Here you’ll find 45 Mammals that start with A that begin with A, organized from “Aardvark” to “Australian sea lion”. These species range from small bats to large marine mammals and serve teaching, reference, and conservation overviews.
Mammals that start with A are species whose common English names begin with the letter A. Notable examples include the aardvark, a nocturnal African species long linked to folk stories.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat, and Average size (cm).
Common name: The everyday name you recognize, helping you quickly identify species without technical terms.
Scientific name: The Latin binomial used worldwide, so you can precisely locate taxonomic information and avoid ambiguity.
Habitat: Short standardized categories like forest, grassland, marine and desert, so you see typical environments at a glance.
Average size (cm): Approximate adult length in centimetres, usually a midpoint of ranges, useful for quick size comparisons.
Mammals that start with A
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Habitat | Average Size (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aardvark | Orycteropus afer | grassland | 118 cm |
| Aardwolf | Proteles cristata | grassland | 70 cm |
| African bush elephant | Loxodonta africana | grassland | 625 cm |
| African forest elephant | Loxodonta cyclotis | forest | 375 cm |
| African wild dog | Lycaon pictus | grassland | 93 cm |
| African golden cat | Caracal aurata | forest | 70 cm |
| African civet | Civettictis civetta | forest | 71 cm |
| African buffalo | Syncerus caffer | grassland | 275 cm |
| African palm civet | Nandinia binotata | forest | 50 cm |
| African pygmy mouse | Mus minutoides | grassland | 6.5 cm |
| African wildcat | Felis lybica | grassland | 55 cm |
| African striped weasel | Poecilogale albinucha | forest | 30 cm |
| African rock hyrax | Procavia capensis | grassland | 48 cm |
| African manatee | Trichechus senegalensis | freshwater | 275 cm |
| Amazon river dolphin | Inia geoffrensis | freshwater | 200 cm |
| Amazonian manatee | Trichechus inunguis | freshwater | 250 cm |
| American bison | Bison bison | grassland | 280 cm |
| American beaver | Castor canadensis | freshwater | 82 cm |
| American black bear | Ursus americanus | forest | 160 cm |
| American pika | Ochotona princeps | grassland | 21 cm |
| American mink | Neovison vison | freshwater | 40 cm |
| American marten | Martes americana | forest | 50 cm |
| American mountain beaver | Aplodontia rufa | forest | 44 cm |
| American red squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus | forest | 24 cm |
| Andean cat | Leopardus jacobita | grassland | 60.5 cm |
| Andean hairy armadillo | Chaetophractus nationi | grassland | 35 cm |
| Anubis baboon | Papio anubis | grassland | 60 cm |
| Antarctic fur seal | Arctocephalus gazella | marine | 180 cm |
| Antelope jackrabbit | Lepus alleni | desert | 58 cm |
| Arizona antelope squirrel | Ammospermophilus arizonae | desert | 26.5 cm |
| Arctic fox | Vulpes lagopus | grassland | 57 cm |
| Arctic hare | Lepus arcticus | grassland | 58 cm |
| Arctic ground squirrel | Urocitellus parryii | grassland | 35 cm |
| Arctic shrew | Sorex arcticus | grassland | 7.3 cm |
| Asian elephant | Elephas maximus | forest | 550 cm |
| Asian black bear | Ursus thibetanus | forest | 160 cm |
| Asian golden cat | Catopuma temminckii | forest | 83 cm |
| Asian palm civet | Paradoxurus hermaphroditus | forest | 58 cm |
| Asian small-clawed otter | Aonyx cinereus | freshwater | 75 cm |
| Agile gibbon | Hylobates agilis | forest | 55 cm |
| Addax | Addax nasomaculatus | desert | 180 cm |
| Amazon weasel | Neogale africana | forest | 27 cm |
| Asian house shrew | Suncus murinus | urban | 8 cm |
| Australian sea lion | Neophoca cinerea | marine | 180 cm |
| African golden wolf | Canis anthus | grassland | 85 cm |
Descriptions
Aardvark
Nocturnal ant-eater of sub-Saharan Africa; digs burrows and feeds on termites and ants. Solitary and distinctive, affected locally by habitat change.
Aardwolf
Small hyena-like insectivore that specializes on termites; found in eastern and southern Africa. Generally uncommon but not globally threatened.
African bush elephant
Largest land mammal in African savannas; social herds and long trunks. Vulnerable due to poaching and habitat loss.
African forest elephant
Smaller, forest-dwelling African elephant with straighter tusks; vital seed disperser and Critically Endangered from heavy poaching.
African wild dog
Pack-hunting canid with mottled coat and large rounded ears; highly social but endangered with fragmented populations.
African golden cat
Secretive forest cat of central Africa with variable coat colors; threatened by deforestation and bushmeat hunting.
African civet
Nocturnal omnivore with distinctive facial markings and musk; widespread but hunted in some areas for civetone.
African buffalo
Sturdy, large bovine of African savannas that forms big herds; ecologically important, locally threatened in parts of its range.
African palm civet
Arboreal viverrid that eats fruit and small animals in African forests; nocturnal and largely solitary.
African pygmy mouse
Tiny rodent widespread across sub-Saharan Africa; favors savannas and grasslands and is highly adaptable.
African wildcat
Widespread ancestor of domestic cats; solitary and adaptable but threatened by hybridization with feral cats.
African striped weasel
Small nocturnal mustelid with bold facial markings; inhabits forests and savannas, feeding on small vertebrates and invertebrates.
African rock hyrax
Small, thickset herbivore on rocky outcrops across Africa; surprisingly related to elephants and sea cows.
African manatee
Large freshwater herbivore of West African rivers and estuaries; Vulnerable from hunting and habitat degradation.
Amazon river dolphin
Pinkish freshwater dolphin of the Amazon basin; riverine, river-plains habitats and threatened by habitat change and bycatch.
Amazonian manatee
Freshwater manatee endemic to Amazonian rivers; smaller than sea manatees, Vulnerable from hunting and habitat loss.
American bison
Iconic North American grazer once nearly extinct; large herds shaped prairie ecosystems and now partly recovered through conservation.
American beaver
Large rodent famed for dam-building; creates wetlands that boost biodiversity across North America.
American black bear
Widespread, adaptable omnivorous bear of North America; often occupies forests near human areas.
American pika
Small talus-dwelling lagomorph of alpine North America; sensitive to warming climates and restricted to cool rocky habitats.
American mink
Semi-aquatic mustelid native to North America; a skilled swimmer and predator of fish and small vertebrates.
American marten
Agile, arboreal mustelid of boreal forests that preys on small mammals and birds; indicator of healthy woodlands.
American mountain beaver
Primitive rodent of the Pacific Northwest; lives in moist forests and constructs extensive burrows.
American red squirrel
Vocal tree squirrel of North America that defends food caches and favors coniferous forests.
Andean cat
Rare, high-altitude small wild cat of the Andes; Critically Endangered with fragmented populations and low densities.
Andean hairy armadillo
Small armadillo of Andean highlands; nocturnal and burrowing, vulnerable to hunting and habitat conversion.
Anubis baboon
Also called the olive baboon; large, social primate in African savannas and woodlands with complex societies.
Antarctic fur seal
Breeds on subantarctic islands in dense colonies; feeds on fish and squid and is abundant in parts of its range.
Antelope jackrabbit
Large-eared hare of the Sonoran Desert region; adapted to hot, arid habitats with long hind limbs for speed.
Arizona antelope squirrel
Diurnal ground squirrel of the Sonoran region; feeds on seeds and insects and tolerates hot, arid environments.
Arctic fox
Cold-adapted canid of Arctic tundras; changes coat color seasonally and survives extreme conditions.
Arctic hare
Large tundra hare adapted to cold, with thick fur and seasonal color changes; found across the Arctic.
Arctic ground squirrel
Hibernating ground squirrel of Arctic and subarctic tundra; caches food and hibernates deeply in winter.
Arctic shrew
Tiny insectivorous shrew in northern North America; inhabits moist tundra and tundra-edge habitats.
Asian elephant
Large, forest- and grassland-dwelling elephant of South and Southeast Asia; Endangered due to habitat loss and human conflict.
Asian black bear
Forest-dwelling bear of Asia with a distinctive chest patch; vulnerable to poaching and habitat fragmentation.
Asian golden cat
Elusive medium-sized cat of Asian forests with variable coat colors; threatened by habitat loss and poaching.
Asian palm civet
Nocturnal omnivore often found near human settlements; eats fruit and small animals across South and Southeast Asia.
Asian small-clawed otter
Smallest otter species, very social and semi-aquatic; found in freshwater wetlands of South and Southeast Asia.
Agile gibbon
Arboreal, acrobatic lesser ape of Southeast Asian forests; monogamous pairs and loud territorial calls.
Addax
Large desert antelope adapted to Sahara dunes; critically endangered with very small wild populations.
Amazon weasel
Small, slender mustelid of Amazonian forests; secretive and poorly known but present in low densities.
Asian house shrew
Common commensal shrew across Asia, often found in buildings; omnivorous and highly adaptable.
Australian sea lion
Endemic Australian pinniped breeding on remote beaches; populations are limited and conservation concerns remain.
African golden wolf
Widespread canid of North Africa and the Middle East formerly lumped with golden jackals; adaptable to varied habitats.