T is for Tiger. T is for Turkey. T is for Tarantula. T is for Tortoise. I could go on all day with the animals that start with T but I won’t because frankly, it’s really annoying. That’s why I decided to list them out for you. You’re welcome.
You’ve just been asked what animals start with the letter T. You think back to all the animals you know that begin with T, but you can’t think of any. This is a common occurrence since there are so many animals in the world.
But, the letter T gives us an amazing variety of animals. From tigers to tortoises, there are animals of all shapes and sizes that start with the letter T.
We have compiled a list of 43 animals that start with the letter T. Come find out which animal you are most like by choosing your favorite animal!
Tahr
A Tahr is a large animal that looks like a goat. Another name for them is the Himalayan Tahr.
You can find Tahr in the central Himalayan ranges of India and Nepal. Tahr is originally from Nepal and was given as a gift to New Zealand.
The coat of the Tahr changes color depending on the weather. It is reddish-brown in the summer and dark brown in the winter.
Takin
Takin is considered a threatened animal that is often called a goat antelope. These large animals have intense horns making their only enemies bears, leopards, wolves, and dholes.
Takin is a bizarre-looking animal with a nose that looks like a moose and the horns of a wildebeest. They also have a tail like a bear and the body of a bison.
Takin can jump from one rock to another. When they are in danger, they warn their friends with a loud coughing sound.
Tamarin
A tamarin is a small monkey that lives in trees, specifically in the forests of South America. There are 18 different species within the family of tamarins, each one having a distinct look.
They climb and jump through trees, using their tails for balance. For some tamarin, their forest is being taken over and torn down.
The male tamarin carries the babies. They live like a family and work together to defend themselves.
Tanager
Tanager is an American songbird that belongs to the Thraupidae family. The bird has a bill that is short and thick, and the males have colorful plumage.
There are over 240 known species of the Tanager bird. They range in color from yellow to red. It likes to eat berries and bugs.
The Scarlet Tanager migrates to South America in the cold months. The Hepatic Tanager migrates to the Mexican border for the breeding season of summer. Summer Tanagers eat bees and remove their stingers by rubbing against branches.
Tang
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The Tang is a surgeonfish with a spine that is like a scalpel that is just above the tail on the side of the body. They use their spines to protect them from predators.
The Tang has a bright body and interesting patterns. They can modify their colors based on their conditions. They travel in large groups to overwhelm other fish as they swim by.
Tapanuli Orangutan
The Tapanuli Orangutan is considered critically endangered. It lives in one specific place in Indonesia.
They have small heads, flat, wide faces, and frizzy hair. Male and female Tapanuli Orangutan have beards, but the dominant male also has a mustache and large flat cheeks.
These Orangutans love to hang out high in the treetops, which keeps them away from tigers roaming in the area.
Tapir
The Tapir is often confused with other animals, including pigs, anteaters, and hippos. Believe it or not, they are most closely related to horses and rhinos.
The Tapir is considered a living fossil because it has been in existence for so long, surviving while other animals became extinct. However, the population of these unique animals is dwindling.
They can wiggle their nose and use it as a snorkel in the water.
Tarantula
Many people are not fans of Tarantulas because they are large and hairy.
They are mostly harmless to humans. They do bite, but a bee has stronger venom than a Tarantula.
They shed their skeleton, replace organs and regrow legs. There are hundreds of Tarantula species, all different colors, and behavior.
Tarantulas are slow and methodical when hunting do not typically use webs.
Tarpon
A Tarpon is a large fish that has a thick body. It is typically silver with a gray or dark greenback.
Its mouth is in the shape of a scoop. It has scales that protect it like armor.
There are two known species of Tarpon. They prefer warm coastal waters, so one is native to the Indo-Pacific seas while the other is in the Atlantic.
Tarsier
A Tarsier is a tiny primate. It is only the size of a tennis ball.
They have large eyes, long fingers, velvet fur, and the ability to pounce. Their back legs and feet are twice as long as the rest of their body.
Unlike most primates, they do not eat any type of plant. Instead, they are completely carnivorous, feeding on snakes, frogs, and lizards.
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian devil is aptly named because it is only found in the wild in Tasmania, an island sound of Australia. They are considered the largest meat-eating marsupial.
A Tasmanian devil gets as large as a size of a small dog, but they tend to resemble a baby bear. They have sharp teeth and have one of the strongest bites of all mammals.
When threatened, they will shriek, howl, show their teeth, and spin in a circle much like the well-loved cartoon character.
Tawny Eagle
The Tawny Eagle is a large bird of prey that can be found in Africa. It was considered its species based on its anatomy. The wingspan of the Tawny Eagle is between 5 and 6 feet.
The Tawny Eagle can absorb energy from the surrounding heat. It also has a constantly high body temperature.
The Tawny Eagle hangs out in dry open spaces such as deserts, savannas, and open grasslands. They do not like dense forests because they restrict movement.
Tawny Owl
The Tawny Owl resides and breeds in the UK. It is incredibly territorial and makes the sound most associate with an owl.
The Tawny Owl creates its territory in the late fall and maintains it through the spring. They only live about four years and breed in their second year of life.
The female Tawny Owl is bigger and heavier than the males. They have a diet that mainly consists of small mammals.
Tayra
The Tayra is long and slender and resembles a weasel, and for good reason, it is from the weasel family. The males tend to be larger than the females.
Tayra has short fur that is dark brown or black over most of their body, except their chest and head. There is a large group of Tayra that are albinos.
Their feet have short claws ideal for climbing and running. The hair around the pads of their feet acts as sensors for them.
Tegu
A Tegu is a South American lizard that can grow up to four feet long and weigh 10 pounds. They have a black and white mottled pattern on their body.
When they are born, a Tegu has a green head, but that color fades after about a month. They stay close to the ground as they do not like to climb, but they like to swim.
In the winter, they have a pseudo hibernation period where they hide out in burrows. While they are omnivorous, they are great egg hunters and will eat the eggs of any ground-nesting animal.
Tern
A Tern is a seabird that is closely related to a seagull. However, it is smaller and slender than its relative. It has a forked tail and pointed wings.
The Tern has webbed feet with short legs. And their feathers are usually grey or white. It usually goes far from the shore to dive for fish to eat.
Teira Batfish
The Teira Batfish is a fish that is native to the Indo-West Pacific. Although, you may see it in some aquariums.
The Teira Batfish has a round body with a hump at the nape. It usually grows to be about 24 inches in length.
It has the ability to change color and make its banding disappear any time it wants. It is usually silver, black, or brown with black banding.
Termite
A termite is a pest with a destructive appetite. They are insects that feed on dead matter, like soil or dead wood.
There are roughly 50 species of termites native to the US, usually found in houses.
They are sometimes referred to as white ants because they are a distant cousin of the ant.
Tetra
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The Tetra is a fish that is native to the fresh waters of Africa and South America. It is a tropical fish that often lives in aquariums due to its bright colors.
There are about 150 species of Tetra. They are known to eat both animal and plant matter. In addition, they eat mostly brine shrimp and algae.
They are small and have many predators in the natural world. When in danger, they hide or swim in darker water so their predators cannot see them.
Tenrec
The Tenrec is a small and spiky-looking mammal that is often confused with a hedgehog. It is roughly the size of a kitten with a long nose and big ears.
When it senses danger, the Tenrec rolls into a ball to allow its spikes to protect it. While the spikes provide great protection, they will unroll and head to defend themselves.
There are about 30 different species of Tenrec. Each of them has distinct qualities that set them apart.
Thorny Devil
Thorny Devil is a reptile that loves to eat ants. They can live for 20 years. This slow-moving reptile can grow as long as 20 cm long.
Its entire body is covered with spikes. It has a fake head on its neck to scare off predators.
They walk forwards and backward in slow, jerky movements with their tail lifted. They do this to confuse their predators.
Tibetan Mastiff
The Tibetan Mastiff is considered a primitive dog that was developed in Tibet many centuries ago. They are a guard for livestock and land.
They are large and often intimidating but are hard workers, protective, and loyal.
They have a long coat, a beautiful tail, and appealing colors. They do not like to stay outside, and they can climb fences.
Tiffany
Tiffany is a breed of cat known for its silky hair. This medium-size cat weighs as much as 12 pounds.
Unlike most cats, Tiffany prefers to be in your company and not alone. They are affectionate.
Tiffany cats need to be groomed daily. They also need plenty of room to run and play.
Tiger
Tigers are the largest of Asian big cats. They are considered endangered, but the population has gone up slightly recently. There are about 3,900 Tigers left.
There are two main species of tigers. They typically hunt on their own, relying on sight and sound. They can consume 80 pounds of meat at one time.
Tiger Beetle
Tiger Beetles are similar to ground beetles. The Tiger Beetle has a larger head than it does a thorax.
They love to be out in the sun, but if approached, will run or fly away. They blend in well to the habitat with colors that are gray, brown, to black with markings on their wings.
Tiger Shark
A Tiger Shark has vertical bars covering the sides of its body. As it grows, the bars slightly fade.
Tiger Sharks grow to at least 18 feet long and 2,000 pounds. They are the second-largest predatory shark. They are aggressive and will eat anything they find, including garbage.
They do not have any natural predators, but young Tiger Sharks are eaten by other sharks.
Timber Wolf
Wolves are the largest member of the dog family and are common everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. While they are shy around humans, they have not been domesticated.
The Timber Wolf is also called the Gray Wolf, and it is the most common type of wolf. They are often gray but can be white or black, also. The Gray Wolf grows between 4 feet to almost 7 feet and weighs between 40 to 175 pounds.
Toad
Toads are amphibians. They stand out because they have dry skin with warts, crests behind their eyes, and parotoid glands. They are found in many colors.
They defend themselves against predators by secreting a poisonous substance that kills small animals and causes an allergic reaction in humans.
When they are colorful, that is a warning to predators that they are poisonous.
Thylacine
The Thylacine is believed to be extinct, even though it is heavily debated. The Thylacine is more commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger. It is a carnivorous marsupial.
It is believed to be native to Australia, Tasmania, and Papua New Guinea.
The Thylacine had distinct stripes on its back and was semi-nocturnal. It usually avoided humans.
Toddy Cat
The Toddy Cat is more commonly known as the Common Palm Civet. It is a mammal found in the tropical rainforest of Southeast Asia and is the size of a cat.
The Toddy Cat is adaptive and can live with humans. It weighs only 7 pounds and grows to about 21 inches.
Its body is covered with shaggy gray hair. The Toddy Cat has black marking on its feet, muzzle, and ears.
Tokay Gecko
The Tokay Gecko is a lizard that is gray with a green tint. It has orange spots covering its body, which is long and lean. Its eyes are prominent on either side of its face.
It can live up to 20 years and survives by eating insects, baby birds, and small mammals.
When a Tokay Gecko lays eggs, they stick to walls or rocks. More than one will put their eggs in the same place. The eggs are soft and sticky but harden shortly after being laid.
Topi
A Topi is an antelope that is about medium-sized. Its coat is distinct because it is reddish-brown to purple. It has black patches on its face, legs, hips, and thighs.
Both the male and female have two horns on top of their head. They are fast runners and bound as they run.
Topi can weigh as much as 324 pounds and be as tall as 50 inches.
Tortoise
A Tortoise is part of the reptile family and is distinct because it has a hard shell on its back. The Tortoiseshell is domed and rounded.
A Tortoise tends to be large and live as long as 250 years. They have club front legs and elephant-like hind legs to help them move around.
A Tortoise spends most of its life on land.
Toucan
A Toucan is a distinct-looking bird that spends its day high above the Central and South American rainforests.
A Toucan has a large, colorful bill on its face which is typically four times the size of its head.
It can live for 18 years with proper care. A toucan can be anywhere from 3.4 ounces to 1.9 pounds and as large as 24 inches.
Tree Frog
Tree Frogs are a diverse group of amphibians with over 800 different species. Despite their name, they do not all live in trees.
Some tree frogs have the ability to change colors, but most of them are green, brown, or gray. They can be anywhere from less than an inch to 5.5 inches long.
Tree Frogs are found on almost every continent, except Antarctica.
Tropicbird
In the US, the Tropicbird is mainly found in Hawaii and the Dry Tortugas, but it is the national bird of Bermuda. It likes to hang out close to shore.
The Tropicbird is white with black markings and a long tail. It feeds mostly on fish by diving into the water, often grabbing a fish while it is in the air.
Tailiess Tenrec
This is the common and largest Tenrec, weighing a little more than four pounds. It is the size of a small rabbit. It is often called the moonrat.
The Tailless Tenrec is a mammal with more than 450 species. It preys on vertebrates and invertebrates and typically dwells on the ground.
Tsessebe
The Tsessebe is like a large cow with horns. They come from the same family as the Wildebeest and are found in South Africa.
They are social animals and hang out in groups of six to ten with their children. They are often found near water and love to graze.
Tsetse Fly
Tsetse Flies are dangerous pests found in Central Africa. They carry disease that impacts animals and humans.
There are parts of Africa that cannot be inhabited due to the infestation of the Tsetse Fly.
A Tsetse Fly eats by sucking blood, and it can suck its weight in blood.
Tuatara
Tuatara is the largest reptile found in New Zealand. It is rare and considered the last surviving dinosaur reptile. They are currently at risk.
The males have a crest of spines on their backs to raise when fighting or attracting a female. They shed their skin once a year.
Turkey
A turkey is an American bird that is related to the chicken. It is either hunted or raised by humans for meat.
Wild turkeys are found in every state in the US except Alaska. They eat insects, seeds, and frogs.
Even though they are birds, they cannot fly.
Turkish Angora
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This is a medium-sized cat that is a treasure in Turkey. This cat typically has beautiful white long fur, but the color can vary.
These domestic cats are social and intelligent. They enjoy being on a perch. Many of these cats are deaf.
Turtle
Turtles are ancient animals. They have been here for about 220 million years from around the time dinosaurs disappeared. They live on every continent except Antarctica and can live for up to 110 years.
A turtle is a reptile with a hard shell. The shell protects it from predators. They live all around the world in varying climates.
They spent most of their lives in water. They have webbed feet to help them swim. They typically only leave the water to lay eggs.
There are many turtles of varying sizes and weights.
Conclusion: Animals that Start with T
All of the animals we’ve covered in this blog post whether they are herbivores or carnivores, have one thing in common: they begin with the letter T.
And that brings us to the end of our article. Thanks for reading all the way through. Hopefully, you learned something new from this post (even if all you learned is that I have an obsession with animals). If you did, please feel free to share these animals with others.
Are there any animals that start with T that we forgot to include in our list? If so, then let us know via email and we will add them to the list! We all love hearing from our readers!
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