There is a lot to be said about conversation starters and getting past small talk. My boyfriend (or I guess fiance since we’re engaged now) and I have fun little discussions that tend to get interesting and silly pretty fast. Yesterday, we were trying to determine what animals start with the letter V (we started with A, then B, C, D…you know how it goes). Anyway, it got pretty hilarious as time went on.
From vultures to voles, to vipers, there is a whole animal kingdom that shares this common beginning. After reading this list, you will be inspired to search for more animals and travel around the world to see them first hand.
Here is the complete list of animals that start with the letter V.
Mammals
Vancouver Island Marmot
As the name suggests, this marmot species is native to Vancouver Island. Mainly found near the foothills of the island, these build burrows in small meadow patches.
The Vancouver Island marmot is one of its kind that has evolved from migratory marmots, which then remained isolated on the Canadian island some 10,000 to 13,000 years ago.
Vancouver Island marmots are the largest marmots and even among other regular rodents.
Marmots are basically squirrels that are a bit more friendly to humans. Lots of marmot-human interactions involve playing around and even some nose touching – nowhere near harmful.
But among themselves, marmots, and especially this species, can turn greatly aggressive. They kick, chase, and bit each other when things turn hot, sometimes even going to ‘war’ with other colonies.
When threatened, Vancouver Island marmots let out a long human-like scream to warn others of intruders. They might even do so when startled. But they usually let put chirps.
Verreaux’s Sifaka
Verreaux’s Sifaka is a fascinating looking primate of the lemur species that is native to Madagascar.
These white, fluffy species are arboreal, meaning they reside in trees. Naturally, they are exceptional climbers.
But their most unique feature is their ability to make surprisingly long jumps. They cover 9 to 10 meters in single leaps on slow days.
They are also the only lemur species to have partly webbed feet. This species of Sifaka is somewhat social and stays in groups of almost 14. It’s also a female-dominated species.
Because they don’t usually get down from the canopy, on the rare occasions that they do come on the ground, it’s a funny sight.
The Verreaux’s Sifaka is known as the dancing lemur. The way they walk on the ground seems like they are dancing like a ballet performer.
Unfortunately, this animal is critically endangered owing to deforestation and illegal hunting and trade.
The sudden population decrease back in 2018, killing 32 of these Sikafas, is believed to be due to some sort of tick infection. As of 2021, only 250 adult Sifakas are left on the entire island.
Vicuña
The Vicuna is a close relative of llamas belonging to the Camelidae family.
They are now also said to be ancestors of today’s domesticated alpacas. These are mountain-bound creatures native to South America.
They are so fast that they are named master escape artists after being witnessed swiftly escaping predators.
These are truly wild animals and are not suitable for domestication. When captured, Vicunas will starve themselves until they die. This is why they are usually held for just long enough to shorn them and are then released back in the wild.
Vicunas are famous for their valuable wool. Popular for its strength and warmth, Vicuna wool is an expensive buy. A kilo sells for $300, and a yard can cost up to $3,000!
Though their population levels are now of least concern, Vicunas almost went extinct back in the 1960s due to excessive hunting for its wool.
They were then declared protected in the 70s, with the government going all out with protection programs and measures.
So really, Vicunas are one of the world’s greatest successful conservation stories.
Volcano rabbit
As you guessed, this rabbit got its name for living only on the volcanic slopes of the four extinct volcanoes in Mexico. Also, this species is strictly restricted to Mexico.
The Volcano rabbit is the world’s second-smallest rabbit and also the most primitive of the family. It weighs about 400-600 grams.
Volcano rabbits have a very chunky appearance with a big, fluffy body, and small ears and limbs, almost like a plushy. Probably even feels like too.
Living in groups of 2 to 5, these are semi-social animals. There’s a hierarchy in these groups, but no single rabbit leads them. It’s actually the breeding pair that dominates the rest of the members.
They’re categorized as endangered due to the increasing human interference in their natural habitat. There are about 5,000 volcano rabbits left in the whole world.
Visayan Warty Pig
The Visayan Warty Pigs are a pig species native to the Visayan Islands in the Philippines. It wasn’t until recently that the Visayan Warty Pig was recognized as a separate species.
These have sharp tusks similar to boars. The warts on their heads help with the protection from these tusks when they fight.
Visayan Warty Pigs are critically endangered. They are probably the most endangered wild pigs on the planet at the moment. There are only 300 of these pigs left, that too in captivity. The numbers are unknown for the wild population.
A distinctive feature of this pig is its mohawk’ hairstyle,’ earning it a ‘rockstar’ title. Only male Visayan warty pigs can grow this mane of hair, which they usually do at the start of mating seasons. The males are also generally larger and heavier than the females.
Adults have a singular color – either grey, black or brown. But baby Visayan pigs have a black and brown striped coat of thin fur. They grow out of this within the first year.
Despite their looks, Visayan Warty pigs are far from being violent or aggressive. Sure, they’re notorious for destroying farms and fields, but they are quite curious and friendly animals by nature.
In captivity and the wild, they are seen being very playful and messing about in the mud with their babies for hours upon hours.
Birds
Vulture
Vultures are BIG birds. Their wingspan can measure up to 1.5 meters. Some species like the Griffon vulture can reach 2.8 meters! That’s twice the size of a human!
They absolutely love to fly. Did you know Vultures can fly at about 20,000 feet up in the air and cruise on strong winds without ever once flapping their wings for hours? They’re also incredibly fast. Turkey vultures can speed up to 60 miles per hour when hunting a wounded prey.
Vultures, in general, are quite intelligent, so if you try to scare one off by shooing it, it’s most likely to just stare at you. They may even pretend to attack you because they’re smart enough to know you’re scared of them. But Black Vultures love to hang out with humans, so this species won’t.
They’re also the only species of big birds in the animal kingdom to use tools while eating. Now, that’s pretty smart if you ask me.
Not many know, but vultures are regurgitating creatures. Meaning, they’ll eat as much as they can when they can and bring up the partially digested food up to munch on it. I know, disgusting, but to you and me.
Let me give you another lesser-known but cute fact – vultures mate for life 😊
Vampire bat
Just as the name suggests, vampire bats feed only on blood. They usually feed on sleeping pigs, birds, horses, cows, and other small to medium-sized animals. And they are so quiet and light that most of the time, the prey goes unnoticed that it’s literally being sucked off of!
They’re not a big fan of human blood. But on the rare occasion that they do prey on us, it’s only because they’re very desperate and about to die.
Vampire bats can’t last very long without food. They cannot have a guaranteed feeding every night. But if they don’t feed within 48 hours, they will die.
A peculiar behavior exhibited by these bats is rather interesting. If a group of vampire bats finds that some of their mates are cutting close to their 48-hour window, they would come together and regurgitate blood and feed it to them. Talk about loyalty.
Contrary to their legendary monster counterpart, Dracula, Vampire bats make a tiny cut on their prey and instead lap on the blood oozing out. Rather anti-climactic.
Besides the whole blood-drinking thing, another thing that sets vampire bats apart from other bats is that they are the only ones to use all four of their limbs. They can run, walk and even jump.
Verdin
Verdins are songbirds residing in desert regions. They are usually found across Mexico, Southern Nevada, Western Texas, and Arizona.
Their identifying factor is their unique call and sound. Some of the sub-species even have a secret ‘language’ they use among themselves at times.
Verdins build both nests and roosts to live in. These are designed to help them survive the hot desert heat during noon and throughout the coming afternoon.
For summers, they build extra empty roosts here and there to chill in and protect themselves from the scathing heat of North America.
A quirk of this bird species would be hanging upside down on branches to look for decent sites for building roosts and/or nests in.
Velvetbreast
Velvetbreasts are a species of hummingbirds with a usually long, almost bent nail-like bill. It’s a beautiful bird with a velvet-like effect on its green and black exterior.
It’s also one of the smallest hummingbird species after the Bee and Costa’s hummingbird. Imagine how much they must weigh when the average hummingbird weighs less than a nickel…
Hummingbirds, in general, have uniquely small, cushiony nests that they build using soft plant fibers. They even steal woven web silk to make their nests extra strong and sometimes eat the owner spiders while they’re at it.
But the Velvetbreasts are as exceptional hiders as they are thieves. It’s incredibly rare to find this hummingbird’s nest.
Like all other hummingbird species, this one also needs to feed all day, every day, to have enough energy to just keep moving.
You would think they have decent, if not exceptional smelling abilities because their job profile is literally hovering over flowers and sucking on sweet nectar all day long.
But surprisingly, hummingbirds, including the velvetbreast, have no sense of smell whatsoever! They only rely on their high color vision.
Another fun fact, hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward AND upside down.
Velvet asity
This bird has quite a unique look to it. It has a vibrant green or yellow band with black feathers all over, starting from its tiny beak over its eye and ending right after it. It’s almost like a funky eyeliner I’d wear to my Friday night parties.
Standing on the smaller side, the velvet asity weighs about 35-40 grams. They are purely frugivorous, meaning they only feed on fruits to survive.
Native to Madagascar, this bird is a part of a family with only four species in total. This is also probably why their population size was never fully surveyed. So, we don’t know if they’re actually endangered or not.
The most recent information on the velvet asity’s population status is that their numbers are decreasing. Still, there’s no accurate data on by how much.
Aquatic
Vampire squid
The vampire squid is a deep-sea animal, living at 2000-3000 meters below sea level.
At first glance, this animal confused me because of how weirdly it resembles both an octopus and a squid.
Even scientists were so intrigued by its unique features that they categorized the vampire squid into its own, singular group unique to itself. So, they’re not even actually squids.
And nor do they don’t suck on blood. It’s a completely misleading name. It’s their dark brownish-red color, blood-shot-like eyes, and strangely webbed arms resembling a cape that gave this animal its name.
Again, far from its name, the vampire squid is closer to a jellyfish in terms of skin texture. They’re also incredibly fast despite their gelatinous body.
Vampire squids are detritivores and usually eat marine snow. What is marine snow? It is a foggy mixture of dirt, marine animals’ poop, and broken-down dead bodies floating around. Mmh, yummy.
A unique ability they possess is that they can completely invert their ‘cape.’ This is their way of looking threatening to predators and escaping danger since they can’t spurt ink or change colors like other squids.
Believed to come into existence some 300 million years ago, we still don’t know the exact or even approximate lifespan of the vampire squid.
Violet sea snail
Despite its rather ‘soft’ and far from lethal looks, the violet sea snail is a carnivorous snail species. This little animal loves to feed on venomous and not-so-human-friendly creatures.
Suitable to tropical and temperate waters, Voilet sea snails cannot survive once stranded anywhere near the seabed. It’s an instant death sentence for them.
The only way to survive is to stay on the surface. Their shells are relatively light but not enough to make them sink-proof.
How do they do it then?
Violet sea snails can form bubble-like mucous rafts that help them float on the water surface. This mucous secreted from their foot quickly hardens, which they use to stay upside down on the surface, and endlessly floating away.
This ability is extremely rare in snails – only ten species in the entire world can do it.
Their whole lives are spent wandering about on the ocean surface.
Vaquita
Vaquitas are the smallest known cetacean, the family of large aquatic animals like dolphins, sharks, and whales.
They are also the rarest animals and are critically endangered. Sadly, there are less than 20 vaquitas left on the planet. And this is according to a 2019 report.
It’s primarily the illegal fishing off the Gulf of California that has brought this animal to the brink of extinction.
This strangely cute little porpoise species was first discovered in the 1950s. Only forty or so years in, their population was already recorded to be between 500 and 600.
Because vaquitas are very shy, private, and hardly spotted, we know very little about them, including their eating habits, behavior, and general social lives.
It is very likely to extinct at this point. Scientists have sampled and preserved the species’ cells over the years to maybe revive them in the future somehow.
Viperfish
This fish is a scary and highly unusual-looking fish to be ever found in the deep sea. You could probably tell by its looks that this species is a predatory fish. One of the fiercest among the deep-sea creatures, actually.
Viperfish are fairly large but not as huge as portrayed in movies. They can grow up to 24 inches.
It’s quite capable of giving you nightmares. This fish’s scary but unique factor is its large head with multiple long, pointy teeth. They even hold a Guinness world record for this.
Because they’re strictly found in the depths, Viperfish have evolved to become darker and develop a color vision interestingly. As you can imagine, it’s pitch black down there, so Viperfish uses its body to produce light to locate and attract prey.
Once a prey gets close enough, zoop! Devoured within seconds. Another scary fact: Viperfish can swallow its prey whole.
All in all, it’s a pretty scary fish, and it’s great that I’ll never ever run into one during my next visit to the beach.
Velvet crab
The Velvet crab, also known as Lady crab and Devil crab, is usually found in the U.K. and Ireland.
These crabs have a blue shell and very short hair all over their body which gives them a velvety appearance, hence the name.
They’re also called Devil crabs because of their strikingly red eyes.
You can also look for black bands on their legs to identify them easily. It’s a very uncommon physical trait among crabs, so they’re easy to tell apart.
They mostly hang around the coast, occasionally going deeper into the sea. So, the Velvet crab’s diet is mostly snails, dead fish, worms, prawns, and even clams.
It’s the only species of its genus Necora. They are of average size, growing 8 to 10 centimeters at most.
Velvet crabs are one of the most fished crab species in the U.K. fishing industry. It’s commonly found in Spanish, French, and English cuisines.
Venus Flytrap Sea Anemone
This is a fairly large sea anemone that has a striking resemblance to the Venus flytrap. The fluorescent light receptors on its body make it a lot prettier to look at than regular, land Venus flytraps.
They stem out of big exposed rocks, rising up to 40 cms in height. Their preys include small fish, snails, shrimp, and even baby cribs.
Unlike other sea anemones, this species has its mouth upwards.
They were only accidentally discovered very recently as part of a study. So, not much is known about them.
But they ARE aquatic Venus flytraps, so the two are very likely to share most characteristics.
Rodents
Variegated Squirrel
The Variegated squirrel is a tree squirrel native to South America. Like other squirrel species, variegated squirrels also live in solitude, except for females who look after the babies.
A distinctive factor of the variegated squirrel is its color. This species is found in various beautiful colors and patterns ranging from reddish-brown to grey and black.
You would think all squirrels love to have a crack at a tough nut, but not Variegated squirrels. This species straight-up avoids eating hard-shelled stuff.
Although they do eat acorns occasionally, Variegated squirrels are herbivores who mostly eat soft-shelled fruits, some specific ripe fruits, insects, and even nestlings.
A random squirrel fun fact: Japan has squirrel gardens where you can pet the squirrels using oven mitts.
Vole
Commonly mistaken for mice at first, Voles are tiny rodents. However, appearance-wise, they are a lot closer to lemmings. It’s almost impossible for amateurs like you and me to tell them apart with one look.
They’re pretty human-friendly. Not exactly scared of us, Voles are confident enough to come to chill two meters away from you.
The only time they are concerning is because of their disease-spreading ability. They’re rodents, after all. They are also notorious for destroying people’s lawns and eating bulbs and tubers.
These rodents are vegetarian and are attracted to vegetation-rich, grassy, and even weedy areas. But interestingly enough, voles are also found in the snowy regions of Minnesota and Alaska.
Unlike most other rodents, voles don’t hibernate. You can spot them moving around, going about their day, all year long. They instead huddle up during winters in their burrows to keep each other warm.
Reptiles
Viper Snake
Considered one of the deadliest snake species, Vipers are famously known for their long, hinged fangs.
Among all snakes on earth, the Gaboon viper snake has the longest fangs, which are 5 centimeters long!
Vipers are also extremely aggressive. Most vipers have relatively lower toxic venoms, but it’s their repeated, aggressive bites that will most definitely kill you.
But that’s not the case with the Russell’s Pit viper. This snakes’ venom will cut your blood supply completely, hemorrhaging every part of the body and causing your organs to fail. Your body will cease the production of hormones, and you will die a slow and terrible death. Those who do survive the first bite, their failed kidneys will eventually claim their lives. Terrifying, right?
Wanna hear about another crazy dangerous viper? I present you the Saw-scaled viper. One venomous bite from this snake, and you will lose your fingers, toes, and even entire limbs even if you survive the bite.
If that doesn’t heighten your fear of snakes, you absolutely have my respect.
Viper snakes live up to their deadly reputation as they have accounted for more human deaths than the death toll of all snakes combined!
So, if you ever accidentally encounter one, calmly grab hold of your deodorant, and spray at it with all your might. They despise any kind of strong or fragrant smell.
Vulcan Lipinia
The Vulcun Lipinia is a skink species, commonly called Lipinia.
What’s a skink? It’s an elongated, snake-like lizard with a sleek, smooth body.
It’s native to the Philippines but is found worldwide except for the Arctic because it’s way too cold for reptiles.
Even though they’re closely related to lizards, Lipinias can move fast like a snake when on the ground.
The Vulcun Lipinia’s hunting technique is also somewhat similar to its snake buddies. They hide in the grass once they spot prey and calmly wait till it comes close enough. After getting hold of the prey, they’ll shake it violently to make sure it’s dead and then swallow it whole.
Their tails are sensitive. Let me explain. If caught with a certain force, the tail will break off from the body and wriggle around as a trick to confuse the predator.
Like other skinks, Lipinias are also solitary. Even mothers will leave their babies once they’re hatched to fend for themselves! If they survive, they survive. They’re truly cold-blooded.
Veiled chameleon
The Veiled chameleon is named after its funny-looking cone-like headgear.
That triangular extension on top of its head is called a casque. Both males and females have a casque, but males often use it to attract females.
Some even called them Yemen chameleon because of their Yemen and Saudi Arabian origins. Usually found on mountains and hills, this species is tolerable to relatively harsh conditions compared to other chameleons.
Because they mostly live in rough terrestrials out in the wild, Veiled chameleons have evolved to use their tails as a leg to climb. Random fun fact: Chameleons use their feet like salad tongs.
Veiled Chameleons are the most commonly domesticated chameleon species. Also, if you talk to your pet Veiled chameleon, it can only hear you at a particular pitch.
But take it slow. Veiled Chameleons are easily stressed. And they will shed their skins when they’re highly stressed.
What causes this stress? It’s usually when they’re threatened but also when introduced to a new chameleon. That’s because this species is very shy and highly territorial.
Unlike other chameleons, male veiled chameleons can recognize their owners just like dogs. They even turn a bright color when they spot them.
Males are much more aggressive and territorial than females, so you better try not to pet them if you’re not the owner. They’ll turn a dark color and even hiss at you.
Virgin island dwarf gecko
As the name suggests, this gecko comes from the British Virgin Islands and is a dwarf. It’s actually the smallest species among not just reptiles but also amniotes in the entire world.
An adult Virgin Island dwarf gecko weighs no more than 0.15 grams. And the most it can grow is 18 millimeters – that’s smaller than a U.S. dime!
Because of its small size, this gecko can only eat a small amount in a day. Their size also makes them vulnerable to a lot more predators.
This unique species of dwarf geckos are found to be residing on only three of the Virgin Islands. But their exact population is unknown to us.
As you would imagine, they’re quite difficult to spot in the wild because of their minuscule size. They move around rocks and stones, so their dark brown skin color doesn’t help either.
Whatever zoologists know of this species’ behavior is based on studies of other dwarf and regular geckos. They might be tiny, but they’re quite territorial and aggressive.
Another thing we know about Virgin Island dwarf geckos is they’re a lot more vocal than other reptiles.
They use unique vocalization to communicate with each other. You’d think they only screech, but they can kind of bark and chirp too! Of course, not like a dog or bird would, but close enough.
Vanzo’s Whiptail
The Vanzo Whiptail, also known as Saint Lucian and Maria Island whiptail, is a lizard found in the Caribbean.
It’s a pretty-looking reptile that is usually black, brown, or greenish-blue in color with white spots around the lower half of its body.
This Whiptail is the only Cnemidophorus species within its family. And sadly, it is critically endangered. As of 2021, there are fewer than 1000 surviving Vanzo Whiptails.
Because of their declining numbers, this lizard is now only found on the Maria major and Maria minor islands.
To increase their native population, zoologists have taken around a third of their population and set them up on a nearby island called the Praslin Island.
As a Cnemidophorus, the Vanzo whiptail species has no males, so they reproduce either asexually or out of hybridization. Meaning that the female mates with a male of a closely related species.
Though this is commonly seen within amphibians and some mammals, this type of reproduction behavior is extremely rare in reptiles. Which makes the Vanzo Whiptail even more unique.
Insects
Viceroy butterfly
Viceroy butterfly is one of the most recognizable butterfly species. Deep orange with black veins all over, it has white spots towards the edges of its wings.
Its flying behavior is another identifying factor. Viceroys fly in a set sequence: they flap their wings twice and then glide. This pattern also makes them faster than other butterflies.
The viceroy butterfly is generally not eaten by many birds as its appearance confuses them.
Viceroy butterflies look strikingly similar to Monarch butterflies, a species that is so poisonous that it can kill humans. So that’s one less predator.
Such animals that look alike as a result of evolution are called mimics. It was only recently found that this species can also be pretty toxic, though not as much as the Monarchs.
Viceroys have a specific preference for mating in the afternoons. But an even more interesting breeding fact about butterflies, in general, is that more than two generations hatch and live throughout a single season.
It’s like you being born within two weeks of your grandfather. Isn’t nature fascinating?!
Dinosaurs
Velociraptor
Let me begin by saying that everything you know about velociraptors is most definitely wrong unless you’re a paleontologist.
Velociraptor is a Latin word that literally translates to “swift robber.” This species was found in Eastern Asian regions of what we know today as Mongolia and China.
Don’t confuse these with the raptors from the Jurassic Park movies. Both Velociraptors and the dinosaurs that movie ‘raptors’ were actually based on belong to the same dinosaur family – Dromaeosauridae. But they are completely different.
Besides, the raptors shown in the movie are not exactly scientifically accurate. Come on, it’s a 90s movie series.
You’d be surprised to know that the actual size of the velociraptor species ranged from a house cat to just a little over 2 meters in height and 6 feet in length. That’s literally half the size of what they were portrayed to be in the movies.
To bust another myth, they also had feathers!
To describe them in simple terms, they are basically feathered Theropods (another dino species) that looked like turkey vultures. Which is kind of apt because genetically, Velociraptors have a lot in common with today’s larger birds.
Velociraptors were social animals that hunted in packs – that’s something that the movie got right.
This dinosaur was also intelligent and would often play with its prey.
The Dromaeosaurid family, in general, is known to be quite aggressive, so the velociraptors were no exception. They were feisty, territorial, and very fast.
Valdosaurus
These were believed to have scattered across Romania and Spain. But a new specimen of Valdosaurus was recently found in the U.K. It is now estimated to be a species native to England. Or the place where England now exists.
The first-ever Valdosaurus fossil was found in 1848 but was thought to be a different species called the Iguanodon. It was only in 1977 that they were established as a new, independent species under the Dryosauridae family.
Valdosaurus were bipedal herbivores who mostly ate shrubs and weeds.
They almost looked like raptors but had small beak-like mouths. Twice the height of an adult human in length. With super long tails (thagomizers), an adult Valdosaurus could grow about 3 meters long.
This dino had a very big lizard-like appearance, which is also why it was named Valdosaurus, meaning “weald lizard” in Greek.
Vulcanodan
Vulcanado is an early Jurassic dino of the Sauropod genus. Found In South Africa, it is believed that the Pangaea split is what pushed it there.
Being one of the early Jurassic creatures, the Vulcanodan fossil is quite important. It told us a lot about why and how this species evolved into huge subgroups like Cetiosauridae, Brachiosauridae, and Titanosauridae in the Cretaceous period million years later.
It was a fairly big creature, standing about 4 meters tall and measuring up to 6 meters from end to end.
With a bulky figure, Vulcanodans had long, slender necks that helped them reach tree branches. Oh, and they were herbivores.
Regardless of their big appearance, Vulcanodans were actually relatively lightweight. How? It’s their very interesting Sauropod feature. All Sauropods, including Vulcanados, had air sacs instead of lungs like other dinosaurs.
Venenosaurus
Also a Sauropod, the Venenosaurus’s name literally translates to “poison lizard.”
No, they were not actually poisonous or venomous. But got this name because their fossils were found in a Utah mountain valley called the Poison Strip.
These lived in the early Cretaceous period and were rather small sauropod species. They are actually considered the smallest Titanosaurs, at least so far. They also have slender arms and bones, which is unique for their family.
Of all sauropod specimens collected, there was only one fully grown Venenosaurus found. Even so, there is not much known other than their habitat and eating habits so far.
Vectaerovenator
Discovered only in 2019 on Isle of Wright, England, this is a newly found Early Cretaceous, Theropod species.
The majority of Therapods were strict carnivory. So, the Vectaerovenator is also classified as a carnivorous dinosaur. Interestingly, it is very closely related to the T-Rex
Not much is known about this dinosaur because of the very recent discovery. It is, however, believed that it was a mainly fish-eating dinosaur.
Because Europe was nothing but a bunch of islands back in the early Cretaceous era, scientists assume they adapted to hunting fish as a large part of their feeding behavior. But this is all speculation.
The dinosaur was named Vectaerovenator inopinatus, referring to the big air spaces found between its bones.
Paleontologists say these air sacs are an extension of the lungs and are similar to those found in modern-day birds. Based on the findings so far, this dino was strangely hollow.
With only four bones from the neck, back and tail found, scientists and dino enthusiasts sure are elated and excited out of their pants after this discovery.
It’s not every day you stumble upon the fossils of a whole new species of prehistoric creatures.
Conclusion: Animals that Start with V
It’s been a good article, stuffing your brains with facts and bits of info.
The animal kingdom is full of surprises, and while we’ve only covered a few here, it’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There are tons more animals that exist out there, and even more dictionaries to reference!
We are ending on a high note here, we hope you enjoyed yourself and would like to read more! Don’t forget to share the love with your followers and let them know about this article.
If you can think of more animals that start with the letter V and don’t see them on this list then please let us know via email.