Does your family love animals? Then you’ll love our list of Animals that Start with U! We’ve gathered a list of facts about popular favorites, like the Urchin and the Umbrellabird, and even threw in a few surprises like the Unicornfish!
With four kids, two dogs, a cat, and a bearded dragon, I often feel like I’m surrounded by animals! Animals are a big hit in our house. My kids get their love of animal facts from their dad. He always read them books about unusual animals as bedtime stories when they were little.
Now that everyone is a little older, I’ve found that my kids teach me about unusual animals, which I love! They’ll hear about a new animal from a YouTube video and then search the library for books about it.
These moments are my favorite. With young kids up to teens in my family, it can be difficult to find ways for everyone to connect. Animals are a topic we all agree on! My big kids love teaching my little kids new things, like where Umbrellabirds live (the rainforest).
Are you ready to learn new animal facts with your kids? Start now with our list of Common Animals that Start With the Letter U!
Ready to learn more about your favorite animals? Check out our Animals that Start with M and our Animals that Start with S.
Common Animals that Start With U
Ready to get your adventure underway? Start with these fun facts about common animals that start with the letter U!
Urchin
Like Olaf, the loveable snowman, urchins don’t have skills…or bones. Instead, they have a hard outer shell of calcium to protect their tender bodies. Sticking out of their shells are long spikes, which would scare off anything brave enough to come near them. Their protective spikes must be doing something right because urchins can live to be 200 years old!
Umbrellabird
Umbrellabirds are easily identified by their amazing hairdos! They look like a bird version of Elvis Presley, with a dark black fringe of feathers that drapes over their beaks. Unlike Elvis’ graceful moves, umbrellabirds are clumsy fliers. To avoid having to fly away from predators, like hawks and monkeys, umbrellabirds carefully select their home. They share trees with woodpeckers and other birds and will hop from tree to tree to search for food.
Utah Prairie Dog
These tough little animals aren’t dogs at all! Utah Prairie Dogs are actually light brown rodents that are closely related to squirrels. They got their name from how they speak in short barks to each other; prairie dogs have an incredible range of sounds to communicate. They can even describe colors and shapes with their barks and squeaks! Prairie Dogs lived in little colonies, called towns, all over the United States. Unfortunately, human towns have threatened their homes, and prairie dogs are now an endangered species.
Unau (Two-Toed Sloth)
The slow-moving Unau is a type of sloth. Everything about sloths is slow, from their movements to their digestive systems. Did you know that it can take an unau a whole month to digest a single leaf? Because Unau are slow-moving, algae and fungi can grow in their fur. What’s remarkable about this is that the algae that grow in sloth fur can fight against cancer! Wouldn’t it be amazing if these mammals held the key to curing one of humanity’s deadliest diseases?
Zoo Animals That Start With The Letter U
Before going to the zoo, make sure to plan a trip to see these cool zoo animals that start with the letter U! See how many you find while at the zoo!
Unicornfish
The Unicornfish has a large horn that extends off of the front of the fish’s face, much like a long nose. Unicornfish love living in brightly colored reefs and can even brighten their scales to match their home!
Uganda Clawed Frog
The Uganda Clawed Frog is another animal on our list that could benefit medical research. In fact, it was the first vertebrate to be cloned by scientists! Because the Uganda Clawed Frog has special skin that produces antibiotics to protect it from infection, the frog heals incredibly fast!
Uromastyx
These spiny-tailed lizards were named by the Ancient Greeks for their “tail whips.” When the Uromastyx feels threatened, it will use its mace-like tail to hit a predator and hiss. Hopefully, this scares the threat off!
Unusual Animals That Start With The Letter U
Still looking for more animals that start with the letter U? Check out these less-common ones! How many of these have you heard of or even seen before?
- Uakari
- Uaru Cichlid
- Ucayali Spiny Mouse
- Udzungwa Partridge
- Uganda Kob
- Uganda Large-Toothed Shrew
- Uganda Nothobranch
- Uganda Woodland Warbler
- Ugandan Shrew
- Uguisu
- Uinta Chipmunk
- Uinta Ground Squirrel
- Ukrainian Brook Lamprey
- Uliodon
- Ulrey’s Tetra
- Ultimate Shrew
- Ultramarine Flycatcher
- Ultramarine Grosbeak
- Ultramarine Lory
- Uluguru Blue-Bellied Frog
- Uluguru Violet-Backed Sunbird
- Ulysses Butterfly
- Umar Treefrog
- U-Mark Sandperch
- Umatilla Dace
- Umbee Cichlid
- Umboi Tube-Nosed Fruit Bat
- Umbrella Cichlid
- Umbrella Conger
- Umpqua Chub
- Unadorned Rock Wallaby
- Umpqua Dace
- Umpqua Squawfish
- Unadorned Flycatcher
- Unalaska Collared Lemming
- Unarmed Dwarf Monocle Bream
- Unarmored Threespine Stickleback
- Uncas Skipper
- Uncinate Sculpin
- Uncombed Blenny
- Underjaw Kingfish
- Underwing Moth
- Underwood’s Bonneted Bat
- Underwood’s Long-Tongued Bat
- Underwood’s Pocket Gopher
- Undulate Painted Ray
- Underwood’s Water Mouse
- Undistinguished Sabretooth
- Undulated Antpitta
- Undulated Antshrike
- Undulated Moray
- Undulated Tinamou
- Unexpected Cotton Rat
- Ungava Collared Lemming
- Ungusurculus Collettei
- Unicolor Moray
- Unicolored Arboreal Rice Rat
- Unicolored Jay
- Unicolored Oldfield Mouse
- Unicolored Tree Rat
- Unicoloured Blackbird
- Unicoloured Antwren
- Unicoloured Tapaculo
- Unicoloured Thrush
- Unicorn Crestfish
- Unicorn Icefish
- Unicorn Leatherjacket
- Unicorn Sole
- Uniform Antshrike
- Uniform Crake
- Uniform Finch
- Uniform Treehunter
- Union Snook
- United-Lip Gudgeon
- Unlined Giant Chafer Beetle
- Unspotted Saw-Whet Owl
- Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant
- Unstriped Ground Squirrel
- Unstriped Tube-Nosed Bat
- Upcher’s Warbler
- Upemba Mud Turtle
- Upjaw Barb
- Upland Antshrike
- Upland Bully
- Upland Buzzard
- Upland Chorus Frog
- Upland Goose
- Upland Pipit
- Upland Sandpiper
- Upsidedown Catfish
- Upper Grijalva Livebearer
- Upper Zambesi Labeo
- Upper Zambesi Squeaker
- Upper Zambezi Nembwe
- Upper Zambezi Yellowfish
- Upside-Down Goby
- Upside-Down Harptail Blenny
- Upturned Snout Rattail
- Ural Field Mouse
- Ural Owl
- Urartsk Mouse-Like Hamster
- Urchin Clingfish
- Urial
- Uribe’s False Cat-Eyed Snake
- Urich’s Tyrannulet
- Ursula’s Sunbird
- Uruguay River Sprat
- Uruguay Tetra
- Uruguayan Eartheater
- Usamacinta Buffalo
- Usambara Akalat
- Usambara Blue-Bellied Frog
- Usambara Shrew
- Usambara Torrent Frog
- Usambara Weaver
- Usangu Lampeye
- U-Spot Wrasse
- Ussher’s Flycatcher
- Ussuri Catfish
- Ussuri Sharpbelly
- Usumacinta Cichlid
- Ussuri Shrew
- Ussuri Tube-Nosed Bat
- Usumacinta Sea Catfish
- Utah Chub
- Utah Lake Sculpin
- Utah Sucker
- Uzzell’s Lizard
There you have it! A huge list of animals that begin with U to learn and to have fun exploring with the kids. Did we forget an animal? Be sure to add any other animals that start with U to the list!
Do you want to learn about other interesting animals? Be sure to check out our other lists of animals!
- Awesome Animals that Start with A
- 230 Curious Animals That Start With C
- 115 Exciting Animals That Start With E
- 184 Intriguing Animals that Start with G
- 128 Fascinating Animals That Begin with J
- 187 Amazing Animals that Begin with K
- 249 Interesting Animals That Begin with L
- 163 Marvelous Animals that Start with M
- 373 Spectacular Animals that Start with S
- 155 Terrific Animals that Start with T
- 98 Wonderful Animals that Start with W
- 24 X-cellent Animals That Start With X
- 32 Fantastic Animals That Start With Y
Michele Tripple is a renowned author and expert in the fields of parenting, relationships, and personal development. With her degree in marriage and family studies, her experience as a Family Life Educator, and over a decade of experience as a professional writer, Michele has authored books that provide practical advice and insights into improving family dynamics and personal growth. Her work is celebrated for its blend of research-driven information and relatable, real-world applications. Michele has been a keynote speaker at conferences and has contributed to numerous publications and media outlets, solidifying her reputation as an authoritative voice in her field and helping families build relationships.