Animals that Start with N
From Neanderthals to nurse sharks, learn more about 63 different animals that begin with the letter N by reading the material below. Numbats are the most well-known animal whose name begins with the letter N. Only 1,500 are thought to be alive today in the wild. The nightingale, a noisy bird species renowned for its early morning song, is the least well-known N mammal. Fun information about animals with names beginning with the letter N includes:
Newts can regenerate back missing or injured limbs.
Most nurse sharks are calm and pose little threat to humans.
North American black bears are one of only two bear species that are not on the IUCN’s list of endangered species as a result of considerable conservation efforts.
List of Animals That Start with N
Nabarlek | Naegleria | Naked Mole Rat | Narwhal |
Natterjack | Nautilus | Neanderthal | Neapolitan Mastiff |
Nebelung | Needlefish | Nelore Cattle | Neon Tetra |
Neptune Grouper | Netherland Dwarf Rabbit | New Hampshire Red Chicken | Newfoundland |
Newfypoo | Newt | Nguni Cattle | Nicobar pigeon |
Nigerian Goat | Night Adder | Night Heron | Night Snake |
Nightingale | Nightjar | Nile Crocodile | Nile Perch |
Nilgai | No See Ums | Norfolk Terrier | Norrbottenspets |
North American Black Bear | Northern Alligator Lizard | Northern Bobwhite | Northern Cardinal |
Northern Flicker | Northern Fur Seal | Northern Harrier | Northern Inuit Dog |
Northern Jacana | Northern Parula | Northern Pintail | Northern Potoo |
Northern Screamer | Northern Water Snake | Norway Rat | Norwegian Buhund |
Norwegian Elkhound | Norwegian Forest | Norwegian Lundehund | Norwich Terrier |
Nose-Horned Viper | Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever | Nubian Goat | Nudibranch |
Numbat | Nuralagus | Nurse Shark | Nut Weevil |
Nuthatch | Nutria | Nyala |
Animals that Start with N

Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Diprotodontia |
Family | Macropodidae |
Genus | Petrogale |
Scientific Name | Petroleum sludge |
The barley is a small member of the Macropodidae family, commonly referred to as the pygmy rock-wallaby or little rock-wallaby. It is related to wallabies, tree kangaroos, quokkas, and a number of other Australian native marsupial species. Only a few small locations in northwestern Australia are home to the endangered nabarleks. Fires, the struggle for food, and the destructive imported species, the feral cat, all pose risks to them. The Most of the time they spend hiding out in caves and cracks on rocky, steep hillsides, Nabarleks are highly solitary creatures. They are mainly active at night and feed primarily on tough ferns, sedges, and grasses. These ferns quickly lose their teeth, but that’s okay since, like sharks, they constantly grow new ones!
Where to Find Nabarleks
There are a few places in Australia’s extreme north where nabarleks are indigenous. P. concinna canescens, one subspecies, is found in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land region. The Kimberley region of Western Australia’s northern coast is home to the subspecies P. concinna monastria, along with a few small offshore islands. The existence of the third subspecies, P. concinna concinna, which was once discovered in the Northern Territory’s Top End, is uncertain. The barley inhabits rocky ground that is mostly made of sandstone or granite. It prefers rocky hills, cliffs, and gorges because of their steep slopes. It prefers locations with lots of good hiding spots, including caves and cracks or big stones. The Nabarleks inhabit Australia’s mainland as well as a few nearby small, rocky islands. They do browse in grassy places or amid sedges a fair distance from the security of their rocky homes.
Nabarlek Scientific Name
An Australian Aboriginal word from the Kunwinjku dialect of the Bininj Kunwok language, the common name “barley” is derived. The barley is also referred to as a small rock wallaby or a pygmy rock wallaby. John Edward Gray, a renowned British biologist, created the genus Petrogale in 1837. The rock wallabies are there. Concinna, the particular name, is a Latin adjective that means attractive. The only known specimen of the original designated subspecies, P. concinna concinna, was collected in 1839 and described by John Gould in 1842. Later, the P. concinna canescens and P. concinna monastria subspecies were discovered.
Naegleria

Kingdom | Animalia |
Order | Schizopyrenida |
Family | Vahlkampfiidae |
Genus | Naegleria |
Scientific Name | Naegleria fowleri |
Naegleria fowleri is a pathogenic bacteria-eating microbe that is also referred to as the “brain-eating amoeba.” Technically speaking, this member of the genus Naegleria is a free-swimming amoeboflagellate rather than a true amoeba. It can lead to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare and extremely dangerous brain infection that was first identified in 1965. It can be found in soil and warm freshwater bodies all over the planet.
5 Naegleria Facts
- Kurt Nägler, a German protozoologist, is the source of the genus name Naegleria.
- During their life cycle, they can quickly transition from amoeboid to flagellated stages.
- Naegleria fowleri enters through the nose as a pathogen and then moves to the brain.
- PAM demands an immediate diagnosis because it might be fatal within a few days of infection.
- Only 1 to 5 infections brought on by this bacterium happen in the US each year, despite the fact that they are frequently fatal
Naegleria Scientific Name
Of the 47 species that make up this genus, Naegleria fowleri, also known as the “brain-eating amoeba,” is the most well-known. Its scientific name is a combination of the names of two well-known researchers. Kurt Nägler, a German protozoologist, is honored by the name Naegleria, which is a genus. Australian pathologist Malcolm Fowler chose the term “fowleri” in the interim. The first case reports of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis were encountered by Fowler in 1965 while he was working as a pathologist at Adelaide Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, Australia.
Naked Mole Rat
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Rodentia |
Family | Heterocephalidae |
Genus | Heterocephalus |
Scientific Name | Heterocephalus glaber |
Being able to exist in so many different forms, even if they appear strange to the human sight, is one of the most astounding aspects of life on earth. The naked mole rat must be among the strangest species of land mammals. Even though it is a rodent, it is neither a rat nor a mole. It lives underground in colonies of 75 to 80 mole rats, while a colony can hold as many as 200 individuals. It is almost completely hairless and nearly blind. The queen, who acts as the center of the colony’s universe, is the only female who is allowed to reproduce
5 Incredible Naked Mole Rat facts!
The colony of naked mole rats acts more like a swarm of bees than a community of mammals. It is headed by a matriarch or queen, who has the support of every other member of the society. Similar to the queen bee, she is the only female who is permitted to procreate.
Since the naked mole rat is essentially a cold-blooded creature, its body temperature is influenced by its environment.
Its pink skin has no pain receptors.
It has an exceedingly slow metabolism.
The naked mole rat can survive for 18 minutes without oxygen and thrive in an environment with 80% carbon dioxide and 20% oxygen. It accomplishes this by drawing on fructose reserves located in its crucial organs, including the brain. The only mammal is the naked mole rat.
Scientific name
Heterocephalus glaber is the scientific name for the naked mole rat. Greek words translated as “two-headed” or “different-headed” refer to both the genus that the naked mole rat belongs to as well as a malformed fetus with two unequal heads. It’s probable that the scientist who initially observed the strange-appearing animal experienced such a disfigurement. Although the skin of the naked mole rat is wrinkled and devoid of a layer of fat beneath it, the Latin word “glaber” means smooth and hairless. The only species in its genus is the naked mole rat.
Narwhal

Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Cetacea |
Family | Monodontidae |
Genus | Monodon |
Scientific Name | Monodon monoceros |
Animals called narwhals scavenge for food in the Arctic Ocean and the Northern Atlantic. They occasionally surface in larger bunches, offering tourists and other onlookers a captivating sight. Although this species has historically been persecuted by humans for its abundant resources, it is not currently in danger of going extinct.
3 Incredible Narwhal Facts!
The term nar, which means corpse in Old Norse, is the source of the species’ name. This alludes to the animal’s light coloring. The species is sometimes known as a narwhal or narwhale.
The narwhal is an animal that has been significant to the Inuit, Viking, Scottish, and English cultures. Its horn was thought to have magical abilities and medicinal uses. Vikings made cups out of tusks because they thought they could successfully stop poisoning.
In captivity, narwhals perform quite poorly. Scientists have not been able to examine narwhals up close and personally in order to understand their habits and activities because every attempt to capture them has resulted in the narwhal dying in a matter of months.
Scientific Name
Monodon monoceros is the narwhal’s official scientific name. This phrase has Greek origins and means “one tooth, one horn.” The only species in this genus that is still alive today is this one. Therefore, theoretically, the term “narwhal” can apply to either the species or the genus. It is a member of the Monodontidae family as well. The beluga whale is the only other member of the family that is still alive. It shares a closer relationship with all other whales, dolphins, and cetaceans.
Natterjack

Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Amphibia |
Order | Anura |
Family | Bufonidae |
Genus | Epidalea |
Scientific Name | Epidalea calamitaos |
Natterjack toads are indigenous to Europe. A vertical yellow line on its back is the only difference between it and a common toad in appearance. Carnivores are consuming spiders, worms, and woodlice. In search of prey, these amphibians are active at night.
5 Incredible Natterjack Facts!
- This amphibian is referred to as the “running toad” because of the swift manner in which it crawls rather than leaps.
- Its powerful call can be heard up to three miles away.
- They have a maximum lifespan of 20 years.
- They inhabit a region that includes marshes and sand dunes.
- The hues of this amphibian are similar to those of a common toad, but it has a yellow stripe running down its back.
Scientific Name
The natterjack toad’s scientific name is Epidalea calamita. The genus of this toad is called Epidalea, and the word “calamita” means “magnetic.” This is a reference to the notion that during mating season, European toads are drawn to shallow ponds by the moon’s magnetic attraction. Because of the manner it moves, this frog is known as the “running toad.” There isn’t a literal connotation associated with this moniker. Although this frog doesn’t truly run, its rapid movement gives the impression that it is! It belongs to the Amphibia class and is a member of the Bufonidae family.
Nautilus

Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Mollusca |
Class | Cephalopoda |
Order | Nautilida |
Family | Nautilidae |
Genus | Nautilus |
Scientific Name | Nautilus pompilius |
The nautilus, a marine mollusk belonging to the Nautilidae family, was named after the Ancient Greek word for sailor. The nautilus is a living fossil that closely resembles the octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. Its predecessors developed about 500 million years ago. These scavengers that live in the deep ocean travel by employing jet propulsion and a complex network of chambers that regulate their buoyancy. The overfishing of nautiluses, some of the rarest marine creatures, has put their existence in danger. They are highly valued for their ornamental spiral shells that look like pearls on the inside.
5 Nautilus Facts
- Nearly 500 million years ago, the earliest nautiluses began to form, and they are still mostly unchanged today.
- Despite having a lifespan of up to 20 years, nautiluses often don’t attain sexual maturity until they are between the ages of 10 and 15.
- Nautiluses have 60 to 90 tentacles that they utilize to entangle prey. These tentacles are covered in a sticky glue and tiny hairs.
- Nautiluses use jet propulsion to move around by blowing water via a siphon beneath their eyes.
- Nautiluses, in contrast to other cephalopods, have poor vision, but they make up for it with a keen sense of smell.
Nautilus Scientific Name
A marine mollusk that is distantly related to cephalopods like squid, cuttlefish, and octopus is the nautilus. The six species of nautilus that are still alive are all members of the Nautilidae family. The basic genus Nautilus contains four species, and the other two are found in the genus Allonautilus. The name nautilus comes from the Greek word nautilos, which means “sailor.” The chambered nautilus, the most well-known nautilus species, is also known as the pearly nautilus. Its name is derived from its iridescent appearance as well as the numerous chambers it employs to regulate its buoyancy. In honor of Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome, it has the scientific name Nautilus pompilius.
Neanderthal

Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Primates |
Family | Hominidae |
Genus | Homo |
Scientific Name | Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis |
The earliest extinct human ancestors, the neanderthals, lived between 400,000 and 40,000 years ago. The relationships between these hominids and the contemporary humans they were linked to have been thoroughly studied ever since the first Neanderthal remains were found in 1829. They appear to have coexisted alongside modern humans, and Homo sapiens’ expansion and ascent as a rival species may have played a significant role in their final extinction.
5 Neanderthal Facts
- Numerous pieces of evidence indicate that Neanderthals created and employed complex tools, purposefully buried their dead, controlled fire, constructed shelters, and engaged in a wide range of other sophisticated social behaviors.
- Many of the physical characteristics of Neanderthals, such as their wide noses and shorter, stockier physique, are probably the result of the ice age in which they lived.
- Given that both humans and Neanderthals are members of the same genus, they most likely descended from a common ancestor between 700,000 and 300,000 years ago. The oldest Neanderthal skeleton was found in Spain and is thought to be 430,000 years old.
- Modern humans probably contributed to the extinction of Neanderthals when they arrived in Europe as the ice period deepened.
Scientific Name
The scientific name for this species also referred to as Neanderthals, is Homo neanderthalensis. The name is taken from one of the earliest sites where Neanderthal remains were discovered – the Neander Valley, which is located near modern-day Dusseldorf, Germany. The term “tal” in German means “valley.” The phrase “Neanderthaler” approximately translates as “Neander Valley resident.” This species’ namesake valley in Germany is named for German theologian and educator Joachim Neander.