Here you’ll find 46 Mammals that start with B that begin with B, organized from “Babirusa” to “Bushpig”. These species range from tiny bats to large bovids and live in forests, grasslands, deserts, freshwater, and marine zones. Use this list for learning, teaching, quick reference, and field identification.
Mammals that start with B are a varied group of living mammals whose common names begin with the letter B. Many, like the baboon and bison, appear in cultural stories and national symbols.
Below you’ll find the table with common name, scientific name, habitat, and average size (cm).
Common name: The name people use most often, helping you quickly recognize species and match them to field guides or classroom lists.
Scientific name: The formal Latin binomial that uniquely identifies each species, so you avoid confusion across languages and regions.
Habitat: Concise category of typical environments, letting you understand where each species lives and where to look for it.
Average size (cm): Mean adult length in centimeters, giving you a practical sense of scale for comparison and field estimation.
Mammals that start with B
| Common name | Scientific name | Habitat | Average size (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bactrian camel | Camelus bactrianus | desert | 350 cm |
| Baird’s beaked whale | Berardius bairdii | marine | 950 cm |
| Baird’s tapir | Tapirus bairdii | forest | 225 cm |
| Banded mongoose | Mungos mungo | grassland | 65 cm |
| Banded palm civet | Hemigalus derbyanus | forest | 90 cm |
| Barbary macaque | Macaca sylvanus | forest | 60 cm |
| Barbary sheep | Ammotragus lervia | shrubland | 120 cm |
| Banteng | Bos javanicus | forest | 270 cm |
| Beaver | Castor canadensis | freshwater | 100 cm |
| Beluga whale | Delphinapterus leucas | marine | 450 cm |
| Bengal fox | Vulpes bengalensis | grassland | 85 cm |
| Bengal tiger | Panthera tigris tigris | mixed | 290 cm |
| Binturong | Arctictis binturong | forest | 120 cm |
| Bison | Bison bison | grassland | 300 cm |
| Black rhinoceros | Diceros bicornis | shrubland | 320 cm |
| Blackbuck | Antilope cervicapra | grassland | 150 cm |
| Black‑footed ferret | Mustela nigripes | grassland | 60 cm |
| Black howler | Alouatta caraya | forest | 70 cm |
| Blue whale | Balaenoptera musculus | marine | 2,500 cm |
| Bobcat | Lynx rufus | mixed | 90 cm |
| Bonobo | Pan paniscus | forest | 100 cm |
| Bontebok | Damaliscus pygargus pygargus | grassland | 160 cm |
| Bonnet macaque | Macaca radiata | mixed | 50 cm |
| Bongo | Tragelaphus eurycerus | forest | 240 cm |
| Bottlenose dolphin | Tursiops truncatus | marine | 250 cm |
| Brandt’s bat | Myotis brandtii | forest | 8 cm |
| Brown bear | Ursus arctos | forest | 220 cm |
| Brown hyena | Hyaena brunnea | shrubland | 130 cm |
| Brush‑tailed bettong | Bettongia penicillata | shrubland | 40 cm |
| Bryde’s whale | Balaenoptera brydei | marine | 1,400 cm |
| Bush dog | Speothos venaticus | mixed | 70 cm |
| Bushbuck | Tragelaphus scriptus | shrubland | 150 cm |
| Bushpig | Potamochoerus larvatus | forest | 120 cm |
| Burmese ferret‑badger | Melogale personata | forest | 50 cm |
| Babirusa | Babyrousa babyrussa | forest | 120 cm |
| Baikal seal | Pusa sibirica | freshwater | 120 cm |
| Bald uakari | Cacajao calvus | forest | 45 cm |
| Barasingha | Rucervus duvaucelii | grassland | 180 cm |
| Black‑tailed prairie dog | Cynomys ludovicianus | grassland | 35 cm |
| Black‑backed jackal | Canis mesomelas | grassland | 85 cm |
| Black‑and‑white colobus | Colobus guereza | forest | 70 cm |
| Bornean orangutan | Pongo pygmaeus | forest | 140 cm |
| Blue duiker | Philantomba monticola | forest | 70 cm |
| Beisa oryx | Oryx beisa | grassland | 200 cm |
| Black‑footed cat | Felis nigripes | grassland | 70 cm |
| Brazilian porcupine | Coendou prehensilis | forest | 60 cm |
Descriptions
Bactrian camel
Two‑humped camel of Central Asia, adapted to cold deserts and used traditionally as a pack animal and for milk and meat.
Baird’s beaked whale
Large deep‑diving whale of the North Pacific with a long beak and strong social bonds in small groups.
Baird’s tapir
Stout-bodied Central American tapir with a short prehensile snout, a solitary browser of forest understories.
Banded mongoose
Social African mongoose that forages in groups, known for cooperative care of young and insectivorous diet.
Banded palm civet
Arboreal Southeast Asian civet that eats fruit and small animals, recognized by its banded coat.
Barbary macaque
Tailless macaque native to North Africa and Gibraltar, often lives in troops and tolerates rocky, forested habitats.
Barbary sheep
Shaggy, desert‑adapted sheep of North Africa with backward-curving horns and surefooted mountain habits.
Banteng
Wild Southeast Asian cattle, often dark with a white rump patch, living in forest and grassland mosaics.
Beaver
Large semi‑aquatic rodent famous for building dams and lodges, altering waterways and creating wetlands.
Beluga whale
White Arctic whale with a bulbous forehead, highly vocal and often found in coastal and estuarine waters.
Bengal fox
Small nocturnal fox of the Indian subcontinent, adapted to arid plains and agricultural areas.
Bengal tiger
The iconic tiger subspecies of the Indian subcontinent, a powerful apex predator and an important conservation symbol.
Binturong
Also called the “bearcat,” this Southeast Asian mammal has a prehensile tail and a musky, popcorn‑like scent.
Bison
Massive North American ungulate with a shoulder hump and thick coat, historically shaping prairie ecosystems.
Black rhinoceros
Critically endangered African browser with a hooked upper lip and two horns used for feeding and defense.
Blackbuck
Elegant Indian antelope with spiral horns in males and strong sexual dimorphism in coloration.
Black‑footed ferret
Specialist predator of prairie dogs in North American grasslands; conservation success story after near extinction.
Black howler
South American howler monkey famed for extremely loud vocalizations used in territory defense and group cohesion.
Blue whale
The largest animal that has ever lived, feeding primarily on krill and migrating vast ocean distances.
Bobcat
Adaptable North American wild cat with tufted ears and a short tail, living in forests, deserts, and suburban areas.
Bonobo
Close human relative from the Congo Basin, known for female‑centered social groups and complex social behavior.
Bontebok
Southern African grassland antelope with a distinctive white facial blaze and strong herd behavior.
Bonnet macaque
Widespread South Asian macaque often found near people, adaptable and socially complex.
Bongo
Large, strikingly colored forest antelope of Africa with white vertical stripes and long, spiral horns.
Bottlenose dolphin
Familiar coastal dolphin known for intelligence, social complexity, and frequent interactions with humans.
Brandt’s bat
Small Eurasian insectivorous bat noted for a long lifespan relative to body size.
Brown bear
Widespread bear species with varied diet and behavior, from coastal salmon feeders to inland berry eaters.
Brown hyena
Shaggy scavenging hyena of southern Africa, often solitary or in small family groups.
Brush‑tailed bettong
Small Australian marsupial (woylie) that digs for fungi and plays a role in soil turnover.
Bryde’s whale
Tropical and subtropical baleen whale that feeds on schooling fish and small schooling prey.
Bush dog
Small pack‑hunting canid of Central and South America, adapted to both forest and open habitats.
Bushbuck
Widespread African antelope that prefers forest edges and dense vegetation for browsing.
Bushpig
Nocturnal African wild pig that roots in forests and wetlands for tubers and roots.
Burmese ferret‑badger
Small masked mustelid of Southeast Asia, omnivorous and often active at night.
Babirusa
Indonesian pig with remarkable upward‑curving tusks and a largely forest‑dwelling lifestyle.
Baikal seal
Endemic to Lake Baikal, this freshwater seal tolerates extreme cold and dives for fish beneath the ice.
Bald uakari
Short‑tailed Amazonian monkey with a bright red face and strong social groups in flooded forests.
Barasingha
Swamp and grassland deer of South Asia, with broad antlers and seasonal migrations in some populations.
Black‑tailed prairie dog
Burrowing rodent of North American prairies that forms large colonies and engineers habitat.
Black‑backed jackal
Small African canid with a distinctive black mantle, an opportunistic omnivore and scavenger.
Black‑and‑white colobus
Striking East African monkey with long white mantle and a mostly folivorous diet.
Bornean orangutan
Great ape of Borneo, largely arboreal, highly intelligent, and critically endangered in fragmented forests.
Blue duiker
Very small African antelope that browses in dense forest understory and avoids open areas.
Beisa oryx
East African desert antelope adapted to arid plains with long straight horns and light coloration.
Black‑footed cat
One of the smallest wild cats, native to southern African savannas, a nocturnal hunter of small prey.
Brazilian porcupine
South American arboreal porcupine with a prehensile tail that feeds on fruit and leaves.