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Animal Names

Animals That Start With O (Explore Exotic Wildlife)

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by Emily Wolfe

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Have you ever struggled to think of animals that start with the letter ‘O’? It’s a bit of a brain teaser, isn’t it? When we chat about the animal kingdom, it’s easy to get lost in the vast array of species. But focusing on those starting with ‘O’ offers a unique twist. Ever heard of an Okapi? It’s like nature threw a zebra, horse, and giraffe into a blender.

And what about the obscure, yet fascinating, Ocelot? These creatures, though not always in the limelight, have intriguing stories. It’s like uncovering hidden gems in a treasure trove of biodiversity.

List Of Animals That Start With O

  • Orangutan
  • Ocelot
  • Octopus
  • Okapi
  • Ostrich
  • Otter
  • Owl
  • Osprey
  • Oryx
  • Olive Baboon
  • Opossum
  • Orca
  • Oriental Cockroach
  • Ox
  • Ovenbird
  • Oyster
  • Olm
  • Orb Weaver Spider
  • Oncilla
  • Orange-Bellied Parrot
  • Oribi
  • Osprey
  • Oilbird
  • Olinguito
  • Oxpecker
  • Oarfish
  • Olive Sea Snake
  • Oblique-Banded Sweetlips
  • Ornate Hawk-Eagle
  • Ouachita Map Turtle

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

1. Orangutan

Orangutan

Fun Fact: Orangutans are incredibly intelligent primates known for using tools and having distinct cultural patterns in different populations.

DetailInformation
Scientific NamePongo abelii (Sumatran orangutan), Pongo pygmaeus (Bornean orangutan)
OriginSoutheast Asia
FamilyHominidae

2. Ocelot

Ocelot

Fun Fact: Ocelots are nocturnal and have extremely keen night vision, which makes them formidable nocturnal hunters.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameLeopardus pardalis
OriginAmericas
FamilyFelidae

3. Octopus

Octopus

Fun Fact: Octopuses are known for their intelligence and ability to escape enclosures, often solving complex puzzles in captivity.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOctopoda
OriginWorldwide oceans
FamilyOctopodidae

4. Okapi

Okapi

Fun Fact: The okapi, with its striped hindquarters, looks like a cross between a zebra and a giraffe but is actually more closely related to the latter.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOkapia johnstoni
OriginCentral Africa
FamilyGiraffidae

5. Ostrich

Ostrich

Fun Fact: Ostriches are the world’s largest and heaviest birds, and they can run at speeds of up to 70 km/h (43 mph).

DetailInformation
Scientific NameStruthio camelus
OriginAfrica
FamilyStruthionidae

6. Otter

otter

Fun Fact: Otters are playful animals and are often seen sliding down riverbanks or juggling small stones as a form of play and to hone their hunting skills.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameLutrinae
OriginWorldwide
FamilyMustelidae

7. Owl

Owl

Fun Fact: Owls have asymmetrical ears of different sizes and heights on their heads, which helps them pinpoint the location of sounds when hunting.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameStrigiformes
OriginWorldwide
FamilyStrigidae, Tytonidae

8. Osprey

Osprey

Fun Fact: Ospreys are unique among North American raptors for their diet of almost exclusively fish.

DetailInformation
Scientific NamePandion haliaetus
OriginWorldwide
FamilyPandionidae

9. Oryx

Oryx

Fun Fact: Oryxes are adapted to living in harsh desert conditions and can go without water for long periods.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOryx
OriginAfrica, Arabian Peninsula
FamilyBovidae

10. Olive Baboon

Olive Baboon

Fun Fact: Olive baboons live in large, complex social structures and are known for their ability to adapt to various environments.

DetailInformation
Scientific NamePapio anubis
OriginAfrica
FamilyCercopithecidae

11. Opossum

Fun Fact: Opossums have a remarkable immune system and are nearly immune to rabies. They also play dead as a defense mechanism.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameDidelphimorphia
OriginAmericas
FamilyDidelphidae

12. Orca

Fun Fact: Orcas, also known as killer whales, are actually the largest species of the dolphin family.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOrcinus orca
OriginWorldwide oceans
FamilyDelphinidae

13. Oriental Cockroach

Fun Fact: Oriental cockroaches are often called “water bugs” because they prefer dark, moist places.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameBlatta orientalis
OriginAfrica, Asia
FamilyBlattidae

14. Ox

Fun Fact: Oxen are actually domesticated cattle trained as draft animals. Often, they’re castrated males known for their strength and calm demeanor.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameBos taurus
OriginWorldwide
FamilyBovidae

15. Ovenbird

Fun Fact: Ovenbirds are named for their unique, dome-shaped nests, which resemble old-fashioned outdoor ovens.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameSeiurus aurocapilla
OriginNorth and South America
FamilyParulidae

16. Oyster

Fun Fact: Oysters are capable of filtering 1.3 gallons of water per hour, playing a vital role in maintaining water quality in their habitats.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOstreidae
OriginWorldwide coastal waters
FamilyOstreidae

17. Olm

Fun Fact: The olm is a blind amphibian that lives in European caves and can survive without food for up to 10 years.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameProteus anguinus
OriginSoutheastern Europe
FamilyProteidae

18. Orb Weaver Spider

Fun Fact: Orb weaver spiders are known for their intricate and symmetrical webs, which they often rebuild every day.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameAraneidae
OriginWorldwide
FamilyAraneidae

19. Oncilla

Fun Fact: The oncilla, also known as the little spotted cat, is one of the smallest wild cats in the Americas.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameLeopardus tigrinus
OriginCentral and South America
FamilyFelidae

20. Orange-Bellied Parrot

Fun Fact: The orange-bellied parrot is one of the few parrot species that migrate, traveling between mainland Australia and Tasmania.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameNeophema chrysogaster
OriginAustralia
FamilyPsittaculidae

21. Oribi

Fun Fact: Oribis are small antelopes known for their remarkable leaping ability, able to jump up to 3 meters high.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameOurebia ourebi
OriginSub-Saharan Africa
FamilyBovidae

22. Osprey

Fun Fact: Ospreys are unique among raptors for their reversible outer toe, which allows them to grasp their prey with two toes in front and two behind.

DetailInformation
Scientific NamePandion haliaetus
OriginWorldwide
FamilyPandionidae

23. Oilbird

Fun Fact: Oilbirds are the only nocturnal flying fruit-eating birds in the world. They use echolocation, like bats, to navigate in the dark.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameSteatornis caripensis
OriginNorthern South America
FamilySteatornithidae

24. Olinguito

Fun Fact: The olinguito, discovered in 2013, is the first new carnivore species found in the Americas in over 35 years.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameBassaricyon neblina
OriginCloud forests of the Andes, South America
FamilyProcyonidae

25. Oxpecker

Fun Fact: Oxpeckers, also known as ‘tick birds’, have a symbiotic relationship with large mammals, feeding on ticks and other parasites found on them.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameBuphagus
OriginSub-Saharan Africa
FamilyBuphagidae

26. Oarfish

Fun Fact: Oarfish are the world’s longest bony fish, and they are believed to be the source of many sea serpent legends.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameRegalecus glesne
OriginWorldwide oceans
FamilyRegalecidae

27. Olive Sea Snake

Fun Fact: The olive sea snake has a highly sensitive tail that can detect light, helping it to avoid predators even when its head is buried hunting for food.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameAipysurus laevis
OriginCoral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans
FamilyElapidae

28. Oblique-Banded Sweetlips

Fun Fact: The oblique-banded sweetlips are known for their distinct juvenile pattern and behavior, which changes dramatically as they mature.

DetailInformation
Scientific NamePlectorhinchus lineatus
OriginIndo-Pacific region
FamilyHaemulidae

29. Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Fun Fact: The ornate hawk-eagle is a powerful bird of prey known for its striking plumage and a crest that resembles a headdress.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameSpizaetus ornatus
OriginCentral and South America
FamilyAccipitridae

30. Ouachita Map Turtle

Fun Fact: The Ouachita map turtle is named for its unique shell pattern, which resembles the intricate lines of a topographic map.

DetailInformation
Scientific NameGraptemys ouachitensis
OriginUnited States
FamilyEmydidae
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!