Origin
Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea
Family
Psittaculidae
17. Lapwing
Fun Fact: Lapwings are known for their distinctive ‘peewit’ call and acrobatic flight.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Vanellus
Origin
Various regions worldwide
Family
Charadriidae
18. Leatherback Turtle
Fun Fact: The leatherback turtle is the largest of all living turtles and is the only species in its family not to have a hard shell.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Dermochelys coriacea
Origin
Worldwide in all tropical and subtropical oceans
Family
Dermochelyidae
19. Louse
Fun Fact: Lice are tiny, wingless insects that live on the skin of various animals, including humans.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Phthiraptera
Origin
Worldwide
Family
Multiple families including Pediculidae and Pthiridae
20. Loon (bird)
Fun Fact: Loons are known for their eerie, haunting calls, which vary depending on the species.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Gavia
Origin
North America and parts of Greenland and Iceland
Family
Gaviidae
21. Leafhopper
Fun Fact: Leafhoppers can jump distances many times their body length, making them one of the best jumpers in the animal kingdom relative to their size.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Cicadellidae
Origin
Worldwide
Family
Cicadellidae
22. Lizardfish
Fun Fact: Lizardfish are known for their ambush hunting technique, lying in wait in the sand before striking prey.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Synodontidae
Origin
Tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide
Family
Synodontidae
23. Loggerhead Turtle
Fun Fact: Loggerhead turtles are named for their relatively large heads compared to other sea turtles.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Caretta caretta
Origin
Worldwide in temperate and tropical regions of the ocean
Family
Cheloniidae
24. Liger
Fun Fact: The liger, a lion-tiger hybrid, is the largest of all known felines.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Panthera leo × Panthera tigris
Origin
Captivity (not found in the wild)
Family
Felidae
25. Longhorn Beetle
Fun Fact: Longhorn beetles are named for their long antennae, which can be as long as or longer than the beetle’s body.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Cerambycidae
Origin
Worldwide
Family
Cerambycidae
26. Leaf-tailed Gecko
Fun Fact: Leaf-tailed geckos are masters of camouflage, with their body resembling a leaf to blend into their surroundings.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Uroplatus
Origin
Madagascar
Family
Gekkonidae
27. Lionfish
Fun Fact: Lionfish are known for their venomous spines, which they use primarily for defense.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Pterois
Origin
Indo-Pacific
Family
Scorpaenidae
28. Long-eared Owl
Fun Fact: The long-eared owl has exceptional hearing, aided by its long ear tufts that help it locate prey in the dark.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Asio otus
Origin
Europe, Asia, North America
Family
Strigidae
29. Lappet-faced Vulture
Fun Fact: The lappet-faced vulture is one of the largest and most powerful vultures, capable of tearing through tough skin and muscle of carcasses.
Attribute
Detail
Scientific Name
Torgos tracheliotos
Origin
Africa and Southwest Asia
Family
Accipitridae
30. Little Penguin
Fun Fact: The little penguin is the smallest species of penguin, known for its distinctive blue feathers.
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!