Animals That Start With X

This page includes all animals that start with the letter X that we plan to cover on Fact Animal. As we publish new content, each of these animals will be linked to their dedicated profile fact pages.

From the X-Ray Tetra to Xoloitzcuintli, read extraordinary facts about animals beginning with the letter X.

X

X-Ray Tetra
Xantic Sargo
Xantusia
Xami Hairstreak
Xanthippe’s Shrew
Xantus Hummingbird
Xeme
Xenops
Xenopus
Xerus
Xingu Corydoras
Xingu River Ray
Xoloitzcuintli

Please see our Animal A-Z list for animals that start with different letters.


Animal Names That Start With X

Read on for an overview of each of the animals listed above that begin with the letter X.

X-Ray Tetra

The X-Ray Tetra is a small ray-finned fish in the genus Pristella found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. It’s also known as the ‘X-ray fish’, because of its translucent body.

X-Ray Tetra

Fun Fact: These fish are super adaptable and be kept in home aquariums.

Xantic Sargo

The Xantic Sargo, Diplodus annularis, is a species of sea bream found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It inhabits rocky reefs and seagrass beds. They have a dominant dark vertical stripe and grow up to around 60 cm long.

Xantic Sargo
Photo credit: © jeremiahwilkinson (https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/349097329)

Fun Fact: Xantic Sargos are nocturnal bottom-feeders, remaining inactive during the brightest parts of the day.

Xantusia

Xantusia is a genus of lizards belonging to the family Xantusiidae. These small reptiles are commonly known as Night Lizards and are found in Southwestern North America and Mexico.

Xantusia
Photo credit: © diomedea_exulans_li (https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/350121223)

Fun Fact: Xantusia make up around fifteen species of night lizards, all of which give birth to live young.

Xami Hairstreak

The Xami Hairstreak is a species of butterfly found in the Americas. It‘s commonly green or brown, named for its intricate wing patterns, and is distributed from Arizona to Guatemala.

Xami Hairstreak
Photo credit: © José Belem Hernández Díaz (https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/350429791)

Fun Fact: Xami Hairstreak butterflies have intricate ornaments on their wings that seem to have some association with their courtship rituals. Courtship dances may last only 30 seconds, but mating can go on for hours.

Xanthippe’s Shrew

The Xanthippe’s Shrew is a small mammal that is found in savannas and shrublands of Kenya and Tanzania.

Xanthippe’s Shrew

Fun Fact: Shrews have a very close resemlance to mice, except they have a long pointed snout.

Xantus Hummingbird

The Xantus Hummingbird is a species in the Trochilidae family, that includes over 300 species found across central and south America. They are also known as the black-fronted hummingbird.

Xantus Hummingbird

Fun Fact: The Xantus Hummingbird are endemic to the Baja California Peninsula.

Xeme

The Xeme is a species small of gull with a black head. It breeds in Arctic regions and migrates southward during winter, reaching as far as South America and Southwest Africa.

Xeme

Fun Fact: Despite being small and unassuming, Xemes are skilled hunters and are known for their ability to catch fish by diving from the air into the water. They spend the vast majority of their time out at sea.

Xenops

Xenops is a genus of small passerine birds native to Central and South America. They are found in forested habitats and are known for their distinctive downward-curved bills.

Xenops
Photo credit: © jyoung68 (https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/348754845)

Fun Fact: There are four Xenops species distributed across South and Central America; while the Great Xenops shares a name, this species is now considered a separate genus.

Xenopus

Xenopus is a genus of aquatic “clawed” frogs native to sub-Saharan Africa. The most well-known species, Xenopus laevis, is commonly used in scientific research due to its large and easily fertilized eggs.

Xenopus

Fun Fact: Like many fish species, African clawed frogs have a lateral line: a row of sensory organs along their length that pick up on vibrations through the water.

Xerus

Xerus is actually a genus of ground squirrels, which only has one member – the unstriped ground squirrel, which is a rodent found in dry shrublands across the horn of Africa.

Xerus

Fun Fact: They are foragers and have an omnivorous diet of leaves, seeds, fruit and insects.

Xingu Corydoras

The Xingu Corydoras is an awesome little species of armoured catfish found in the Xingu River basin in Brazil. It’s popular in the aquarium trade for its peaceful nature and distinctive, spotted colouration.

Xingu Corydoras

Fun Fact: Xingu Corydoras are tiny bottom-dwelling catfish under 4cm long, but just like much larger variants, they use their sensitive barbels to detect prey.

Xingu River Ray

The Xingu River Ray is a freshwater fish that’s only found in the Xingu river basin in Brazil, which is a tributary of the Amazon river.

Xingu River Ray

Fun Fact: The Xingu River Ray has a venonmous dentine spin in its tail.

Xoloitzcuintli

Xoloitzcuintli is a breed of hairless dog, that’s also commonly known as the Mexican hairless dog. They can come in all sizes, and with coats of hair as well.

Xoloitzcuintli

Fun Fact: In ancient cultures, xolos were frequently sacrificed and then buried with their owners to serve as guides for the soul on its journey to the underworld.

What Other Animals Begin With ‘X’?

That completes our list of animals that begin with the letter X.

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.