It may be a little hard to think of any animals that start with the letter N. Most people can’t think of a single one! It’s always surprisingly difficult! If you’re trying to make animal alphabet art and you’re probably having the same problem finding animals that start with N. I have the perfect list of animals that start with N for you!
Read on and get ready to impress your friends and family. Here you will find a list of animals that start with N.
These animals can be found on land, air, or sea. If you need some animal facts for kids, you will find them here.
Also, this article is great for teaching kids in a classroom setting about different types of animals.
Read Also: World’s Most Dangerous Animals
Animals that Start with N
So, what animals start with the letter N? Let us get started;
1. The Naked Mole Rat
A Naked Mole Rat is the world’s weirdest land animal. One of the amazing things about life on earth is that t it takes many forms, even if those forms are weird to the human eye.
One of the weirdest types of land animals must be a creature called the naked mole-rat. It is a rodent but is neither a rat nor a mole.
Nearly blind and mostly hairless, it spends much of its life underground in colonies comprised of 75 to 80-mole rats, though a colony can contain as many as 200 individuals.
The life of the colony revolves around a queen, who is the only female who is allowed to breed.
2. Narwhals
The narwhal is an animal that has played an important role in the cultures of the Inuit, Vikings, Scottish, and English.
Its horn was believed to contain magical properties and cures. Vikings fashioned the tusks into cups under the assumption that they could effectively stop the poison.
Narwhals are animals that roam the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean and Northern Atlantic in search of prey.
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They sometimes surface for oxygen in larger groups, allowing tourists and any other passerby to take in a captivating spectacle.
Humans have traditionally hunted them for their immense resources, but this species is not yet in danger of extinction.
Fact About Narwhals
‣ The name of the species derives from the Old Norse word nar, which means corpse.
‣ This is a reference to the animal’s pale skin. An alternative name for the species is narwhale or narwal.
‣ Narwhals fare very poorly in captivity.
‣ All attempts to capture them have resulted in the narwhal dying in months. So, scientists have not been able to study them up close and personally in order to understand their habits and behaviors.
3. Nightingale
The common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) has inspired poets and writers for thousands of years with its beautiful and complex song.
It makes appearances in Homer’s Odyssey (8th Century BC), Shakespeare, to John Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale.”
Found across much of Europe and Asia, Nightingales are one of the few birds who sing at night (as well as during the day) which is what earned the common name, meaning “night singer”.
4. Needlefish
Needlefish are a family of long, thin fishes that have a long beak full of sharp teeth (the Belonidae family).
Some species grow up to four feet long! The mouth is full of needle teeth because there are very sharp.
Those sharp teeth may look a little scary but you’re more likely to get impaled by a needlefish than bitten by one.
Needlefish live near the surface and often leap above the water to travel quickly.
They get particularly excited around sources of artificial light at night and may accidentally “fly” straight into people on boats!
5. The Newt
Newt’s are amphibians in the salamander family, but there is a lot of confusion over what exactly a newt is because in some parts of the world “newt” and “salamander” are used interchangeably.
More technically, newts are a subfamily of the salamanders called Pleurodelinae.
The crazy thing about newts is that they start life as an aquatic larva with gills, then metamorphosed into a juvenile terrestrial stage with lungs (called an eft);
And then transform again back to an aquatic (or semi-aquatic) adult stage to reproduce!
6. Natterjack
A natterjack toad can lay up to 7500 eggs in a single clutch, the natterjack toad is native to Europe.
It looks a lot like a common toad with the exception of a vertical yellow line on its back.
It’s a carnivore eating woodlice, worms, and spiders. These amphibians are active at night looking for prey.
Their lifespan is 15 to 20 years. They live in a habitat with marshes and sand dunes
7. Nabarlek
The Nabarlek is a tiny wallaby found only in the extreme northwest corner of Australia; also known as the Little Rock Wallaby.
It is the second smallest member of the Macropodid family (kangaroos and wallabies), standing less than a foot tall and weighing less than 3 pounds!
The Nabarlek (Petrogale concinna) spends most of its life hiding in rugged rocky landscapes and only emerges at night to feed on grasses.
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The Nabarlek is the only marsupial in the world that can grow an unlimited number of molars!
The molar teeth are continually worn down by its diet of abrasive grasses and are constantly replaced by a conveyor belt of new molars erupting from the back of the jaw.
It is classified as an endangered species by the IUCN because it is rapidly disappearing across its range.
8. Nandu
While it is known locally in South America as the Nandu, (more correctly spelled Ñandú) people like me in the U.S. are probably more used to hearing it referred to as a Rhea.
The Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) is the biggest bird in all the Americas. It’s almost as tall as me!
It’s also one of the largest birds in the world (after the ostrich, emu, and cassowary). Like those other huge birds, it cannot fly.
The other two species of Ñandú: The Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennate) and Puna Rhea (Rhea tarapacensis) are a bit smaller but no less impressive.
9. Neanderthals
Neanderthals are the oldest extinct human relatives, existed between 400,000 and 40,000 years ago.
Since the first Neanderthal fossils were discovered in Germany’s Neander Valley in 1829, which is where the name of the species comes from.
Extensive research has been performed to determine how these hominids were related to and interacted with modern humans.
They appear to have existed concurrently with modern humans, and their eventual extinction may have had a lot to do with the rise and spread of Homo sapiens as a competing species.
10. Neapolitan Mastiff Dogs
Neapolitan Mastiff is a sizeable dog, finding its place in many moments in history. The floppy and wrinkled pup may not seem that agile, but they are fairly confident, quick, and active.
They love being lapdogs, though they have a hard time grasping that they aren’t as small as they were as puppies.
Neapolitan Mastiff dogs are giant dogs. The females are about 24 to 29 inches in size while the males are 26 to 31 inches.
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When it comes to their weight, females reach 120 to 175 pounds while males weigh around 150 to 200 pounds.
These dogs are highly protective of the owner’s families, giving very strong and fearless stares.
Neapolitan Mastiffs are easily found in shelters and rescues at a lower price, though they can be adopted from breeders as well.
11. Nebelungs
In German, the word Nebelung means ‘creature of the mist’. They have long, muscular and athletic bodies with slightly pointed heads.
Their foreheads are straight and nose tips shallow with a concave curve. Nebelungs are adored for their affectionate, loving, loyal, and sweet personalities.
They are gentle yet playful, making them a perfect companion for family members of all ages. These intelligent cats closely bond with their owners.
12. Nightfish
The Nightfish (Bostockia porosa) is an ambush predator who hunts only at night.
But don’t get too nervous, it only grows to about the length of your hand (6 inches).
A member of the perch family, the Nightfish can only be found in freshwater streams, lakes, and ponds in coastal Southwestern Australia.
It hunts other small fish, as well as crayfish and aquatic insects. You can find more info about the Nightfish on Fishes of Australia.
13. Nautilus
Nautilus are very special members of a very special group of animals: the Cephalopods (which includes the octopuses, squid, cuttlefish, and nautiluses).
Nautilus is basically living fossils because they have existed on the planet for more than 500 million years!
They have empty chambers inside their spiral shell which are filled with an inert gas to maintain neutral buoyancy, and they swim around with jet propulsion!
14. Newfoundland Dogs
The Newfoundland is one of the few dog breeds with webbed feet and a water-resistant coat.
The Newfoundland (or the Newfie for short) is a very talented work and guard dog that originated from the Canadian province that bears its name.
It was originally bred to save drowning fishermen from the cold, frigid waters around Newfoundland.
The webbed feet and thick fur made it an ideal rescue dog. The thick, heavy double coat of fur is typically all-black, brown, or gray.
There is also a black and white version called a Landseer. According to the American Kennel Club, it is one of the more popular types of large breeds in the United States.
15. Newfypoos
Newfypoos prefer to spend time with those they love. This breed is especially prone to separation anxiety.
The Newfypoo is a designer dog achieved by crossing Newfoundland with a standard poodle. It can weigh up to 150 pounds and stands 20 and 28 inches tall.
The chances are that breeders did not start breeding this crossbreed until the early 2000s.
16. Nicobar Pigeon
The Nicobar pigeon is the only member of the Caloenas genus and is believed to be the only living relative of the poor dodo as well as a creature called the Rodrigues solitaire.
It’s famous for its amazing, glittery feathers but unfortunately hunted for food and its gem-quality gizzard stone.
The bird’s gizzard stone is so hard that it can grind nuts that humans need a hammer to, it’s made into jewelry.
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The gizzard is one of the adaptations the bird has for grinding down seeds and nuts that might otherwise be too hard to eat.
It is the world’s largest pigeon. When the Nicobar pigeon wants to startle predators, it makes a sound like a pig grunting.
Both parents feed their squab with “pigeon milk.”
17. Nigerian Dwarf Goat
The Nigerian dwarf goat is a small goat species from the West African Dwarf goat breeds like the American Pygmy Goat.
The American breed was specifically developed to be a miniature, small-scale dairy goat.
It has the same proportions as larger dairy goat breeds but is much smaller.
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Popular for its characteristics of small size, easy maintenance, colorful markings, gentle, friendly, intelligent, and playful personality.
It is a favorite as small livestock as well as a companion animal. It’s one of the most expensive goat species.
It produces a lot of milk compared to its size. The higher butterfat of the breed’s milk makes it popular for making cheese, cream, yogurt, and soap.
18. Nile Crocodile
A female Nile crocodile has a special pouch in her throat where she hides her young from predators
An adult Nile crocodile can be as long as 20 feet! They are carnivores that can subdue and eat large mammals.
This crocodile lives in various places throughout sub-Saharan Africa as well as in the Nile basin and western Madagascar.
These reptiles communicate with one another by hissing and growling. They can live to be at least 45 years old in the wild.
Incredible Nile Crocodile Facts!
‣ Both crocodile parents stay with their nest of eggs to protect their young from predators
‣ It’s estimated that 200 people are killed each year by Nile crocodiles
‣ These crocodiles can swim at a speed of 22mph
‣ The bite force of this crocodile is five times stronger than a lion’s
‣ The Nile crocodile is the largest crocodile in Africa
19. Nightjar
The Nightjars comprise about 100 species of nocturnal and crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae.
They are masters of camouflage and, unlike most birds, will often perch lengthwise along a branch to blend in perfectly.
Nightjars are found around the world. We often see them flying up from the dirt roads during night drives in South Africa.
And right here in our own backyard in North Carolina, we hear the call of an American nightjar species: the Eastern Whip-poor-will.
20. Nalolo
The Nalolo is a tiny fish found in coral reefs of the western Indian Ocean, growing to only 2.5 inches long.
The Nalolo (Ecsenius nalolo) is a member of the Combtooth Blennies family, meaning it has a row of tiny comb-like teeth in its mouth!
Like other blennies, they rest on the bottom and “walk” on their pectoral
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