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
Fun Fact: Macaws are known for their vibrant plumage and their ability to mimic human speech.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Ara |
Origin | Central and South America |
Family | Psittacidae |
2. Meerkat
Fun Fact: Meerkats are highly social animals and live in groups called ‘mobs’ or ‘gangs’.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Suricata suricatta |
Origin | Southern Africa |
Family | Herpestidae |
3. 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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Alces alces |
Origin | North America and Eurasia |
Family | Cervidae |
4. Mongoose
Fun Fact: Some species of mongoose are known for their remarkable ability to fight and kill venomous snakes.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Herpestidae |
Origin | Africa, Southern Asia, and the Iberian Peninsula |
Family | Herpestidae |
5. Manatee
Fun Fact: Manatees are also known as ‘sea cows’ and can consume about 10-15% of their body weight in vegetation daily.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Trichechus |
Origin | Caribbean, Amazon Basin, West Africa |
Family | Trichechidae |
6. Marmoset
Fun Fact: Marmosets are one of the smallest monkeys and communicate using a complex system of vocalizations.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Callitrichidae |
Origin | South America |
Family | Callitrichidae |
7. Mole
Fun Fact: Moles are adapted to a subterranean lifestyle with their powerful forelimbs and large paws designed for digging.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Talpidae |
Origin | North America, Europe, Asia |
Family | Talpidae |
8. Mallard
Fun Fact: Mallards are the most abundant and widespread of all waterfowl; every duck has descended from this species.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Anas platyrhynchos |
Origin | Northern Hemisphere |
Family | Anatidae |
9. Mandrill
Fun Fact: Mandrills are the world’s largest monkeys and are known for their colorful faces and rumps.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Mandrillus sphinx |
Origin | Western Central Africa |
Family | Cercopithecidae |
10. Magpie
Fun Fact: Magpies are considered one of the most intelligent animals and are capable of recognizing themselves in a mirror.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Pica pica |
Origin | Europe, Asia, Western North America |
Family | Corvidae |
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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Manta |
Origin | Tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide |
Family | Mobulidae |
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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Balaenoptera acutorostrata |
Origin | Global oceans |
Family | Balaenopteridae |
13. Muskox
Fun Fact: Muskoxen have a thick coat and a strong smell, which is used to attract mates during the mating season.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Ovibos moschatus |
Origin | Arctic regions in North America and Greenland |
Family | Bovidae |
14. Macaque
Fun Fact: Macaques are known for their high intelligence and some species are famous for their ability to use tools.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Macaca |
Origin | Asia, North Africa, and Gibraltar |
Family | Cercopithecidae |
15. Marmot
Fun Fact: Marmots are known for their loud whistles to warn others of predators, earning them the nickname “whistle pig.”
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Marmota |
Origin | North America, Europe, and Asia |
Family | Sciuridae |
16. Mayfly
Fun Fact: Mayflies have one of the shortest lifespans of any animal; some species live for only 24 hours.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Ephemeroptera |
Origin | Worldwide |
Family | Multiple 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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Muraenidae |
Origin | Worldwide in tropical and temperate seas |
Family | Muraenidae |
18. Monarch Butterfly
Fun Fact: Monarch butterflies are known for their incredible mass migration, traveling thousands of miles from North America to central Mexico.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Danaus plexippus |
Origin | North, Central, and South America |
Family | Nymphalidae |
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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Various species within the subfamily Oxudercinae |
Origin | Indo-Pacific region |
Family | Gobiidae |
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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Gracula and Acridotheres |
Origin | Southeast Asia, Madagascar, and the Comoro Islands |
Family | Sturnidae |
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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Oreamnos americanus |
Origin | North America |
Family | Bovidae |
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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Necturus maculosus |
Origin | North America |
Family | Proteidae |
23. Moth
Fun Fact: Some moths don’t have stomachs. When they transform into moths from caterpillars, they lose their mouths and digestive systems.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Lepidoptera (order) |
Origin | Worldwide |
Family | Multiple 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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Varanus (genus) |
Origin | Africa, Asia, and Oceania |
Family | Varanidae |
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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Moschus (genus) |
Origin | Asia |
Family | Moschidae |
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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Carcharocles megalodon |
Origin | Worldwide oceans |
Family | Otodontidae |
27. Mastodon (extinct)
Fun Fact: Mastodons were prehistoric relatives of elephants, known for their long, curved tusks and conical teeth.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Mammutidae (family) |
Origin | North America and Eurasia |
Family | Mammutidae |
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.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Mammuthus (genus) |
Origin | Northern Hemisphere |
Family | Elephantidae |
29. Markhor
Fun Fact: The markhor is known for its impressive twisted horns, which can grow up to 1.5 meters long in males.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Capra falconeri |
Origin | Central Asia |
Family | Bovidae |
30. Margay Cat
Fun Fact: Margay cats are skilled climbers, and they can even hang from branches with one hind foot.
Detail | Information |
Scientific Name | Leopardus wiedii |
Origin | Central and South America |
Family | Felidae |