This list includes 29 Small animals that start with D, from “Dark-eyed junco” to “Dyeing poison frog”. They include pet species, small wild birds, amphibians, and mammals found across many regions. Use this list for pet care, classroom reference, and quick species identification.
Small animals that start with D are commonly small birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals whose common names begin with D. The Dark-eyed junco is a familiar example, known for migrating into backyards across North America each winter.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat, and Lifespan.
Common name: Shows the widely used English name, so you can quickly recognize or search for the animal.
Scientific name: Provides the species’ Latin binomial, helping you locate precise biological information and avoid naming confusion.
Habitat: Summarizes typical environments where the animal lives, so you can understand its natural or captive needs.
Lifespan: Gives realistic average or range of adult lifespans, which helps with care expectations or ecological studies.
Small animals that start with D
| Common name | Scientific name | Habitat | Typical adult mass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degu | Octodon degus | Chilean scrub/rocky | 200–300 g |
| Deer mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus | Forests, fields, urban | 20–40 g |
| Downy woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens | Temperate woodland, urban | 21–28 g |
| Dwarf gourami | Trichogaster lalius | Freshwater, aquarium | 8–15 g |
| Desert locust | Schistocerca gregaria | Arid grassland | 2–3 g |
| Dyeing poison frog | Dendrobates tinctorius | Tropical rainforest | 5–15 g |
| Dartford warbler | Curruca undata | Heathland | 10–16 g |
| Dark-eyed junco | Junco hyemalis | Forests, gardens, urban | 18–28 g |
| Dibbler | Parantechinus apicalis | Shrubland, heath | 50–100 g |
| Dwarf mongoose | Helogale parvula | Savanna, grassland | 0.40–1.00 kg |
| Desert hedgehog | Paraechinus aethiopicus | Arid scrub, desert | 250–600 g |
| Diamondback terrapin | Malaclemys terrapin | Brackish marsh, estuaries | 0.70–1.50 kg |
| Desert pupfish | Cyprinodon macularius | Desert springs, freshwater | 1–5 g |
| Downy emerald | Cordulia aenea | Ponds, slow rivers | 0.20–0.50 g |
| Diamondback moth | Plutella xylostella | Agricultural fields | 0.02–0.04 g |
| Death’s-head hawkmoth | Acherontia atropos | Gardens, woodland | 3–8 g |
| Dog whelk | Nucella lapillus | Rocky shore | 5–20 g |
| Desert cottontail | Sylvilagus audubonii | Arid grassland | 0.60–1.60 kg |
| Dusky warbler | Phylloscopus fuscatus | Woodland, scrub | 9–12 g |
| Dwarf fruit dove | Ptilinopus nainus | Tropical forest | 80–120 g |
| Dwarf lanternshark | Etmopterus perryi | Deep sea | 200–400 g |
| Dideric cuckoo | Chrysococcyx caprius | Woodland, forest edge | 30–60 g |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | Coastal mudflats | 40–70 g |
| Dunnock | Prunella modularis | Gardens, woodland | 18–22 g |
| Devil’s coach horse | Ocypus olens | Grassland, urban | 0.50–2.00 g |
| Dusky-footed woodrat | Neotoma fuscipes | Woodland | 200–500 g |
| Dwarf seahorse | Hippocampus zosterae | Seagrass, estuary | 0.50–1.00 g |
| Dolphin gull | Leucophaeus scoresbii | Coastal, estuaries | 350–600 g |
| Dugite | Pseudonaja affinis | Scrub, grassland | 200–1,200 g |
Descriptions
Degu
Lifespan 5–8 years, native to central Chile; social, diurnal rodent often kept as a pet and notable for its compact, small-bodied size.
Deer mouse
Lifespan 1–2 years in the wild, North America; nocturnal small rodent commonly encountered near homes and why it’s considered a tiny native mouse.
Downy woodpecker
Lifespan around 3–6 years, North America; the smallest common woodpecker, visits backyard feeders and is compact and lightweight.
Dwarf gourami
Lifespan 3–4 years, native to South Asia and common in aquaria; a colorful, small-bodied labrid popular in home tanks.
Desert locust
Lifespan a few months, Africa and Asia; a small migratory grasshopper species famous for swarms yet individually tiny.
Dyeing poison frog
Lifespan 8–15 years in captivity, Amazon region; brightly colored, small poison frog popular in terrariums and notable for its compact size.
Dartford warbler
Lifespan about 5–6 years, western Europe; resident heathland warbler that is small, active and lightweight.
Dark-eyed junco
Lifespan 3–11 years, North America; familiar small sparrow-like bird common at feeders and notable for its small mass.
Dibbler
Lifespan 2–5 years, southwest Australia; tiny carnivorous marsupial with small size and nocturnal habits.
Dwarf mongoose
Lifespan 8–10 years, sub-Saharan Africa; the smallest African carnivore, highly social and compact in build.
Desert hedgehog
Lifespan 3–7 years, North Africa and Middle East; small spiny insectivore sometimes kept as a pet and notable for its small rounded body.
Diamondback terrapin
Lifespan 25–40 years, eastern North America; a medium-small turtle of estuaries commonly kept in captivity and compact compared with large tortoises.
Desert pupfish
Lifespan 1–2 years, southwestern North America; tiny endangered fish adapted to extreme waters and notable for its very small size.
Downy emerald
Adult lifespan about 1 year, Europe and Asia; a small metallic dragonfly species with compact body and short adult life.
Diamondback moth
Lifespan weeks as an adult, cosmopolitan; tiny moth whose larvae are important crop pests and notable for minute adult mass.
Death’s-head hawkmoth
Lifespan weeks, Europe and Africa; large-looking moth that still weighs only grams, known for skull-like wing markings.
Dog whelk
Lifespan 3–5 years, North Atlantic coasts; a small predatory sea snail commonly seen on rocks and notable for compact shell size.
Desert cottontail
Lifespan 1–5 years, southwestern North America; a small rabbit species adapted to deserts and lighter than many rabbit species.
Dusky warbler
Lifespan about 2–4 years, Eurasia; a small migratory leaf-warbler often secretive and notable for its tiny mass.
Dwarf fruit dove
Lifespan roughly 5–10 years, New Guinea; a very small, colorful dove species and one of the smallest fruit doves.
Dwarf lanternshark
Lifespan poorly known, tropical western Atlantic; one of the world’s smallest sharks, notable for tiny size among sharks.
Dideric cuckoo
Lifespan not well documented, Africa and Asia; small brood-parasitic cuckoo notable for its compact body.
Dunlin
Lifespan 5–10 years, circumpolar breeding range; small migratory sandpiper common on shores and compact in size.
Dunnock
Lifespan 2–5 years, Europe and Asia; small, inconspicuous passerine often seen in hedgerows and gardens.
Devil’s coach horse
Lifespan 1–2 years, Europe; a large rove beetle relative that is still only grams in mass and common in gardens.
Dusky-footed woodrat
Lifespan 1–6 years, western North America; medium-small rodent known for building middens and compact body size.
Dwarf seahorse
Lifespan 2–5 years, western Atlantic; tiny seahorse species kept in aquaria and notable for very small size.
Dolphin gull
Lifespan unknown (~5–10 years), southern South America; a small gull species relative to larger gulls, frequent estuaries and shores.
Dugite
Lifespan about 5–10 years, southern Australia; a relatively small venomous snake often under 2 kilograms and common in bushland.