This list includes 44 Zoo animals that start with B, from “Baboon” to “Bushbuck”. These species are mostly mammals and birds commonly exhibited for education, conservation, and public viewing.
Zoo animals that start with B are species kept or displayed in zoos whose common name begins with the letter B. Many, like the baboon, appear in cultural history and remain staples of zoo education.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Region of origin, and Typical adult size (cm, measurement method).
Common name: The everyday name you know; use it to find animals quickly or match exhibit labels at zoos.
Scientific name: The binomial Latin name gives precise species identification and helps you locate authoritative information across resources.
Region of origin: General continent and notable countries where the species naturally occurs, useful for ecological and educational context.
Typical adult size (cm, measurement method): Average adult length or height in centimetres, with the measurement method noted so you compare sizes consistently.
Zoo animals that start with B
| Common name | Scientific name | Region of origin (continent/country) | Typical adult size (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baboon | Papio anubis (olive baboon) | Africa: Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda | 50–80 cm (head–body length) |
| Badger | Meles meles (European badger) | Europe: UK, Germany | 60–90 cm (total length) |
| Bald eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | North America: USA, Canada | 180–230 cm (wingspan) |
| Bactrian camel | Camelus bactrianus | Asia: Mongolia, China | 180–230 cm (shoulder height) |
| Barbary sheep | Ammotragus lervia | Africa: Morocco, Algeria | 80–100 cm (shoulder height) |
| Barbary macaque | Macaca sylvanus | North Africa/Europe: Morocco, Gibraltar | 40–70 cm (head–body length) |
| Barn owl | Tyto alba | Worldwide: Europe, USA, Australia | 33–39 cm (total length) |
| Bat‑eared fox | Otocyon megalotis | Africa: Botswana, South Africa | 35–45 cm (head–body length) |
| Bearded vulture | Gypaetus barbatus | Europe/Asia/Africa: Spain, Ethiopia | 230–280 cm (wingspan) |
| Bearded dragon | Pogona vitticeps | Australia: central Australia | 35–60 cm (total length) |
| Beluga whale | Delphinapterus leucas | Arctic: Canada, Russia | 350–500 cm (total length) |
| Binturong | Arctictis binturong | Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Indonesia | 60–97 cm (head–body length) |
| Bison | Bison bison | North America: USA, Canada | 150–190 cm (shoulder height) |
| Black‑and‑white ruffed lemur | Varecia variegata | Madagascar | 50–70 cm (head–body length) |
| Black rhinoceros | Diceros bicornis | Africa: Kenya, South Africa | 140–170 cm (shoulder height) |
| Black‑footed ferret | Mustela nigripes | North America: USA (Great Plains) | 30–45 cm (head–body length) |
| Black‑tailed prairie dog | Cynomys ludovicianus | North America: USA (Great Plains) | 30–40 cm (head–body length) |
| Blackbuck | Antilope cervicapra | Asia: India, Pakistan | 70–85 cm (shoulder height) |
| Blue‑and‑gold macaw | Ara ararauna | South America: Brazil, Venezuela | 90–110 cm (wingspan) |
| Blue poison dart frog | Dendrobates tinctorius azureus | South America: Suriname, Brazil | 3–6 cm (snout–vent length) |
| Blue wildebeest | Connochaetes taurinus | Africa: Tanzania, Kenya | 110–130 cm (shoulder height) |
| Boa constrictor | Boa constrictor | Central/South America: Brazil, Colombia | 200–400 cm (total length) |
| Bonobo | Pan paniscus | Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo | 60–90 cm (head–body length) |
| Bornean orangutan | Pongo pygmaeus | Asia: Borneo (Indonesia, Malaysia) | 100–140 cm (head–body length) |
| Brazilian tapir | Tapirus terrestris | South America: Brazil, Peru | 150–250 cm (total length) |
| Brown bear | Ursus arctos | Northern Hemisphere: USA, Russia, Canada | 90–140 cm (shoulder height) |
| Brown‑throated sloth | Bradypus variegatus | Central/South America: Costa Rica, Brazil | 40–65 cm (body length) |
| Budgerigar | Melopsittacus undulatus | Australia | 18–20 cm (total length) |
| Burmese python | Python bivittatus | Asia: Myanmar, Thailand | 300–500 cm (total length) |
| Bushbaby | Galago senegalensis (Senegal bushbaby) | Africa: West Africa, Senegal | 20–30 cm (head–body length) |
| Bush dog | Speothos venaticus | Central/South America: Brazil, Peru | 30–45 cm (head–body length) |
| Bushbuck | Tragelaphus scriptus | Africa: Sub‑Saharan Africa (Kenya, Uganda) | 80–110 cm (shoulder height) |
| Bongo | Tragelaphus eurycerus | Africa: Central Africa | 120–150 cm (shoulder height) |
| Bengal tiger | Panthera tigris tigris | Asia: India, Bangladesh | 90–110 cm (shoulder height) |
| Bennett’s wallaby | Notamacropus rufogriseus (Bennett’s wallaby) | Australia: Tasmania, Australia | 60–90 cm (head–body length) |
| Beisa oryx | Oryx beisa | Africa: Kenya, Ethiopia | 110–130 cm (shoulder height) |
| Black swan | Cygnus atratus | Australia | 110–140 cm (wingspan) |
| Broad‑snouted caiman | Caiman latirostris | South America: Brazil, Argentina | 150–200 cm (total length) |
| Blue iguana | Cyclura lewisi | Central America: Grand Cayman | 90–120 cm (total length) |
| Black‑handed spider monkey | Ateles geoffroyi | Central America: Mexico, Costa Rica | 40–60 cm (head–body length) |
| Black howler | Alouatta caraya | South America: Brazil, Argentina | 45–65 cm (head–body length) |
| Blacktip reef shark | Carcharhinus melanopterus | Indo‑Pacific: Australia, Indonesia | 120–180 cm (total length) |
| Black‑necked stilt | Himantopus mexicanus | Americas: USA, Mexico, Peru | 35–45 cm (total length) |
| Bare‑nosed wombat | Vombatus ursinus | Australia: Tasmania, Australia | 70–120 cm (body length) |
Descriptions
Baboon
Large, social Old World monkeys with dog‑like muzzles; terrestrial and highly vocal, living in complex troops.
Badger
Stocky nocturnal diggers with distinctive facial markings; live in family setts and eat invertebrates and small vertebrates.
Bald eagle
North America’s iconic sea eagle with white head and powerful talons; a conservation success and frequent raptor ambassador.
Bactrian camel
Two‑humped camels adapted to cold deserts; hardy browsers used historically for transport across Central Asia.
Barbary sheep
Also called aoudad, these mountain sheep have sweeping horns and survive on steep, arid rock faces.
Barbary macaque
Tailless macaques that live in social groups; one of the few primates found in Europe at Gibraltar.
Barn owl
Heart‑faced, silent‑flight nocturnal predator commonly used in educational raptor programs.
Bat‑eared fox
Small fox with enormous ears used to detect insects; social, crepuscular foragers of African savannas.
Bearded vulture
Also called lammergeier; specialized on bones, often dropping them to access marrow.
Bearded dragon
Spiny, diurnal lizard popular in reptile houses; hardy omnivore often used in education.
Beluga whale
Small, white toothed whale of Arctic waters; vocal and social, featured in several large aquaria.
Binturong
Also called bearcat; arboreal viverrid with a prehensile tail and popcorn‑like scent.
Bison
Massive grazing mammals of the plains with shaggy manes; culturally and ecologically iconic.
Black‑and‑white ruffed lemur
Loud, dramatic lemur with black‑and‑white fur; important seed dispersers in rainforest exhibits.
Black rhinoceros
Critically endangered browser with hooked upper lip; zoo programs are central to conservation.
Black‑footed ferret
Nocturnal mustelid preying mainly on prairie dogs; captive breeding and reintroduction are zoo priorities.
Black‑tailed prairie dog
Social burrowing rodents famous for colony “towns” and rich vocal repertoires; educational on prairie ecology.
Blackbuck
Elegant antelope with long, spiral horns (males) and striking sexual dimorphism; common in hoofstock collections.
Blue‑and‑gold macaw
Vibrant large parrot, noisy and intelligent; a favorite in aviaries and interactive programs.
Blue poison dart frog
Striking bright blue amphibian used to teach about toxicity and rainforest biodiversity.
Blue wildebeest
Gregarious grazers famous for massive migrations; often kept in safari‑style zoo exhibits.
Boa constrictor
Large nonvenomous constrictor ambushing prey; a staple species in reptile houses.
Bonobo
Great ape closely related to chimpanzees; peaceful, socially complex, and an important conservation ambassador.
Bornean orangutan
Arboreal great ape with long arms; critically endangered due to habitat loss and a focal zoo conservation species.
Brazilian tapir
Large, short‑nosed browser and important seed disperser of Neotropical forests; commonly displayed in mixed habitats.
Brown bear
Powerful omnivores with varied diets and habitats; popular zoo mammals showcasing seasonal behaviors.
Brown‑throated sloth
Slow, arboreal leaf‑eater that spends most of its life hanging upside down in trees.
Budgerigar
Small, social parrot common in aviaries; brightly colored and often used in educational bird displays.
Burmese python
One of the world’s largest snakes, ambush predator of mammals; frequently housed in reptile collections.
Bushbaby
Small nocturnal primate with huge eyes and leaping ability; popular in nocturnal house exhibits.
Bush dog
Small pack‑hunting canid with short legs and webbed feet; rare but exhibited to teach about tropical predators.
Bushbuck
Secretive forest antelope with spotted coat, commonly kept in zoo hoofstock collections.
Bongo
Large, forest‑dwelling antelope with striking reddish coat and white stripes; subject of captive breeding efforts.
Bengal tiger
Iconic large cat subspecies widely exhibited; powerful predator and flagship species for conservation.
Bennett’s wallaby
Medium‑sized marsupial often seen in walk‑through exhibits; shy grazers that hop on muscular hind legs.
Beisa oryx
Desert‑adapted antelope with straight ringed horns; common in East African hoofstock collections.
Black swan
Elegant waterfowl with black plumage and red bill; often seen on zoo lakes and waterfowl displays.
Broad‑snouted caiman
Robust caiman with a broad snout; commonly displayed in reptile houses and wetland enclosures.
Blue iguana
Large, blue rock iguana endemic to Grand Cayman; zoo breeding programs support species recovery.
Black‑handed spider monkey
Long‑limbed, highly arboreal primate with prehensile tail, admired for acrobatic displays in primate houses.
Black howler
Famous for deep, far‑carrying calls used to defend territory; common in Neotropical exhibits.
Blacktip reef shark
Small coastal shark often kept in public aquaria; active, schooling predator used in marine education.
Black‑necked stilt
Slender, long‑legged wading bird with striking black‑and‑white plumage; a frequent species in waterbird collections.
Bare‑nosed wombat
Stocky burrowing marsupial with a bare leathery nose; popular in Australian mammal exhibits for its digging behavior.