This page includes all animals that start with the letter N that we plan to cover on Fact Animal. As we publish new content, each of these animal types will be hyperlinked to their dedicated fact pages.
From Narwhal to Newt read extraordinary facts about animals beginning with the letter N.
N
Nabarlek
Nailtail Wallaby
Naked Mole-Rat
Namaqua Chameleon
Namaqua Dove
Namaqua Dune Mole-rat
Namaqua Rain Frog
Namaqua Rock Rat
Namaqua Sandgrouse
Namaqua Warbler
Namib Desert Beetle
Namib Brush-tailed Gerbil
Namib Dune Ant
Namib long-eared Bat
Namib Rock Agama
Namib Round-eared Sengi
Namib Sand Gecko
Namibian Golden Mole
Narina Trogon
Narrow-billed Antwren
Narrow-billed Tody
Narrow-billed Woodcreeper
Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moth
Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet
Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moth
Narrow-winged Mantis
Narrownose Smooth-hound
Narluga
Narwhal
Nassau Grouper
Natterjack Toad
Nautilus
Neapolitan Mastiff
Nebelung Cat
Neddicky
Needlefish
Nelore Cattle
Nematodes
Nene
Neon Tetra
Neotropic Cormorant
Neptune Grouper
Netherland Dwarf Rabbit
New Hampshire Red
Newfoundland
Newfypoo
Newt
Nguni
Nicobar Pigeon
Nigerian Goat
Night Adder
Night Heron
Night Snake
Nighthawk
Nightingale
Nightjar
Nile Crocodile
Nile Monitor
Nile Perch
Nilgai
Ninja Lanternshark
Nomura’s Jellyfish
No See Ums
Norfolk Terrier
North American Beaver
North American Porcupine
Northern Alligator Lizard
Northern Bobwhite
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Fur Seal
Northern Gannet
Northern Harrier
Northern Inuit Dog
Northern Jacana
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Parula
Northern Pike
Northern Potoo
Northern Right Whale
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern Screamer
Northern Snakehead
Northern White-faced Owl
Norway Rat
Norwegian Buhund
Norwegian Elkhound
Norwegian Forest Cat
Norwegian Lundehund
Norwich Terrier
Nose-Horned Viper
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Nubian Goat
Nubian Ibex
Nudibranch
Numbat
Numbfish
Nurse Shark
Nut Weevil
Nutcracker
Nuthatch
Nutria
Nyala
Please see our Animal A-Z list for animals that start with different letters.
Animal Names That Start With N
Read on for an overview of each of the animals listed above that begin with the letter N.
Nabarlek
The nabarlek, or the little rock wallaby, is a very small marsupial native to northern Australia, characterized by its grey-brown fur and distinctive white stripes on its cheeks.
Fun Fact: Nabarleks are surprisingly fast when they have to be, and leap rapidly with an unusual posture, their bushy tails raised above their heads.
Nailtail wallaby
The nailtail wallabies are a genus of small to medium-sized marsupials with a distinctive tail, found primarily in Australia’s grasslands and woodlands.
Fun Fact: The nailtail wallaby gets its name from the sharp, horny spur or “nail” at the end of its tail, which is thought to play a role in balance and communication.
Naked Mole-rat
The naked mole rat is a peculiar mammal known for its hairless, wrinkled skin, small eyes, and large incisors. It lives in underground burrows in East Africa’s arid regions.
Fun Fact: Naked mole rats are eusocial mammals, living in large colonies led by a queen and exhibiting specialized roles for reproduction, foraging, and tunnel construction within the colony.
Namaqua chameleon
The Namaqua chameleon is a species of robust, ground-living chameleon found in the deserts of Southern Africa. They grow up to around 25cm long and have hydroscopic skin to absorb moisture from the air.
Fun Fact: Namaqua chameleons are the world’s only purely desert-adapted chameleon and the only known species of chameleon that can run fast!
Namaqua dove
The Namaqua dove is a surprisingly small, graceful pigeon found in arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Males have a black face and breast with an orange beak and the females aren’t bad either.
Fun Fact: Namaqua doves are some of the smallest pigeons, around the size of a sparrow, and spend most of their time on the ground.
Namaqua dune mole-rat
This solitary, herbivorous rodent from Namibia and South Africa is neither a mole, nor a rat, but is a burrowing rodent that shares features with both. Like other mole rats, this one has front-facing teeth and poor eyesight.
Fun Fact: This little rodent has a very limited range of around 20,000 km2. This makes it vulnerable to shifts in the landscape within this range, such as from diamond mining.
Namaqua rain frog
The Namaqua rain frog is a small, rotund little frog found in the sandy regions of southern Africa. It has a plump body and short limbs with a flat head.
Fun Fact: Ironically, this frog lives in about the least rainy place in Sub-Saharan Africa. They also scream when they’re harassed which is cute, but still does not excuse the harassment.
Namaqua rock rat
The Namaqua rock rat is a small rodent species found in rocky habitats across Southern Africa. It’s known for its agile climbing abilities and habit of nesting in trees.
Fun Fact: Namaqua rock rats are the dominant small mammal species in South Africa and thus are an important host for an impressive number of parasite communities.
Namaqua sandgrouse
The Namaqua sandgrouse is one of sixteen species of ground-dwelling sand grouses, this one from Southern Africa. It’s a small, pheasanty-looking bird, about 28cm long.
Fun Fact: Namaqua sandgrouse have unique breast feathers that are highly absorbent, allowing them to soak up water from desert pools and carry it back to their nests to provide hydration for their chicks.
Namaqua warbler
The Namaqua warbler is a small passerine bird found in shrublands and grasslands of southern Africa. It has a white eyebrow but is otherwise unremarkable to look at.
Fun Fact: Namaqua warblers are hugely successful little birds, occupying an impressive range of almost 400,000 km2.
Namib Desert beetle
The Namib Desert beetle is a species of small darkling beetle found in the Namib Desert of southern Africa. It has long, dune-adapted legs and a black-and-white body.
Fun Fact: The Namib Desert beetle’s extremely hydrophilic (water-attracting) wings allow it to collect moisture from fog, which then condenses into water droplets and flows down into its mouth for consumption.
Namib brush-tailed gerbil
The Namib short-tailed gerbil is a small, hairy-footed rodent species found in Angola and Namibia. It’s the largest of its genus at around 11cm in body length, with a characteristically gerbil-length tail.
Fun Fact: Its other common name, Setzer’s hairy-footed gerbil, refers to this rodent’s densely-furred feet which protect from the hot sand.
Namib dune ant
The Namib dune ant is a huge, desert-dwelling carpenter ant species found in the Namib Desert. It has black and white stripes on its abdomen and long legs.
Fun Fact: Namib dune ants have a terrifying adversary: the buckspoor spider hides under the sand, grabbing the ant by the leg and pinning it against the burning sand until it dies, before dragging it under for consumption.
Namib long-eared bat
The Namib long-eared bat is a species of Vesper bat found in the Namib Desert. It’s a small bat, at around 10cm long, and as the name suggests, has huge ears.
Fun Fact: These bats are in an evolutionary arms race with moths, their primary food source. Their calls have been adapted to be less audible to their prey.
Namib rock agama
The Namib rock agama is a beautiful agama lizard species found in rocky habitats of the Namib Desert. It has vibrant colours of contrasting oranges and blues.
Fun Fact: It’s a hard life for this agama species with a plethora of dangerous predators around. Around 30% of surviving adults have broken tails from near misses.
Namib round-eared sengi
The Namib round-eared sengi, also known as the round-eared elephant shrew, is a small rodent found in the desert regions of Southwestern Africa. It looks like a long-nosed ball of yarn with a tail.
Fun Fact: Despite looking like a badly-made cat toy, these are exceptionally specialized animals, and surprisingly fast when escaping predators.
Namib sand gecko
The Namib sand gecko is a reptile species from the house gecko family, found in the sandy deserts of Southern Africa. It’s almost 20cm long including the tail and is semi-translucent.
Fun Fact: These geckos have webbed feet for the sand and biofluorescent scales to compensate for having the colour of a malformed embryo.
Namibian golden mole
The Namibian golden mole is an incredible fossorial mammal found in the sandy deserts of Nambia. It has glossy golden fur and shovel-like forelimbs and looks remarkably like a mole, even though it isn’t.
Fun Fact: These dune specialists don’t live in permanent tunnels, instead they swim like the sandworms on Arrakis, treating the dunes like a fluid.
Narina trogon
The Narina trogon is a colourful bird found in forests and woodlands across sub-Saharan Africa. It has a green face and head, with an orange-red breast and abdomen
Fun Fact: Narina trogons are cavity nesters, excavating holes in trees or using abandoned woodpecker nests to raise their young. Only the males vocalise.
Narrow-billed Antwren
The narrow-billed antwren is an 8g passerine bird found in the rainforests of Eastern Brazil. It’s a compact little thing, with blackish grey feathers and white flecked wings.
Fun Fact: Narrow-billed antbirds are specialized insect hunters who have been seen using their tail feathers to scare their prey into flight, where it can be caught on the wing.
Narrow-billed tody
The narrow-billed tody is a bizarre little bird from the wet jungles of the Caribbean. It looks a bit like a grumpy robin with the colour all wrong. It’s chunky, with a short tail green head and back and a red chin.
Fun Fact: Narrow-billed todies appear to have diverged from the broad-billed toadies at least partly by separating their diets. While they feed on 49 species of insect, they’ll leave the butterflies and caterpillars for their cousins, who prefer them.
Narrow-billed woodcreeper
The narrow-billed woodcreeper is a brown and white ovenbird from the scattered woodlands of Central and South America. Like woodpeckers, they have long, slender beaks and forage for insects on tree trunks and branches.
Fun Fact: These birds are adaptable to human presence and will readily nest and forage inside man-made structures.
Narrow-bordered bee hawk moth
The narrow-bordered bee hawk moth is yet another amazing example of a hawk moth species found across Eurasia. It looks remarkably like a bee.
Fun Fact: Like bees, Narrow-bordered bee hawk moths are important pollinators, visiting a variety of flowers to feed on nectar and inadvertently transferring pollen between plants as they forage.
Narrow-bordered five-spot burnet
This pretty little moth is found all over Europe to Western China. It has distinctive black and red wings, sometimes with white spots and is found in mesophilic (moderate temperature) ranges like coasts and grasslands up to 2000m.
Fun Fact: This is one of the minority of moth species that is active during the day, feeding on nectar from various flowers.
Narrow-bordered five-spot burnet moth
The narrow-bordered five-spot burnet moth is a species of moth found in Europe, known for its distinctive black and red wings with white spots.
Fun Fact: The narrow-bordered five-spot burnet moth is active during the day and can often be seen flying in sunny meadows and grasslands during the summer months.
Narrow-winged mantis
The narrow-winged mantid is a large green/brown praying mantis found in Asia and Oceania. It’s a pretty indistinct-looking mantis, up to 8cm long and sometimes with brown patterns on its wings.
Fun Fact: Narrow-winged mantids are an introduced species from Japan to North America. This species has been recorded in all Maryland counties except Garrett and Allegany.
Narrownose smooth-hound
The Narrownose smooth-hound is a small brown or grey shark from the shallows of South American coastlines. They rarely exceed 70cm in length and feed on crustaceans.
Fun Fact: These sharks mate with direct contact and an “embrace”, after which the young will hatch inside the mother and feed on yolk until they’re birthed live.
Narwhal
The narwhal is a medium-sized whale species found in frigid Arctic waters. It’s immediately recognisable by its long, spiral tusk protruding from its upper jaw.
Fun Fact: The long, helical tusks, which can reach lengths of up to 3 meters are elongated canine teeth, and their exact purpose remains a bit of a mystery.
Nassau grouper
The Nassau grouper is a large and beautiful reef fish found in the tropical waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean. They grow up to around a meter and have distinctive patterns of reds and browns.
Fun Fact: This is one of the least shy of the groupers, readily approaching divers to inspect them out of curiosity.
Natterjack toad
The natterjack is a rare species of toad found in Europe and parts of Asia, with a distinctive yellow stripe down its back and a loud, raspy call.
Fun Fact: Natterjacks are common in sandy habitats such as dunes, heaths, and marshes, and can live for up to 15 years.
Nautilus
The nautilus is an epic marine mollusc species found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. This cephalopod is the only order that remains with an external shell.
Fun Fact: Nautiluses are the only nine remaining species in an entire family of cephalopods. Despite looking like a snail, they share the tentacles and hard beak of their softer-bodied cousins.
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal was an extinct human species of human that lived in Europe and parts of Asia during the Pleistocene epoch. They were intelligent, tough, and had a robust build.
Fun Fact: Far from the Hollywood caveman depiction, Neanderthals were smart, skilled hunters and toolmakers, using stone tools and weapons to hunt game and process animal hides for clothing and shelter.
Neapolitan Mastiff
The Neapolitan Mastiff is a large and powerful Italian dog breed (and not an ice cream) with a massive, wrinkled head and loose skin that looks like the mouth of the brain bug from Starship Troopers.
Fun Fact: These dogs were traditionally guard dogs in Central Italy but they’re said to have a gentle giant temperament and function primarily on intimidating facial apparatus and enormous size.
Nebelung Cat
The Nebelung is a relatively new, long-haired cat breed with striking blue-grey fur and bright green eyes.
Fun Fact: Nebelungs are often described as being “dog-like” in their behaviour, as they enjoy playing fetch and following their owners around the house. They can also be leash-trained relatively easily.
Neddicky
The Neddicky, also known hilariously as the Piping Cisticola, is a small passerine bird found in sub-Saharan Africa. It has a stocky tail and a dull grey-grown body with a rufous head and beak.
Fun Fact: These are very vocal birds, known to build ball-shaped nests out of cobwebs, grass and moss.
Needlefish
Needlefish are a family of slender, elongated, predatory fish found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. They live in both fresh and saltwater and grow up to around a meter long, sorting a long, toothed beak.
Fun Fact: Needlefish are one of the animals that take advantage of the reef cleaning stations in the ocean, pausing along their way to get cleaned of parasites by other fish.
Nelore Cattle
Nelore cattle, also known as Ongole cattle, are a breed of Zebu cattle native to India. They are respected for their adaptability to hot and humid climates and are typically white and long-legged.
Fun Fact: Nelore cattle are highly prized for their heat tolerance and resistance to diseases common in tropical regions. They are widely used in both beef production and as working animals in agriculture.
Nematodes
Nematodes, also known as roundworms, are an entire phylum of worms found in almost every habitat on Earth.
Fun Fact: Despite their reputation as significant parasites (of every animal species), most nematode species are free-living microbe-feeders.
Nene
The Nene, also known as the Hawaiian Goose, is a good-looking species of goose endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It superficially resembles the Canada goose, with more subtle colouration and rusty yellow cheeks and neck.
Fun Fact: It’s no coincidence that this goose looks like its Candian cousin; the Nene is thought to have descended from the latter around the time Hawaii was formed.
Neon Tetra
The Neon Tetra is a small and colourful freshwater fish native to the Amazon rivers. It is popular in the aquarium trade for its vibrant blue and red colours.
Fun Fact: Neon Tetras are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of at least six individuals to be happy. They are peaceful and social, making them suitable for community aquariums as long as they have their friends around.
Neotropic Cormorant
The Neotropic Cormorant is a bird species found in the Tropics of the Americas. They are recognisable for their dark feathers, long necks, hooked beaks, and excellent fishing skills.
Fun Fact: Neotropic Cormorants have excellent balance. Unlike other species of cormorant, they can perch on wires.
Neptune Grouper
The Neptune Grouper is a grouper found in coral reefs and rocky areas of the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean. These fish are yellowy-orange with vertical white stripes and distinctly spined dorsal fins.
Fun Fact: Neptune Groupers are sought after by aquariums but are extremely sensitive to decompression when brought up, making them extremely expensive.
Netherland Dwarf Rabbit
The Netherland Dwarf Rabbit is a tiny breed of domestic rabbit known from the Netherlands. They have a giant head, short ears, and a sort of “Why did you make me?” expression.
Fun Fact: Despite their small size, these rabbits will have no issue telling you when they don’t like you. They don’t like to be picked up or held and will bite.
New Hampshire Red
The New Hampshire Red is a fast-growing, meaty chicken bred in the US for food and eggs. It has deep red plumage, a sturdy build and produces a lot of eggs.
Fun Fact: This breed is relatively docile and tames easily which makes them good companions.
Newfoundland
The Newfoundland is a large and powerful working dog breed originating from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. They’re usually dark with a shaggy, thick coat.
Fun Fact: Newfoundland dogs are renowned rescue dogs, highly adapted to the wet environment with their exceptional swimming abilities, intelligence and webbed feet.
Newfypoo
The Newfypoo, also equally uncomfortably known as the Newfiedoodle or Newdle, is a ridiculous name for a cross between a Newfoundland and a Poodle. It inherits the size and strength of the Newfoundland, the intelligence and hypoallergenic coat of the Poodle, and the asinine naming scheme of obsessive dog owners.
Fun Fact: Newfypoos are said to be energetic and alert while also gentle and kind, and great dogs for those with allergies.
Newt
Newts are a subfamily of small salamanders found in North America, Europe, and Asia. As adults, they’re distinctly lizard-like in appearance but live semi-aquatic lives as amphibians.
Fun Fact: Some species of newts secrete tetrodotoxins from their skin glands as a defence mechanism against predators. This is the puffer fish toxin and is highly dangerous to humans!
Nguni
Nguni Cattle are a breed of indigenous cattle found in Southern Africa, particularly in South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. They have multi-patterned skin that comes in a variety of colours.
Fun Fact: Nguni Cattle are a mix of multiple breeds, originating as hybrids between Zebu and humpless imports from European settlers. Their genetic mixing is likely what makes them so resilient and disease-resistant.
Nicobar pigeon
The Nicobar pigeon, or dove, is a beautiful shaggy pigeon found on small islands and coastal regions of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. They’re heavily feathered with iridescent blues, greens and oranges in their plumage.
Fun Fact: Nicobar pigeons are likely one of the closest living relatives to the dodo bird.
Nigerian Goat
The Nigerian Goat, also known as the Nigerian Dwarf Goat, is a small dairy breed of goat originating from a West African dwarf breed. Originally bred for show, it was designed to look like a tiny dairy goat.
Fun Fact: While these were supposed to be a novelty breed, they turned out to be quite good at producing milk, so became popular in small-scale dairies.
Night Adder
The Night Adder is a genus of venomous snakes found in sub-Saharan Africa. There are seven species, all venomous, and unlike most vipers, they have much less of a pronounced head.
Fun Fact: This genus is quite different from the rest of the viper family, with various anatomical and morphological peculiarities. One of which is a pair of 10cm long venom ducts that extend down the spine.
Night Heron
The Night Herons are three genera of medium-sized herons found in wetland habitats from Southeastern Europe into West Africa. They vary in colour but are mostly greys and browns, and make a crow-like barking call.
Fun Fact: Night Herons are so named because they hunt nocturnally. They achieve this with a pair of enormous, widely-spaced eyes.
Night Snake
Technically, most snakes are night snakes, but this non-venomous colubrid species found in North and Central America takes the name. It has a flat, triangular-shaped head and a brown body with darker spots.
Fun Fact: These snakes look very slightly like rattlesnakes; more so when they’re disturbed and they coil up and shake their tails. But this is just mimicry – they are not dangerous.
Nighthawk
The Nighthawk is a medium-sized nocturnal bird species found in North and South America. These insect hunters look very much like nightjars and are in the same family. They are not remotely related to hawks.
Fun Fact: The smallest species is a mere 16cm across and weighs 23 grams. It’s called the Least nightjar, but it’s still more nightjar than almost anything else.
Nightingale
The Nightingale is a small passerine bird found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is known for its powerful and melodious song, which it uses to attract mates and defend territory during the breeding season.
Fun Fact: These birds don’t look like much but they have a hell of a song that’s inspired legends, songs and English social reform. However, only males sing!
Nightjar
The Nightjars are a family of nocturnal birds found worldwide. They are often seen flying at dusk and dawn, catching insects in mid-air with their wide mouths.
Fun Fact: Nightjars were sometimes called “goatsuckers” due to a myth that they suckle milk from goats, but in reality, they feed exclusively on insects – or at least, that’s what they want you to think.
Nile Crocodile
The Nile Crocodile is a large and formidable reptile found in freshwater habitats throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It looks exactly as you imagine a crocodile should look and is the second or third-biggest species after the saltwater croc and possibly the Orinoco Crocodile.
Fun Fact: Nile Crocodiles show unusual levels of maternal care for their eggs and young. Young call to their mothers and each other before they even hatch from their eggs.
Nile Monitor
The Nile Monitor is a large lizard species found in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as parts of the Middle East and South Asia. It’s a medium-sized monitor and a highly successful active predator found all over the continent.
Fun Fact: Nile Monitors are all-terrain killers, able to run, swim, climb and fly. Well, not fly. But they are more like mammalian predators in their ecological niche as pursuit hunters.
Nile Perch
The Nile Perch is a freshwater fish species found in lakes and rivers across Africa, including Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and the Nile River. It’s a large predator of smaller fish and of huge economic significance to surrounding countries.
Fun Fact: Nile Perch are apex predators in their aquatic ecosystems, and after being introduced to Lake Victoria by the Europeans in the ‘50s, quickly decimated most of the resident cichlids.
Nilgai
The Nilgai, also known as the blue bull, is the largest antelope species native to the Indian subcontinent. It has a bluish-grey colouration and a robust build with a disproportionately small head and can weigh up to 300kg.
Fun Fact: Nilgai males are potentially very violent animals, and will engage in serious battles during mating season. These can end in severe wounds and even death.
No See Ums
“No See Ums” is a term used to refer to a family of tiny biting midges. The males and females of this species feed on nectar as adults but collect blood, sometimes from non-consenting people, to feed their eggs.
Fun Fact: Some species in this family appear to be predatory, even feeding on mosquito larvae, which sort of makes you like them more.
Norfolk Terrier
The Norfolk Terrier is a small dog breed from England with a wire-haired coat of red, black or tan.
Fun Fact: Norfolk Terriers are the smallest of the working terriers and an asset to the name. For such a small dog, they’re remarkably mature in their nature.
North American Beaver
The North American Beaver is a huge rodent and euphemism from the US and Canada. It looks a lot like the European variety, and both love hardwood, but the American beaver is usually the more compact of the two, and with darker, thicker fur, so stays wetter for longer.
Fun Fact: Beavers are incredibly significant ecosystem engineers, shaping and maintaining wetland habitats through their dam-building, and tail-slapping activities.
North American Porcupine
The North American Porcupine is the second-largest rodent in North America after the beaver. It’s found in forested habitats across the US and Canada and feeds adorably on nuts, seeds, bark and fruits.
Fun Fact: Everyone knows about the business end of a porcupine, but if that isn’t enough of a deterrent, this species will climb a tree to escape unwanted stress.
Northern Alligator Lizard
The Northern Alligator Lizard is a species of reptile in the slow worm family, found in western North America, ranging from British Columbia to California. It has legs but has a similarly smooth scale pattern to the legless lizards.
Fun Fact: When mating, these lizards lose themselves in the moment, becoming unaware of their surroundings. Females subsequently give birth to around 15 live young and reality comes flooding back.
Northern Bobwhite
The Northern Bobwhite, also known as the bobwhite quail, is a small, New World quail species native to North America. It’s a pretty standard-looking quail with a round head and autumnal, patterned plumage.
Fun Fact: Its name comes from its distinctive “bob-white” call, which makes it sound like it’s shouting its own name.
Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal is a medium-sized songbird species found in North America, also known as redbird, for its bright crimson plumage. They have a distinctive call and mostly eat seeds and fruits.
Fun Fact: There are some rare yellow-morph versions of this species who lack the enzyme to make red pigments, and while they look amazing to us they probably look ridiculous to their friends.
Northern Flicker
The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized woodpecker species found in North America. They’re very pretty birds, with salmon-pink cheeks and a red streak behind the ear.
Fun Fact: Northern Flickers are almost unique among woodpeckers both for their migrations and the fact they feed primarily on the ground.
Northern Fur Seal
The Northern Fur Seal is a marine mammal from the sea lion family. It’s the largest of the fur seals, stocky and powerful with males sporting a big mane of fur and blubber.
Fun Fact: Unlike true seals, fur seals can walk well on land and have far more flexible joints for terrestrial movement.
Northern Gannet
The Northern Gannet is a seabird species found in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has striking white plumage with white wing tips and a blue ring around its eyes.
Fun Fact: Northern Gannets plunge-dive from great heights into the ocean to catch fish, reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.
Northern Harrier
The Northern Harrier is a bird of prey found in Northern North America. Females have an almost owl-shaped face, golden neck feathers and yellow legs. Males are mostly grey.
Fun Fact: The reason they look owl-like is down to the facial disc, which helps them channel sound from their tiny, scurrying prey into their ears from a distance. As such, they have exceptional hearing.
Northern Inuit Dog
The Northern Inuit Dog is a breed of dog resembling a wolf, created for its resemblance to the ancestral grey wolf. They’re a bit wolfy but still look like the malamutes and huskies they come from.
Fun Fact: Northern Inuit Dogs have such a good temperament they’re often used as therapy dogs.
Northern Jacana
The Northern Jacana is a wading bird species found in wetlands of the Americas. It has ridiculously long legs and the ability to walk on floating vegetation. This one is dark brown with a black head and neck and a yellow beak.
Fun Fact: Northern Jacanas are polyandrous, with females mating with multiple males who then do the work of caring for the eggs and young.
Northern Mockingbird
This omnivorous mockingbird is found in North, Central and South America and very rarely in Europe, and generally grey to brown with a lighter belly. They’re named for their mimicry, and their scientific name, Mimus polyglottos, means, “Many-tongued mimic”.
Fun Fact: Northern Mockingbirds are highly intelligent and can recognise individual humans.
Northern Parula
The Northern Parula is a small, New World warbler, found in forests of eastern North America from Southern Canada to Florida. It has blue-grey and greenish colouration, often with a yellow breast.
Fun Fact: The most vibrant colours in this bird species show up only for mating season. Once the job is done, they shed their sexy feathers and go back to their laundry day attire.
Northern Pike
The Northern Pike is an imposing freshwater predatory fish species found in North America, Europe, and Asia. They’re mostly olive green with dappled markings and an elongated rostrum full of teeth
Fun Fact: Northern Pike are incredible burst-speed predators, accelerating rapidly from stationery to ambush their prey.
Northern Potoo
The Northern Potoo is a ridiculous nocturnal bird species that looks like a badly drawn owl with googly eyes stuck on it. It’s found in Central and South America and grows to about 45cm in length. It’s generally grey-brown with flecks of white or cream.
Fun Fact: Northern Potoos have a unique vocalization resembling a haunting wail, which probably led to the myth that if one flies over your house, someone will die.
Northern Right Whale
The Northern Right Whales are two species of large marine cetaceans found in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They’re the ones always covered in barnacles and looking like they’re upside-down smiling.
Fun Fact: Northern Right Whales were both considered the same species until 2000 when the Pacific and Atlantic populations were found to be separate species.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
The Northern Saw-whet Owl is a small owl species found in North America. They have large heads and inquisitive expressions and and distinctive orange bodies as juveniles that give way to mottled brown and white plumage as they age.
Fun Fact: These small owls are very nocturnal and rare to spot, but they are exceptional hunters of small rodents.
Northern Screamer
The Northern Screamer is an unusual wading bird species found in northern South America. It has long, red legs, black feathers and an uncomfortable-looking grey ruff around its red face.
Fun Fact: Northern Screamers are highly social birds, often seen in large flocks near water bodies, where they graze like geese on aquatic vegetation and insects. Their name comes from the deafening calls they make.
Northern Snakehead
The Northern Snakehead is a freshwater fish species native to Asia. It has an elongated body with a dorsal fin running almost all the way along it, a large mouth and teeth and is an aggressive predator.
Fun Fact: Northern Snakeheads are capable of surviving out of water for extended periods by breathing air, and can even migrate short distances over land as juveniles, allowing them to colonize new habitats and outcompete native species.
Northern White-faced Owl
The Northern White-faced Owl is a small owl species found in Africa, recognisable for its striking facial markings, red eyes and a white “mask” around its face with dark eyebrows.
Fun Fact: When faced with a foe of similar size, this owl flares up its wings and opens its eyes wide. When the enemy is too big, it shrinks itself down and closes its eyes, trying to hide.
Norway Rat
This large rat is brown or grey and extremely common. It occupies all landmasses except Antarctica and is the ancestor of the domestic species, the fancy rat.
Fun Fact: Norway Rats are highly intelligent and social animals, can communicate in ultrasound and are known to be able to laugh.
Norwegian Buhund
The Norwegian Buhund is a medium-sized, all-purpose dog breed from Norway, known for its double coat, prick ears and versatile uses as a herding, hunting, and companion dog. It comes in various colour morphs but they’re all small, cute and pointy with a curled-up tail.
Fun Fact: Norwegian Buhunds are strong-willed, intelligent and kind. They’re not good beginner breeds on account of just how much exercise and stimulation they need.
Norwegian Elkhound
The Norwegian Elkhound is a sturdy dog breed originating from Norway, bred for its endurance, intelligence, and ability to track scary things like bears. It has a thick grey coat with black-tipped hairs.
Fun Fact: This breed occurs as a result of wolf-dog hybridization after domestication sometime between 500 and 3000 years ago and is unique to the Northern countries.
Norwegian Forest Cat
The Norwegian Forest Cat is a large and long-haired, orange cat breed with pointy ears, originating from Norway, but likely to have been brought over by the Romans.
Fun Fact: Norwegian Forest Cats are well adapted to the climate, with a waterproof double coat and bushy tail, making them comfortable in snowy environments.
Norwegian Lundehund
The Norwegian Lundehund is a small-to-medium and agile dog breed originating from Norway, originally bred for hunting puffins. They are generally a tan colour with a curled-up tail.
Fun Fact: Norwegian Lundehunds have six toes on each paw like Tyrone Rugen, which may have helped them climb up the puffin rocks without slipping.
Norwich Terrier
The Norwich Terrier is a tiny dog breed originating from England. It’s no more than 25cm tall and has a very terrier face and wiry coat.
Fun Fact: Norwich Terriers are one of the smallest terriers, originally bred for ratting and fox bolting, so they developed the courage and tenacity for hunting small game.
Nose-Horned Viper
The Nose-Horned Viper is a venomous snake species found in Southern Europe and Asia, named for the horn-like projection on its snout. It’s a very viper-looking viper, with a triangular head and an angry expression.
Fun Fact: Nose-Horned Vipers are possibly the most dangerous snake in Europe, which, to be honest, is like being the prettiest slug in the bucket. But they do have medically significant venom that could make you say “Ow” quite loudly.
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
This mouthful is a medium-sized dog breed originating from Canada, known for its red coat, webbed feet, and skill in luring ducks within shooting range for hunters. They look a bit like the loose hippie sister of a border collie.
Fun Fact: Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are excellent dogs in almost every metric. They’re agile, crazy smart, kind, attentive, and make really nice friendship bracelets.
Nubian Goat
The Nubian Goat is a domestic goat breed originating from Africa, known for its long, pendulous ears, they’re said to have a Roman nose and high milk production.
Fun Fact: Nubian goat males, or billies, can be the best-looking domestic goats you’ll see. They have shaggy manes, stripy fur and the kind of stoned witch-doctor look of a Hindu deity.
Nubian Ibex
The Nubian Ibex is a wild goat found in mountainous regions of North Africa and the Middle East. It has calamitous, curved horns, which are used to smash against those of their rivals, and they have chunky, powerful bodies with thin legs and dexterous feet for scaling cliffs.
Fun Fact: Nubian Ibexes have specialized hooves with flexible pads, allowing them to navigate rocky terrain and leap across gaps with ease.
Nudibranch
Nudibranchs are a group of often colourful sea slugs found in marine environments worldwide. They can be extremely vibrant in colouration with stunning, intricate patterns and bizarre shapes.
Fun Fact: These colours aren’t just for fun, nudibranchs can be some of the most beautiful, yet dangerous animals in the ocean. These sea slugs can harvest toxins from their food and employ them as an attack or as self-defence.
Numbat
The Numbat is a small marsupial anteater found in western Australia. It’s a very unique-looking creature with zebra stripes, a racoon mask and rodent-like feet, but it’s from Australia, so what do you expect?
Fun Fact: Numbats are the only species in their genus, and branched off from the other carnivorous marsupials 30-40 million years ago.
Numbfish
The Numbfish are a family of cartilaginous electric rays found in coastal waters. They’re known for enjoying sandy beaches and bays, reefs, basically the same areas people like to paddle.
Fun Fact: These rays are capable of releasing an electric discharge of up to 220 volts when they disapprove of what you’re doing.
Nurse Shark
This ironically-named murderer is a slow-moving shark species found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. It has face barbels, and a round mouth and feeds mostly on rays.
Fun Fact: The irony of this fish doesn’t stop at its name. Its docile nature leads divers to take liberties with it, resulting in the poor shark having to remind people that it’s a shark; it’s responsible for the fourth-most human bites reported.
Nut Weevil
The Nut Weevils are a beetle subfamily found in forests and woodlands worldwide. They’re generally small and feed on the reproductive organs and produce of plants.
Fun Fact: Nut Weevils are a subfamily of over 20,000 species. This is a mind-boggling array of diversity that beetles are notorious for, but it may be the most impressive species radiation of any terrestrial animal.
Nutcracker
The Nutcrackers are a genus of corvid found in forests of Europe and Asia, known for their specialised beaks, which are to extract nuts and seeds from their shells.
Fun Fact: Nutcrackers store surplus seeds for later use. They can store 30,000 pine nuts in a season and remember where they put 70% of them, meaning they’re important seed dispersers for the 30% of plants whose seeds they lose!
Nuthatch
Nuthatches are a genus of small passerine birds found in forests and woodlands all over the Northern Hemisphere. They can often be seen climbing headfirst down tree trunks and branches, like a drunk student.
Fun Fact: Nuthatches get their name from their habit of wedging seeds and nuts into a crack in the tree and hammering at it with their sharp faces.
Nutria
The Nutria, also known as coypu, is a large, semi-aquatic spiny rat species native to South America that has been introduced to other regions for fur farming. It’s a beaver-like animal but with a small, rat-like tail.
Fun Fact: Nutrias are prolific feeders and breeders, with females capable of producing multiple litters of offspring each year, leading to rapid population growth and habitat degradation in invaded areas.
Nyala
The Nyala is a large antelope species found in southern Africa. It has a vertical striped coat pattern, and spiral horns, and weighs up to 150 kg.
Fun Fact: Nyala males are much larger and darker than the biscuit-coloured females, and only males have horns.
What Other Animals Begin With ‘N’?
That completes our list of animals that begin with the letter N.
Hopefully you’ve learned a few new ones, but are there any that we’re missing in our list that you would like to see covered?
If so, get in touch. Please see our Animal A-Z list for animals that start with different letters.