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How Many Animals That Start With "N" Can You Name? There Are More Than 700

My personal favorite is the North American Black Bear. What about you?

Jamie Bichelman - Author
By

Published May 10 2024, 10:25 a.m. ET

A North American Black Bear cub climbs a tree.
Source: iStock

If you have ever been on a road trip, you're likely well aware of alphabet-based games with the objective of recalling as many animals as possible whose names begin with a certain letter. Today, we're going to play that very game and name as many animals as possible beginning with the letter "N."

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I'll be your driver for this adventure, so buckle in safely, adjust the air freshener as needed, and put on your thinking cap. Please keep all hands inside the (virtual) vehicle as we respect the environment and autonomy of animals in their natural space.

Let's begin listing as many animals as possible whose names start with the fourteenth letter of the alphabet.

Two narwhals swim together in a deep-blue ocean.
Source: iStock

The unicorn-like narwhal isn't just the subject of a viral video; the mammal is indeed real.

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These animals start with N:

The list of animals with names beginning with N is quite expansive. According to Travel For Wildlife, the list includes more than 700 animals. Topping the list is a school of 288 fish, then a collection of 178 birds followed closely behind by 176 mammals.

Our first set of names below includes one animal with viral, old-school YouTube fame and one animal best known as a beloved character from Kim Possible:

  • Nabarlek
  • Naked mole rat
  • Nalolo
  • Namaqua slender mongoose
  • Namdapha flying squirrel
  • Nandu
  • Narrow-footed bristly mouse
  • Narrow-tailed white-bellied rat
  • Narwhal
  • Nase.
A black Newfoundland dog smiles with tongue out while laying down with autumn trees in the background.
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Cuddling a Newfoundland dog may be the closest real-life thing to hugging a bear.

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The second group of N-named animals includes an animal referenced in Nickelodeon cartoon Doug, as well as an enormous dog breed so fluffy that you can't help but fall in love with the gentle giant.

  • Needlefish
  • Nehring’s blind mole rat
  • Neill’s long-tailed giant rat
  • Nematode
  • Nēnē
  • New Britain naked-backed fruit bat
  • New England cottontail
  • New Guinea Singing Dog
  • New Zealand greater short-tailed bat
  • Newfoundland dog.
The Nile Crocodile is pictured in Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Source: iStock

The Nile Crocodile can be found in freshwater habitats across 26 African countries.

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Our third group of animals with names beginning with the letter N includes a veritable trip around the globe to witness the rich diversity of life in all corners and habitats. This list features an amphibian, a flying mammal, an invertebrate, a predatory bird, and more.

  • Newt
  • Nicaraguan pocket gopher
  • Nicobar flying fox
  • Nigerian free-tailed bat
  • Nightcrawler
  • Nightfish
  • Nightingale
  • Night Hawk
  • Nile Crocodile
  • Nimba otter shrew.
A mother bear and her cub are seen inside a den.
Source: iStock

The North American Black Bear is a beautiful and majestic animal.

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As we make our way to the next group, you'll find N-named animals of all sizes. We have my personal favorite, the North American Black Bear, which towers over the mouse a mere fraction of its size. Interestingly, although the North African elephant shrew's name implies a massive size, it is still just 4.3 to 4.9 inches in length, according to Animalia, an online encyclopedia of animals.

  • Ningaui
  • Nkupe
  • Noctule
  • Noddy
  • Nolthenius’s long-tailed climbing mouse
  • Noodlefish
  • Noolbenger
  • North African crested porcupine
  • North African elephant shrew
  • North American Black Bear.
North Sumatran leaf monkeys are seen atop a tree.
Source: iStock

The North Sumatran leaf monkey is a primate also known as Thomas's langur.

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Our penultimate group on this virtual safari takes us from the northern region of China and Indonesia to the Amazon and the Northern Mountains of Chiapas in Mexico and beyond.

  • North Chinese flying squirrel
  • North Moluccan flying fox
  • North Sulawesi babirusa
  • North Sumatran leaf monkey
  • Northern Amazon red squirrel
  • Northern Chiapas Arboreal Alligator Lizard
  • Nubian Goat
  • Nudibranch
  • Nuevo Leon Graceful Brown Snake
  • Numfor Paradise Kingfisher.
A Nurse Shark is photographed in the Fernando de Noronha sea in Brazil.
Source: iStock

The Nurse Shark is a frequently-tagged and fish studied by global researchers.

Our final group on this safari features more fish, additional N-named animals from Africa's incredibly diverse host of species, and more.

  • Nunbird
  • Nunlet
  • Nurse Shark
  • Nurseryfish
  • Nusa penida basslet
  • Nutaphand’s Narrowhead Softshell
  • Nutcracker prickleback
  • Nuthatch
  • Nutting’s hatchet fish
  • Nyala.
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