33 Animals That Start With O - Wildlife Explained

Okay, this one is difficult: name ten animals that start with O! If you can’t, that’s perfectly fine! We have a long list of animals that start with the letter O!

While there are many species groups of animals beginning with O, like opossum and orangutan, we’ll name only the species, like orchid mantis and oriental hobby—not the groups.

Anyway, today you will discover many exciting things about these animals that begin with O, so keep reading to learn cool facts about this share of the animal kingdom.

Hey, you! Did we miss your favorite animal that starts with the letter O? Ops! In that case, let us know in the comments, and we will add it to this article.

Animals That Start With O

Below are a few interesting animals that begin with the letter O.

Ostrich

Absolutely no one’s leaving out this magnificent flightless bird, the ostrich, from a list of animals that start with O.

With long necks, long legs, a round belly and rump, and a speed of 60 mph, ostriches are fast birds that can cover 10 feet in a single stride. They are not only the biggest birds but also the fastest bird on land.

There are two species of ostrich: the Somali ostrich and the common ostrich. The latter is often called ostrich.

Orange-Peel Doris

Orange-peel doris is a species of sea slugs that are so bright in color that they will definitely remind you of Cheetos.

While sea slugs aren’t common, they are still the most common nudibranch species in the world.

Ornate Lorikeet

The ornate lorikeet is the first on the list of animals that start with O.

As native Sulawesi parrots, they’re found all over the Indonesian islands. While they prefer greenery, seeing them amidst towns is not uncommon.

They’re genuinely ornate with a blueish-purple head with yellow stripes on the side, an orange bill, a black striped tangerine shade under the neck, and an overall green body.

Ocelot

Ocelots are wild cats with golden fur and black spots and stripes. They’re about 1.6 feet and weigh about 33 pounds.

People of ancient Peru used to worship these amazing animals. The arts and crafts of that time showcase various depictions of the ocelots.

Ocelots live spread through the Americas, from the southern United States to Argentina.

Oaxaca Blue-Capped Hummingbird

These hummingbirds are beautiful birds of Oaxaca, a Mexican state. There, they specifically inhabit the southern forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur.

Their range is small, so they’re listed as threatened due to the rapid loss of trees.

Orca

The cooler name for orca is killer whales. They might be dolphins, but they’re considered ultimate predators at the top of the food chain, with no natural predators, making them true apex predators.

There isn’t an ocean where orcas don’t live with their characteristic shiny black and white body, which can reach 26 ft long.

Omura’s Whale

Ironically, the next name on the list of animals that start with O is Omura’s whale, a species that are the victim of orcas.

Not much is known about them, with IUCN listing them as Data Deficient.

About 50,000 individuals are accounted for, and their name comes from the cetologist, Hideo Omura.

Orange-Winged Amazon

This Amazon parrot is a permanent resident of Central and South American rainforests.

They typically have green bodies with patches of yellow and blue on their face.

So why are they called orange-winged Amazon, you might ask? It’s because the tips of their wings are orange—just the tips.

Orange-Tip Butterfly

With white wings and intensely orange tips, you know why they’re called orange-tip butterflies.

Most people often don’t take notice of the undersides of the wings, which are mottled green. Their wingspan is about 1.9 inches.

Olive Baboon

As Old World monkeys, the olive baboons are dwellers of 25 African countries, making them the most widespread baboon species.

While they do have a tint of orange in their fur, their fur is primarily gray. Their cooler name is Anubis baboon, where Anubis refers to the god of the dead in ancient Egypt.

Orange-Bellied Parrot

This native South Australian parrot, the orange-bellied parrot, belongs to the rarity of the three parrot species that migrate.

They’re orange only at the bottom of their belly. Otherwise, they’re green with blue wings. According to the Zoos Victoria, they might go extinct in the next five years.

Oceanic Whitetip Shark

A shark of many names like Brown Milbert’s sand bar shark, nigano shark, and shipwreck shark, it’s hard to choose the story behind each name.

Except, you can be certain all these names have stories due to the shark’s behavior. They’re sharks of warm water with 25 mph swimming speed.

Oriental Hobby Falcon

Native to the Indian subcontinent, oriental hobby is found across Asia and Oceania.

These types of falcons are 11 inches long, and their blueish-gray upper body contrasts nicely with the chestnut belly and tail.

Olm

Olm is a vulnerable species of aquatic salamander living in the cave waters of Europe. Unlike other amphibians, the entire life of olms is spent underwater.

They’re blind, which makes all their other senses sharper. They don’t metamorphize much and spend their lives in the larvae stage with very few changes.

Okapi

The other names of okapi are forest giraffe and zebra giraffe.

As you might have imagined, they’re part of the giraffe family, though they’re different in appearance from the giraffe you know.

The zebra in their name comes from the stripes they have on their legs.

Okapis are native to Central Africa and inhabit canopy forests at altitudes of 1,600–4,900 ft.

Orange-Breasted Falcon

The plain orange traveling from the neck to the bottom of this falcon is interrupted by patches of chestnut—what a beautiful bird.

Their nails are sharp, as is the norm with most falcon species. Despite their miniature stature (15.5 inches), they appear threatening.

In addition, these rare birds of prey can only be found in the Mirador Cordillera and the Maya Mountains in Central America.

Octopus Wolfi

The smallest octopus in the world, about 0.9 inches, can fit into the palm of your hand.

These star-shaped creatures with large black eyes can live for a year and are primarily found in the shallow waters of the west Pacific.

Orange-Cheeked Waxbill

Orange-cheeked waxbills are the most common species of estrildid finch in Africa, especially in the west and middle.

Their main food source is grass seeds, which they either collect from the grass or the ones lying down on the ground.

Orange Band Surgeonfish

The orange-band surgeonfish almost look like fake fishes. Their grayish-white bodies are bordered with blue. They have a band of bright orange on their sides, again encased by a bit of blue.

Compressed and oval in shape, they look like they belong to a children’s drawing book.

This fish species lives in the tropical waters of the Indo-west Pacific and feeds on algae.

Olive Oropendola

They’re olive from head to neck, belly, and tail. The wings are a pretty chestnut, helping them sport a genuinely unique look.

Their nests are built with fiber and veins and placed high up on the trees. They tend to live in colonies where a single one has 30 nests.

Curiously, the olive oropendola is the second-largest passerine bird in South America, only behind the Amazonian umbrellabird.

Oyster Toadfish

The toad in their name might confuse you, but oyster toadfish is a fish species.

They’re good at surviving for a considerable period of time, even if they’re taken out of water. Around their gills are venomous spines, which can hurt the way bee stings do.

Orchard Oriole

How could we leave out the orchard oriole from this list of animals that start with O?

Similar to Baltimore oriole in size and markings, orchard orioles have a lovely chestnut plumage with dark wings. They’re North America’s smallest oriole species in existence.

Orchid Bee

Orchid bees are about the same size or slightly smaller than honey bees.

Compared to their body, this species of bees have a longer mouth, which they use to feed themselves by sucking.

The orchid bees are a fan of the pleasant, perfect smell, which is why they’re found near orchids.

Orchid Mantis

Southeast Asian tropical forests are the best hiding grounds for orchid mantis.

Another common name is walking flower mantis because of their appearance and behavior.

Despite being mantis, one can mistake them for flowers, which can prove fatal because the species will grab their prey before one can blink.

Orange Oriole

These tiny orange-yellow birds prefer the dry forests of Belize and the Yucatán Peninsula.

They aren’t picky about food. Even if a caterpillar is hairy or has protruding spines, orange orioles won’t hesitate to have them for dinner.

Orange-Thighed Frog

The naming system for the animal kingdom is a little funny. So, of course, when we see a typically 2.2-inch green frog with orange thighs, that’s the name they end up with.

By their size, one can categorize them as medium-sized tree frogs, reaching 2.2 inches in length.

The orange-thighed frog inhabits dense rainforest in northern Australia.

Orange-Headed Thrush

Residents of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, not only is the head of this species orange, but so is their entire body. The exception is the gray wings.

Despite being tree nesters, they do not show any interest in staying in flocks.

These omnivorous birds eat a wide range of insects, earthworms, and fruit.

Orange-Crowned Oriole

Orange oriole and orange-crowned oriole have a similar appearance. It’s almost the same color scheme all over their body. Yet, the latter have orange on their crown too, which is missing in the former.

They’re also native to Columbia, Venezuela, and east of Panama.

Oak Toad

The smallest toad species in North America are active day hunters, whose earthly tint provides excellent cover from prey and predators.

They feed on insects from bushes with ease. Oak toads also have a pointed nose, a rarity in their species.

Orchard Spider

Orchard spiders are weaving spiders with unusually long jaws. Their jaws alone make them larger than regular spiders.

Their actual body is petite with long legs that help them jump and catch flying insects. In total, they are about 0.3 inches in length.

Curiously, female orchard spiders always have green legs, and their bodies are a bit bigger than males.

Ortolan Bunting

These Eurasian birds are gorgeous members of the bunting family and are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

However, because they are served in French cuisine, their numbers quickly declined in the country. By French law, it’s prohibited to hunt this small bird.

Osprey

This fish-eating bird of prey is a large raptor that can reach 24 inches in length and 71 inches across the wings.

Because they eat almost exclusively fish, they have physical features that assist during hunting and catching prey, like closable nostrils to keep water out.

Oscar Fish

Finishing our list of animals that start with O is the oscar fish.

The ones that live in the Amazon basin in South America, they’re an intelligent bunch. In aquariums, they’re known to recognize their owner and perform tricks if taught.

These small fishes have teeth that cause no harm to humans beyond scraping.