Animal Names

Animals That Start With M (Intriguing Facts Revealed)

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by Emily Wolfe

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Have you ever found yourself scratching your head, trying to think of animals that start with the letter ‘M’? It’s a surprisingly tricky task, isn’t it? The animal kingdom is vast and varied, but when we zero in on a specific letter, like ‘M’, our minds often draw a blank. 

Maybe it’s because we’re more tuned to animal names in general, rather than alphabetically. But here’s the fun part: once you start listing them, it’s like a light bulb goes off.

List Of Animals That Start With M

  • Macaw
  • Meerkat
  • Moose
  • Mongoose
  • Manatee
  • Marmoset
  • Mole
  • Mallard
  • Mandrill
  • Magpie
  • Manta Ray
  • Minke Whale
  • Muskox
  • Macaque
  • Marmot
  • Mayfly
  • Moray Eel
  • Monarch Butterfly
  • Mudskipper
  • Mynah Bird
  • Mountain Goat
  • Mudpuppy
  • Moth
  • Monitor Lizard
  • Musk Deer
  • Megalodon (extinct)
  • Mastodon (extinct)
  • Mammoth (extinct)
  • Markhor
  • Margay Cat

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

1. Macaw

Macaw

Fun Fact: Macaws are known for their vibrant plumage and their ability to mimic human speech.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameAra
OriginCentral and South America
FamilyPsittacidae

2. Meerkat

Meerkat

Fun Fact: Meerkats are highly social animals and live in groups called ‘mobs’ or ‘gangs’.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameSuricata suricatta
OriginSouthern Africa
FamilyHerpestidae

3. Moose

Moose

Fun Fact: Moose are the largest of all the deer species, and their antlers can spread up to six feet from end to end.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameAlces alces
OriginNorth America and Eurasia
FamilyCervidae

4. Mongoose

Mongoose

Fun Fact: Some species of mongoose are known for their remarkable ability to fight and kill venomous snakes.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameHerpestidae
OriginAfrica, Southern Asia, and the Iberian Peninsula
FamilyHerpestidae

5. Manatee

Manatee

Fun Fact: Manatees are also known as ‘sea cows’ and can consume about 10-15% of their body weight in vegetation daily.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameTrichechus
OriginCaribbean, Amazon Basin, West Africa
FamilyTrichechidae

6. Marmoset

Marmoset

Fun Fact: Marmosets are one of the smallest monkeys and communicate using a complex system of vocalizations.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameCallitrichidae
OriginSouth America
FamilyCallitrichidae

7. Mole

Mole

Fun Fact: Moles are adapted to a subterranean lifestyle with their powerful forelimbs and large paws designed for digging.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameTalpidae
OriginNorth America, Europe, Asia
FamilyTalpidae

8. Mallard

Mallard

Fun Fact: Mallards are the most abundant and widespread of all waterfowl; every duck has descended from this species.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameAnas platyrhynchos
OriginNorthern Hemisphere
FamilyAnatidae

9. Mandrill

Mandrill

Fun Fact: Mandrills are the world’s largest monkeys and are known for their colorful faces and rumps.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameMandrillus sphinx
OriginWestern Central Africa
FamilyCercopithecidae

10. Magpie

Magpie

Fun Fact: Magpies are considered one of the most intelligent animals and are capable of recognizing themselves in a mirror.

DetailInformation
Scientific NamePica pica
OriginEurope, Asia, Western North America
FamilyCorvidae

11. Manta Ray

Fun Fact: Manta rays are the largest type of ray in the world, with some species having a wingspan of up to 29 feet.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameManta
OriginTropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide
FamilyMobulidae

12. Minke Whale

Fun Fact: Minke whales are the second smallest baleen whale, yet they can perform very high and long jumps out of the water.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameBalaenoptera acutorostrata
OriginGlobal oceans
FamilyBalaenopteridae

13. Muskox

Fun Fact: Muskoxen have a thick coat and a strong smell, which is used to attract mates during the mating season.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOvibos moschatus
OriginArctic regions in North America and Greenland
FamilyBovidae

14. Macaque

Fun Fact: Macaques are known for their high intelligence and some species are famous for their ability to use tools.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameMacaca
OriginAsia, North Africa, and Gibraltar
FamilyCercopithecidae

15. Marmot

Fun Fact: Marmots are known for their loud whistles to warn others of predators, earning them the nickname “whistle pig.”

DetailInformation
Scientific NameMarmota
OriginNorth America, Europe, and Asia
FamilySciuridae

16. Mayfly

Fun Fact: Mayflies have one of the shortest lifespans of any animal; some species live for only 24 hours.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameEphemeroptera
OriginWorldwide
FamilyMultiple families

17. Moray Eel

Fun Fact: Moray eels have a second set of jaws in their throat called pharyngeal jaws, which they use to pull prey down their throats.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameMuraenidae
OriginWorldwide in tropical and temperate seas
FamilyMuraenidae

18. Monarch Butterfly

Fun Fact: Monarch butterflies are known for their incredible mass migration, traveling thousands of miles from North America to central Mexico.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameDanaus plexippus
OriginNorth, Central, and South America
FamilyNymphalidae

19. Mudskipper

Fun Fact: Mudskippers are fish that can walk on land using their pectoral fins and can breathe through their skin and the lining of their mouth.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameVarious species within the subfamily Oxudercinae
OriginIndo-Pacific region
FamilyGobiidae

20. Mynah Bird

Fun Fact: Mynah birds are among the best mimics in the world of birds, able to imitate human speech and other sounds.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameGracula and Acridotheres
OriginSoutheast Asia, Madagascar, and the Comoro Islands
FamilySturnidae

21. Mountain Goat

Fun Fact: Mountain goats are not true goats but are closely related. They are excellent climbers, often resting on rocky cliffs that predators cannot reach.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOreamnos americanus
OriginNorth America
FamilyBovidae

22. Mudpuppy

Fun Fact: Mudpuppies are one of the few salamanders that make noise, a dog-like barking sound, which is how they got their name.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameNecturus maculosus
OriginNorth America
FamilyProteidae

23. Moth

Fun Fact: Some moths don’t have stomachs. When they transform into moths from caterpillars, they lose their mouths and digestive systems.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameLepidoptera (order)
OriginWorldwide
FamilyMultiple families

24. Monitor Lizard

Fun Fact: The Komodo dragon, a type of monitor lizard, is the largest living species of lizard, capable of growing up to 10 feet in length.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameVaranus (genus)
OriginAfrica, Asia, and Oceania
FamilyVaranidae

25. Musk Deer

Fun Fact: Unlike true deer, musk deer do not have antlers. Instead, they have long canine teeth that protrude from the mouth.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameMoschus (genus)
OriginAsia
FamilyMoschidae

26. Megalodon (extinct)

Fun Fact: The Megalodon was one of the largest and most powerful predators in vertebrate history, with estimates of its size up to 60 feet.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameCarcharocles megalodon
OriginWorldwide oceans
FamilyOtodontidae

27. Mastodon (extinct)

Fun Fact: Mastodons were prehistoric relatives of elephants, known for their long, curved tusks and conical teeth.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameMammutidae (family)
OriginNorth America and Eurasia
FamilyMammutidae

28. Mammoth (extinct)

Fun Fact: Woolly mammoths had long, curved tusks and a coat of long hair, which helped them survive the Ice Age conditions.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameMammuthus (genus)
OriginNorthern Hemisphere
FamilyElephantidae

29. Markhor

Fun Fact: The markhor is known for its impressive twisted horns, which can grow up to 1.5 meters long in males.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameCapra falconeri
OriginCentral Asia
FamilyBovidae

30. Margay Cat

Fun Fact: Margay cats are skilled climbers, and they can even hang from branches with one hind foot.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameLeopardus wiedii
OriginCentral and South America
FamilyFelidae
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!