Walrus, Warthog, and Weasels, oh my! The world of animals that start with W are many! They are so unique and fascinating! Motivate your kids and students to learn all they can about these animals that start with the letter W. Check out this list of animals to see which animals your child likes the most. We can almost guarantee they will love learning all these facts about animals that start with W.
Love learning about animals? Be sure to check out Animals that Start with S and Animals That Begin with L for more fun learning and facts.
Common Animals that Start with W
Check out these animals that begin with the letter W! You might recognize more than you x-pect!
Walrus
Everyone loves wacky walruses! Have you seen their huge tusks? They can grow up to two and a half feet long! Walruses live in isolation in the northernmost parts of the world. I imagine they get bored up there without much to do! Walruses have an incredible way of dealing with boredom: they can sleep while floating in the water! They have inflatable pouches on their throats to help them float while they snooze. How cool!
Warthog
Warthogs are wild pigs that are found in Africa. Even though most people assume that warthogs are covered in warts, they actually have smooth skin. Their name comes from large bony lumps on their faces that protect the warthogs during fights. Unlike their domesticated relatives, warthogs have HUGE canine teeth, called tusks, that protrude from their mouths. The tusks are primarily used for digging but can also be used to defend against an enemy!
Wasp
Did you know that wasps are much noisier than your average honeybee? Wasps are constantly in motion, busily constructing their nest each spring. The lifespan of a wasp is only about a year, and the new colony rebuilds its home each spring! These nests are made of bark that the wasps chew and spit out repeatedly until a pulpy paper is formed. This paper is molded to form a nest where tens of thousands of wasps can support their queens as they lay eggs.
Weasel
Weasels are the smallest member of the carnivore family. They love their meat and prefer to eat rabbits, birds, and small rodents. Even though they’re quite small, weasels are sneaky. They will use all of their senses to hunt animals much bigger than they are! When they’re on the prowl, they will execute a number of unique dance moves called a “war dance” to confuse their prey. Some of their prey, like rabbits, are so scared of these moves that they will die of fright!
White Rhinoceros
Among the large land mammals, white rhinoceroses are the second largest. They’re only smaller than the African elephant! It’s amazing that they can support their large bodies by eating only plants, like grass. Because white rhinos live in Africa, where the sun can be fierce, they love to roll around in the mud to stay cool. The mud also acts as a natural sunscreen and protects the rhino from sunburn!
White Tiger
Beautiful white tigers are a type of Bengal tiger. They are very rare, too! Only one out of every ten thousand tigers that are born is white! That’s because their white fur comes from a genetic mutation that removes the typical tiger-orange pigment in their fur. Although the white fur is gorgeous to look at, it causes nothing but problems for the white tiger. The white fur makes it hard for the tiger to blend in with its surroundings! This makes it hard for the tiger to sneak up on its prey and a big target for predators.
Whitetail Deer
Whitetail deer are herbivores who love every plant they can nibble! Even though humans need to be wary of certain mushrooms, whitetail deer can easily handle any possible poisons that the mushrooms have! That’s because they have four chambers in their stomach to break down their food for digestion. All of that good food keeps deer fit and athletic. Deer can jump ten feet high and sprint as fast as thirty miles per hour!
Wolf
When a wolf is born, it’s deaf and blind. Older members of the wolf pack band together to protect the vulnerable pups until they can defend themselves. Adult wolves have excellent hearing. They can hear a twig snap over six miles away! Isn’t it amazing how much can change as the pups develop into mature animals?
Woolly Mammoth
Woolly Mammoths are extinct animals that look very similar to an elephant. In fact, they were about the same size as an African elephant! Neanderthals would use woolly mammoth bones as the structure of their homes. They would cover the bones with animal pelts and create a weatherproof shelter to protect them from predators and natural disasters. Scientists are trying to bring woolly mammoths back to life using similar DNA and a surrogate mother. It won’t happen this year, but woolly mammoths may one day walk the earth again!
Woodpecker
Knock, Knock! There’s a woodpecker at your tree, pecking away to create the perfect hole to nest in. All day long, a woodpecker will obsessively peck at a tree to carve a perfect circle. They’re a little bit of a perfectionist! Like many people, woodpeckers enjoy having new things. They’ll make a new hole each year and leave their old holes for other birds to use instead!
Worm
Did you know that Charles Darwin, the man responsible for the theory of evolution, studied worms for 38 years? He believed earthworms were essential to the Earth, maybe even the most important creatures alive! Worms have been around for about 600 million years; that’s even before dinosaurs roamed the Earth! Even though we usually think of small earthworms when we think of worms, the Gippsland Giant is so big that people initially thought it was a snake!
Zoo Animals that Start with the Letter W
No trip to the zoo would be complete without seeing some of these zoo animals that start with the letter w! Make sure to take this list with you the next time you go to the zoo to see how many you see on your trip.
- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
- Western Green Mamba
- Western Hognose Snake
- Western Lowland Gorilla
- Western Rat Snake
- Wombat
- Western Rattlesnake (Northern Pacific Rattlesnake)
- Whiptail Lizard
- White-Faced Capuchin
- Woma Python
- Wood Frog
- Wood Turtle
- Whooping Crane
- Wild Boar
- Wildebeest
Uncommon Animals that Start with the Letter W
Here are even more animals that begin with the letter W that you may not recognize! See how many of these animals have you heard of or seen?
- Wahoo Fish
- Waimanu
- Walking Catfish
- Wallaby
- Walleye Fish
- Wandering Albatross
- Warbler
- Water Beetle
- Water Buffalo
- Water Bug
- Water Dragon
- Water Vole
- Waterbuck
- Wattled Jacana
- Wax Moth
- Weaver Bird
- Weimaraner
- Weimardoodle
- Wels Catfish
- Welsh Black Cattle
- Welsh Corgi
- Welsh Springer Spaniel
- Welsh Terrier
- West Highland Terrier
- West Siberian Laika
- Western Blacklegged Tick
- Western Blind Snake
- Western Tanager
- Westiepoo
- Whale Shark
- Wheaten Terrier
- Whimbrel
- Whinchat
- Whippet
- White Bass
- White Butterfly
- White Catfish
- White Crappie
- White Ferret / Albino Ferrets
- White German Shepherd
- White Marlin
- White Shark
- White Sturgeon
- White-Crowned Sparrow
- White-Eyed Vireo
- White-Tailed Eagle
- White-shouldered House Moth
- Whiting
- Whoodle
- Willow Flycatcher
- Willow Warbler
- Winter Moth
- Wire Fox Terrier
- Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
- Wirehaired Vizsla
- Wiwaxia
- Wolf Eel
- Wolf Snake
- Wolf Spider
- Wolffish
- Wolverine
- Wood Bison
- Wood Tick
- Woodlouse
- Woodlouse Spider
- Woodrat
- Wool Carder Bee
- Woolly Aphids
- Woolly Bear Caterpillar
- Woolly Monkey
- Woolly Rhinoceros
- Worm Snake
- Wrasse
- Writing Spider
- Wrought Iron Butterflyfish
- Wryneck
- Wyandotte Chicken
There you have it! A huge list of animals that begin with W to learn and to have fun exploring with the kids. Did we forget an animal? Be sure to add any other animals that begin with W 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.