This list includes 22 Small animals that start with K, from “Kagu” to “Kuhli loach”. These entries focus on small wildlife and common pets, giving quick facts for species identification, care, and study.
Small animals that start with K are species usually under about 5 kg. Their common names begin with the letter K. For example, the kagu is a distinctive, flightless bird from New Caledonia and a conservation icon.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat, Lifespan, and Notes.
Common name: The familiar name you use to search or recognize each species, useful for quick ID and everyday reference.
Scientific name: The binomial gives precise species identification so you can find authoritative information and avoid name confusion.
Habitat: A short phrase describing where the species lives, helping you understand its natural environment and potential care needs.
Lifespan: Typical lifespan in the wild or captivity, giving you realistic expectations for care, study, or conservation planning.
Notes: Brief facts, pet suitability, conservation status hints, or link suggestions to deeper species pages for more detail.
Small animals that start with K
| Common name | Scientific name | Habitat | Typical adult size | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kakapo | Strigops habroptilus | New Zealand, temperate forests | 2–4 kg (mass) | Lifespan: 60–90 years; critically endangered, wild only; the world’s only flightless, nocturnal parrot, famous for lek breeding and heavy bodies. |
| Kea | Nestor notabilis | New Zealand, alpine and beech forest | 700–1,100 g (mass) | Lifespan: 20–30 years; wild, highly intelligent parrot often kept in licensed collections; notorious for curiosity and playful problem-solving. |
| Kaka | Nestor meridionalis | New Zealand, native forests | 400–800 g (mass) | Lifespan: 15–25 years; forest parrot, wild and present in rehabilitation/aviaries; loud vocalizer, strong climber that feeds on sap and invertebrates. |
| Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | Eurasia & Africa, open habitats and farmland | 150–300 g (mass) | Lifespan: 5–10 years; small falcon, wild and sometimes rehabilitated; hovers to hunt small mammals and large insects. |
| Kookaburra | Dacelo novaeguineae | Eastern Australia, woodlands and urban areas | 300–500 g (mass) | Lifespan: 10–20 years; iconic wild bird sometimes kept in licensed aviaries; famous for its loud, laughing call and territorial behavior. |
| Kinkajou | Potos flavus | Central & South America, tropical rainforest | 1–3 kg (mass) | Lifespan: 20–25 years; nocturnal rainforest mammal sometimes kept as an exotic pet (specialized care); prehensile tail and frugivorous diet. |
| Kitti’s hog-nosed bat | Craseonycteris thonglongyai | Thailand & Myanmar, limestone caves | 2 g (mass) | Lifespan: 5–10 years; the world’s smallest mammal by mass, wild only, insectivorous and roosts in tight cave clusters. |
| Kuhli loach | Pangio kuhlii | Southeast Asia, slow freshwater streams and swamps | 6–10 cm (length) | Lifespan: 6–10 years; popular aquarium fish, peaceful nocturnal bottom-dweller that burrows in soft substrate. |
| Kudzu bug | Megacopta cribraria | East Asia; introduced southeastern US, agricultural and disturbed areas | 6–7 mm (length) | Lifespan: months; wild agricultural pest, feeds on legumes (kudzu, soybean), can invade homes seasonally. |
| Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | North America, open ground, fields and shorelines | 24–28 cm (length) | Lifespan: 10–16 years; wild shorebird, nests on open ground, famous for its broken-wing distraction display to protect young. |
| Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | Northern oceans, coastal cliffs and pelagic waters | 30–40 cm (length) | Lifespan: 15–20 years; seabird, wild, nests colonially on cliffs and feeds by surface-dipping for fish. |
| Kelp gull | Larus dominicanus | Southern Hemisphere coasts, rocky shores and beaches | 700–1,200 g (mass) | Lifespan: 10–20 years; bold coastal gull, wild, opportunistic feeder and common scavenger around people. |
| King rail | Rallus elegans | Eastern North America, freshwater marshes and wetlands | 30–38 cm (length) | Lifespan: 5–8 years; secretive marsh bird, wild, forages in reeds for invertebrates and small fish. |
| Keel-billed toucan | Ramphastos sulfuratus | Central America, lowland rainforest and edges | 450–600 g (mass) | Lifespan: 15–20 years; colorful-fruited toucan, wild and sometimes kept in large aviaries, notable large multicolored bill used for feeding. |
| Kodkod | Leopardus guigna | Chile & Argentina, temperate and Valdivian forests | 2–4 kg (mass) | Lifespan: 10–12 years; smallest wild South American cat, elusive and nocturnal, rarely kept in captivity. |
| Kit fox | Vulpes macrotis | Southwestern North America, deserts and scrub | 2–3.5 kg (mass) | Lifespan: 3–7 years; small desert fox, wild, nocturnal and adapted to arid life; occasionally rehabilitated but not a pet species. |
| King quail | Synoicus chinensis | Southeast Asia, grassland, scrub and paddies | 10–12 cm (length) | Lifespan: 2–5 years; commonly kept quail in aviculture, shy ground-dweller and prolific breeder for hobbyists. |
| Kiskadee | Pitangus sulphuratus | Neotropics, open woodland, riversides and urban areas | 20–25 cm (length) | Lifespan: 5–10 years; bold flycatcher, wild and frequent in parks, eats insects and small vertebrates. |
| Kittlitz’s murrelet | Brachyramphus brevirostris | North Pacific, coastal pelagic waters and fjords | 18–22 cm (length) | Lifespan: 8–15 years; small pelagic seabird, wild, nests in coastal zones and dives for fish; populations declining. |
| Kagu | Rhynochetos jubatus | New Caledonia, dense humid forest floor | 48–55 cm (length) | Lifespan: 20–30 years; endemic forest bird, wild and protected, pale grey with crest—unique crested, ground-dwelling species. |
| Kauai amakihi | Chlorodrepanis stejnegeri | Kauai (Hawaii), native montane and lowland forests | 10–12 cm (length) | Lifespan: 5–10 years; small Hawaiian honeycreeper, wild and threatened, nectar- and insect-feeder with a curved bill. |
| Kauai elepaio | Chasiempis sclateri | Kauai (Hawaii), native forest and ravines | 12–15 cm (length) | Lifespan: 5–8 years; small monarch flycatcher, wild, insectivore and cultural island species facing habitat pressures. |
Descriptions
Kakapo
Kea
Kaka
Kestrel
Kookaburra
Kinkajou
Kitti’s hog-nosed bat
Kuhli loach
Kudzu bug
Killdeer
Kittiwake
Kelp gull
King rail
Keel-billed toucan
Kodkod
Kit fox
King quail
Kiskadee
Kittlitz’s murrelet
Kagu
Kauai amakihi
Kauai elepaio