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34 Animals That Start With J

Curious about the animals that start with J? You’re in the right place! Here’s a fun list of all types of animals that start with the letter J!

There is no doubt that the complete list of animals beginning with J is exhaustive. Still, we created this article with the most diverse animals from Central and South America to Asia so you can leave about the beautiful creatures of our world.

Here, you’ll discover many fun things about these animals that begin with J, so if you’re looking this up to help you with a school project, you’re in the right place.

Hey you! Have we missed any animal that starts with the letter J? Then please drop us a comment below and let us know.

Animals That Start With J

Here are some of the most exciting animals that begin with the letter J. Some are common animals, others you probably have never heard of! But no worries. You’re about to expand your knowledge!

Jaguar

Jaguars walking in the forest
The jaguar is one of the animals that start with J

The third largest cat in the world, the jaguar often gets mistaken for leopards because of the black spots. 

Unlike most species of cats, it’s not uncommon to find jaguars enjoying occasional dips in the water. The strong swimmers love swamps and dense forests with rivers. Also, jaguars are among the strongest animals in the world!

In addition, these big cats are agile animals that can inhabit a wide range, from tropical rainforests in Brazil in South America to Mexico and Texas in North America.

Japanese Spider Crab

Japanese spider crab in water

You guessed it. Japanese spider crabs appear like a spider though they’re marine crabs found in water bodies surrounding Japan. 

The crab species has the longest legs found on a crab to date, with one crab by the name of “Big Daddy” sporting 4 ft 8.5 in long legs.

Because of that, the Japanese spider crab is among the biggest animals on Earth!

Jaguarundi

Jaguarundi cat walking

Native to the American continent, the jaguarundi cats are wild cats with spots on their fur at the time of birth, which disappear when they become three months old. 

Active day and night, their 60mph running speed allows them to jump 6.5 feet in the air to catch their prey.

Also, jaguarundis are usually found in South and Central America, northern Mexico, and the southern United States.

Japanese Skink

Japanese Five-lined Skink on a rock

Native to Japan, Plestiodon kishinouyei or the Japanese Skink is a lizard species on the IUCN list as “vulnerable.”

About 9 inches long in form, their legs are shorter than other lizards, and some are born with no legs, wiggling the way snakes do.

Jackal Buzzard

Jackal Buzzard taking flight

The first on our list of animals that start with J is the jackal buzzard, a native African bird of prey.

Called the most handsome buzzard, their distinct “kaaaa-haa-haa” call resembles that of a Jackal, hence the backstory of their name.

Japanese Macaque

Japanese Macaque in hot spring

Japanese macaque or snow monkeys have a strong hierarchical structure with a male and female leader, who often get the first benefits.

The daughter is the next in line, and younger siblings have more power than the older ones.

These primates bathe together in hot springs to warm up during winter.

Javan Rhinoceros

Javan rhino eating

Only 60 Javan Rhinoceros are accounted for in the entire world, living in Ujung Kulon National Park.

About 10 feet in length and 6 feet in height, they have a 10-inch single horn on the head with gray skin which folds loosely.

Javanese Cownose Ray

Javanese cownose rays swimming in the water

Among the animals that begin with the letter J, Javanese Cownose Ray is open seas and coral reef fish species.

The stinger on their tail doesn’t hold too harmful a venom and feels like a bee sting at most.

Javanese Bird Grasshopper

Javanese grasshopper on green leaves

Common to all of Southeast Asia, Javanese bird grasshoppers are most common in Singapore.

An extremely pretty species, they are usually yellow-green in appearance with blue marks. The male hoppers are 1.8 to 2.2 inches, while female ones are only 0.6 to 3.0 inches.

Jungle Cat

Jungle cat, Felis chaus, in the desert

Chausie, the hybrid domestic and jungle cat species, get their name from the scientific name of the jungle cat, which is Felis chaus.

Solitary by nature, only mother and kitten stay together until the kitten is of age.

Jungle Babbler

Jungle Babbler closeup

Sticking to a family of six to ten while foraging, the habit has earned jungle babblers the nickname of Seven Sisters in Northern Indian and Saath bhai or Seven brothers in the Bengali language. The social birds tend to make constant noises.

Jungle Myna

Jungle Myna sitting on a cow

The gray plumage of jungle myna turns almost black when it comes to their heads and wings.

They rub insects all over their body to derive nutrition from the insects, also known as anting, but they primarily use millipedes.

Jungle Nightjar

Jungle nightjar on tree

Jungle nightjars are night-dwelling birds with an appearance that gets them mistaken for owls.

Their black, brown, and white plumage makes them excellent at camouflage. Large eyes give them a broad vision to spot their prey, and the bristles on the side of their mouth add to their appearance.

Jungle Bush-quail

Jungle Bush Quail

This bird species walks around dry grasslands in a grouper ranging from 6 to 25 bush-quails. Jungle bush-quails are part of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. 

Oval in shape, they have a brown and black back; and black and white stripes on the front. They make ‘tiri-tiri’ calls when they leave their group for a short time.

Jamaican Oriole

Jamaican Oriole perched in tree

The Jamaican orioles whistle that sound like ‘tie-tiewu’. People claim it sounds like they’re saying, “Aunt Katie.”

They are also known as Banana Katies because they prefer the fruit over others. They don’t migrate and tend to stick to Jamaica and the Colombian islands, where they’re native.

Jamaican Fruit-Eating Bat

Jamaican Fruit Bat covered in Pollen

Jamaican fruit-eating bats strongly prefer rainforests but can easily live in dry forests and plantations.

They rest inside caves and in hollow trees. Usually, a colony consists of about 14 females and one or two males.

Jackson’s Three-Horned Chameleon

Jackson's Chameleon portrait

Going by Kikuyu three-horned chameleon, sometimes, the name of the species is a nod to the three horns on their face. 

Native to East Africa, these chameleons can also be found in Hawaii, Florida, and California.

It’s better to keep them apart from others of the same species as they joust with their horns.

Jackson’s Widowbird

Male Jackson widowbird in courtship plumage

Near threatened on the IUCN list, Jackson’s widowbird is native to Kenya and Tanzania.

Male widowbirds perform displays at dancing rings, owning 2-3 of them. Dancing rings are flat grass encircling tufts. The male birds are solitary animals while being highly territorial.

Jackson’s Hornbill

Jacksons Hornbill portrait

On the list of animals that start with J, Jackson’s hornbill sticks to North East Uganda and North West Kenya.

The appearance is startlingly similar to Von der Decken’s hornbill, and some argue they are a subspecies.

However, the white spots on the otherwise black wings help differentiate Jackson’s hornbill from the other species.

Japanese Four-Lined Ratsnake

Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake in the wild

For one, the Japanese four-lined ratsnake isn’t a venomous species by any means.

Japanese people call the species Shimahebi in their native tongue. They are about 40 to 60 inches in length and with ridges on the dorsal scale of adults.

Japanese Dormouse

Japanese dormouse in Japan

The native Japanese dormice go by the name Yamane in Japan and have temperate forests as their habitat.

They can run at a speed of 8 mph and do so upside down, rushing down from branches they frequent. One of the smallest of the known species weighs about 1.41 ounces.

Jabiru

Jabiru flying over water

The tallest flying bird in South America and the owner of the second widest wing in North America, the jabiru is striking in appearance. Also, the jabiru is a member of the stork family, Ciconiidae.

All white plumage, gray bill, black head, and neck with a brick red down encircling their throat, it’s hard to look away.

Julia Butterfly

Julia butterfly on flower

Julia butterfly is a species native to America, specifically in tropical and subtropical regions.

The butterfly species has passionvine as their main host plant, with only a few species they can rely on. Also referred to as the flame, Julia butterflies have brush-like small legs.

Jean’s Jumping Spider

Male Jumping spider on leaf

Jean’s jumping spiders belong to the biggest family of spiders among the different species.

They tend to have all kinds of bright colors on their skin with spectacularly large eyes. The jumping spiders have scales all over their body which one might identify as strands of hair as well.

Jeannel’s Zebra Blue

No, these aren’t zebras. Jeannel’s blues are a species of butterflies found at low altitudes.

The name is due to the patterns on their body, reminding one of a zebra. Except they have a sort of translucent blue color instead of white.

Jonah Crab

Jonah crab hiding between rocks

Jonah crab is a species of crab inhabiting the eastern coast of North America.

One of the most commonly cooked, affordable crabs, the species has a rough shell. The shell has light yellow spots, and the claws are brown and black at the tip.

Jerusalem Cricket

Jerusalem Crickets on rock
Jerusalem Crickets, commonly referred to as “potato bugs,” are not truly crickets.

One of the largest insects and crickets in the west of North America, they’re about 2 inches long.

They look different from the cricket species you’re familiar with large oval heads, longer hind legs, and black and white stripes on the stomach region.

John Dory Fish

John Dory in the Mediterranean Sea

Peter’s fish or St Pierre, the John Dory fish all have respectable names. They’re of the Zeus genus.

They stay close to the seafloor and actively prey on schooling fishes. The 2 feet, mostly blue fish, have sharks as their biggest enemy.

Javan Langur

Javan langur monkey eating ripe banana

An Old World monkey species among animals that start with J, the langur in their name is taken from Hindi, which translates to a long tail.

These picky eaters don’t bother consuming anything that’s not fresh leaves. They range from orange to black in color.

Javan Warty Pig

Javan Warty Pig sleeps in water puddle

Native to Indonesia, specifically Bawean and Java, Javan warty pigs are considered endangered on the IUCN list. They have even-toes with a completely black body and elongated head. 

Interestingly, these omnivorous animals have three types of warts on their face. Javan warty pigs have a short lifespan, barely reaching eight years.

Japanese Beetle

Japanese Beetle Perched on a White Daisy

Native to Japan, the beetle species love hanging around on a sunny day.

They feed in groups with over 300 species of plants to choose from. However, they appear to avoid burning bush, magnolia, and boxwood. They don’t bite people, nor can their teeth break the skin.

Julia Skimmer

Julia skimmer on thin branch

Julia Skimmers found fluttering around Cape Town are also known as Cape Skimmers. These dragonflies are capable hunters and are good to have in your garden.

These blue dragonflies are fans of woodland areas, preferably with water nearby. They love flowering plants too.

Jerdon’s Courser

Jerdon's Courser on a sunny day

These nocturnal animals, the Jerdon’s courser, are actually critically endangered species.

They make these ‘twick-too’ sounds, with notes repeating per second in a series of 16 at least. Their call can encourage other species of birds to join the mayhem.

Jackson’s Francolin

Jackson's francolin standing on grass

Jackson’s francolin or Jackson’s spurfowl are bird species found in Uganda and Kenya.

They thrive among bamboo stands and mountain forests. They have brown and white plumage with red at the beak and light brown, specifically around the area of their eyes.

Animal Alphabet List

Animals that start with A

Animals that start with B

Animals that start with C

Animals that start with D

Animals that start with E

Animals that start with F

Animals that start with G

Animals that start with H

Animals that start with I

Animals that start with K

Animals that start with L

Animals that start with M

Animals that start with N

Animals that start with O

Animals that start with P

Animals that start with Q

Animals that start with R

Animals that start with S

Animals that start with T

Animals that start with U

Animals that start with V

Animals that start with W

Animals that start with X

Animals that start with Y

Animals that start with Z

Animals With J

Hey you, we sincerely hope you appreciated this interesting animal list! Please, help us spread the word, and share it with your friends on social media.

Are we missing any animals beginning with J? Then let us know in the comments!