Undoubtedly, you want to know more about the neighbors you know. Or perhaps you want to discover new animal species. We are here to help you, whatever the situation.
It is understandable to run out of ideas after naming only a few of the creatures whose names begin with Q because there aren’t many of them.
Table of Contents
Animals that Start with Q
Here are some intriguing animals that start Q
- Quail
- Quokka
- Quagga
- Quoll
- Quetzal
- Qinling Panda
- Quahog
- Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing
- Queen Angelfish
- Queensland Ringtail Possum
- Queen Snake
- Queen Snapper
- Queen Triggerfish
- Queensland Grouper
- Queensland Tube-Nosed Bat
- Quelea
- Queensland Lungfish
- Quechuan Hocicudo
- Quaking Frog
- Quebrada Valverde Salamander
1. Quail
Quails are small to medium-sized gamebirds. They are members of the Galliformes order of birds, together with chickens and turkeys. There are two families of quails on the globe.
The pheasant family, Phasianidae, includes quails that are found in the Old World. Old-world quails are more closely related to birds in the other quail family than to pheasants and turkeys.
These hefty game birds are rather common and are found practically everywhere in the world. Domesticated quails have been raised for their flesh and eggs. Despite how they appear, they have a top speed of around 40 miles per hour.
That only applies over short distances, though. Quail have been domesticated in some species, and they are bred for food. Quail hens can produce 200 eggs on average per year. Many nations regard quail eggs as a delicacy.
2. Quokka
Small marsupials called quokkas are found solely in Australia. One of the world’s tiniest varieties of wallabies is this one.
This marsupial, which is about the size of a cat, belongs to the Macropodidae genus. It can be found on the mainland and a number of neighboring islands in the southwest of West Australia. On Rottnest Island, quokkas can be found in the greatest numbers.
In order to avoid being observed by predators, it leaps through tunnels in the long grass. The Quokka may go for months without drinking any water.
Within its habitat, the species used to be more widespread and common. The introduction of non-native predators like foxes and cats caused the species to deteriorate, and it is now classified as Vulnerable.
3. Quagga
An extinct plains zebra subspecies was the quagga. In southern South Africa, it was discovered.
The quagga possessed stripes solely on the front half of its body, unlike the well-known plains zebra, which has stripes in both black and white. Its legs and undersides were white, while its rear was brown. The quagga was once believed to be a distinct species rather than a subspecies because of these differences.
The Quagga also moved across considerable distances every day in big herds. A single person was always kept awake by a Quagga herd as a sentry.
Between 120,000 and 290,000 years ago, the quagga and other plains zebras are thought to have split. In 1900, it was determined that the quagga was extinct. Overhunting was the reason for its extinction.
The Quagga Project, which started in 1987, aims to “bring quaggas back from the dead” by breeding plains zebras with traits like quaggas.
4. Quoll
Six kinds of small to medium-sized carnivorous marsupials are known as quolls. The eastern, western, northern, and tiger quolls are located in Australia, while the bronze and New Guinean quolls are found on the island of New Guinea.
Quolls are lone, nocturnal creatures. They consume small creatures such as insects, birds, and reptiles since they are carnivorous (meat eaters).
These animals appear to be delicate eaters due to their silky, spotted fur, but they will consume any type of food, whether it is alive or dead. Despite their size and appearance, quolls are extremely hostile and vicious.
Quolls have suffered as a result of non-native creatures including cats, dogs, foxes, and cane toads being introduced to the continent, just like many other native Australian wildlife.
The eastern and northern quolls are both currently listed as endangered, while the other four species are listed as “Near Threatened.”
5. Quetzal
The Central American rainforests are where you can find this bird. There are six different species of the colorful quetzal, which are located in tropical areas of Central and South America.
The brilliant golden-green crest feathers on the heads of the Quetzal are a dramatic contrast to their vibrant colors. The tail feathers of male quetzals can grow up to one meter long.
Quetzals exhibit strong sexual dimorphism, with females frequently being noticeably less colorful than males.
(The phrase “sexual dimorphism” refers to a notable morphological difference between males and females of the same species.)
Pharomachrus mocinno, the dazzling quetzal, is arguably the most well-known quetzal. The male of this species is distinguished by its vivid green feathers and long tail, which can grow to a length of 1 m (3.28 ft), more than twice as long as the body.
6. Qinling Panda
Everything but color distinguishes the Qinling Panda from the big Panda. Their eye markings are below their eyes rather than around them, and they have brown coats.
One of the two subspecies of giant pandas is the Qinling panda. Around 300,000 years ago, it is thought to have separated from the well-known black and white giant panda.
When a species has two or more distinct populations and there are noticeable physical or behavioral differences between the individuals in each group, the species is divided into subspecies.
The Qinling panda and the giant panda are distinct from one another due to their smaller stature, brown and light brown fur, and smaller skulls. Instead of covering the entire eye, the Qinling panda’s eye patches are located beneath the pupil.
The Qinling panda, as its name suggests, lives in the eastern Chinese province of Shaanxi’s Qinling Mountains. The subspecies, thought to number no more than 100 individuals, is endangered due to contamination from industrial activities.
7. Quahog
Other names for the quahog include “hard clam” and “northern quahog.” Off the eastern coast of North America, this bivalve snail can be found. Although specimens as large as 12.7 cm (or 5 inches) are recorded, the average size of its white or gray shell is 7.62 cm (or 3 inches).
The quahog, like other bivalves, has a two-part shell that is linked by a hinge and may open and close. A valve is referred to as each half of the shell.
The quahog, like other clams, is a filter feeder that absorbs nutrition from minute saltwater particles. It is also a well-known dish in those regions. By dispersing their gametes into the surrounding water, quahogs mate.
The official shellfish of Rhode Island is the quahog, which is plentiful along the state’s coastline. The fictional Rhode Island city of Quahog serves as the setting for the animated comedy Family Guy.
8. Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing
The largest butterfly in the entire globe is Queen Alexandra’s birdwing. Females can have wingspans of up to 25 cm (9.84 in), and individuals can weigh up to 12 g. (0.42 oz.). The males, which are smaller, are iridescent green and black, while the females are brown and white.
A limited area of Papua New Guinea is the only place where Queen Alexandra’s birdwing may be found. The daytime flight of these butterflies is so great that early collectors used tiny shotguns to stalk them.
The decline of habitat has led to the species’ endangered classification. Its habitat, a large portion of the rainforest, was destroyed to make place for palm oil plantations. Much of the insect’s natural habitat was also destroyed by the eruption of the nearby volcano Mount Lamington.
9. Queen Angelfish
The marine angelfish family, Pomacanthidae, includes the queen angelfish. Along the Atlantic coasts of North and South America, it can be found on coral reefs.
The queen angelfish, like other members of its family, has a thin, tall, and vividly colored body, making it very popular as an aquarium fish. The species can be distinguished from other angelfish by its blue and yellow coloring as well as a sizable area (the species’ “crown”) on the forehead.
Nearly all of the sponges in the queen angelfish’s diet are sponges. Up to 75,000 eggs can be released by female Queen Angelfish in a single mating night.
10. Queensland Ringtail Possum
The Queensland ringtail possum, also known as the common ringtail possum, is an Australian-only marsupial (pouched mammal).
The common ringtail possum has grey fur with white undersides and is about the size of a cat. It uses its prehensile tail for climbing since it can grip anything.
This nocturnal mammal can be found in a variety of settings, including cities and jungles. The species has evolved to live with people and is frequently spotted in gardens.
11. Queen Snake
North America is home to the non-venomous, semi-aquatic queen snake. It can be found in southern Canada and the eastern United States.
The queen snake, a semiaquatic species, can be found close to rivers and streams. It is a member of the Colubridae family, which has the most snake species (2,046 according to sources).
The back of the queen snake is dark brown or green, with cream undersides with dark lines. The snake is between 15 and 42 cm (38-61 cm) long.
As a result, it hangs in areas with clear running water or watersheds. The sensitive tongue of the queen snake is used to detect the fragrance of its prey.
12. Queen Snapper
The queen snapper belongs to the Lutjanidae family of snapper, which has about 113 different species. The queen snapper is pink on the back and sides and pale below, reaching a height of around 1 m (3.28 ft). It resides close to the sea floor and feeds on small fish and squid.
The queen snapper, which may be found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, is a popular food fish. The western Atlantic Ocean, which borders various regions of North and South America, is where it spends the majority of its time. Thirty-nine inches is the longest queen snapper ever measured.
13. Queen Triggerfish
The queen triggerfish, one of 42 species in the Balistidae family of triggerfishes, is also referred to as the “old wife.” Although color varies greatly across individuals, it commonly has blue and yellow sides and a yellow neck.
The western Atlantic Ocean’s waters are home to the queen triggerfish. They have vibrant colors, and individuals frequently catch them to use as aquarium dishes for sizable aquariums. When stressed, the queen triggerfish can alter its color.
The queen triggerfish has strong jaws and teeth designed specifically for crushing shellfish and other marine invertebrates, like all triggerfish do. Lime urchins, or Diadema antillarum, are its main prey.
14. Queensland Grouper
Large fish known as the Queensland grouper, also called the gigantic grouper, are found in tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
One of the largest bony fish and the largest bony fish found on coral reefs, the Queensland grouper may grow to a maximum length of 2.7 meters (or 8.86 feet) and a maximum weight of 400 kilograms (or 880 pounds).
In contrast to fish like sharks, whose skeletons are formed of a softer substance called cartilage, bony fish have skeletons built of actual bone.
It has a wide range of habitats and is found practically everywhere in the Pacific and Indian oceans. All of the prey is swallowed entirely by the Queensland grouper. Small sharks and sea turtles are among them.
The Queensland grouper is the most widely distributed of the groupers, a group of fish in the subfamily Epinephelinae that can be found from the east coast of Africa to Hawaii. Fish called groupers have huge mouths, are stocky, and swim quickly.
15. Queensland Tube-Nosed Bat
The eastern tube-nosed bat is another name for the Queensland tube-nosed fruit bat. North-east Australia’s tropical rainforests are where you can find them. In New Guinea, there have also been unconfirmed sightings reported.
They have two tubular nostrils that protrude from their snouts and are brown with yellow spots. If the Queensland Tube-Nosed Bat consumes water, it hasn’t been observed.
The Queensland tube-nosed fruit bat, like other megabats in the Pteropodidae family, uses sight and scent to find food. (In contrast to insect-eating microbats, this species is incapable to echolocate.)
16. Quelea
A little bird called the red-billed quelea can be found in several sub-Saharan African nations (i.e., the area south of the Sahara Desert). It has cream-colored skin, pale brown wings, and a hard red beak. The black cheeks and orange heads of males help them stand out from females.
Africa’s winged locust is another moniker for it because of its skill at destroying vast swaths of vegetation. The red-billed quelea is the most widespread species of wild bird in the world. There are thought to be about 1.5 billion members of the species.
The red-billed quelea travels the countryside in vast flocks in quest of food. The species, which feeds on seeds, can seriously harm crops. Because of this, poisons are frequently used to control red-billed queleas.
17. Queensland Lungfish
There are only six species of lungfish, including the Queensland lungfish. Unlike the great majority of fish, lungfish are able to breathe air, as opposed to drawing oxygen from the water through their gills.
Since it has a lung in addition to its gills for oxygen breathing, this fish is known as a lungfish. This enables it to endure Australia’s dry season.
The Queensland lungfish differs from other lungfish in that it also has gills and only has one lung as opposed to two. Northern Queensland, Australia’s slow-moving or stagnant rivers are home to the Queensland lungfish.
For hints on how fish developed into terrestrial animals over the course of millions of years, researchers look to an ancient type of fish called lobe-finned fishes, which includes lungfish.
18. Quechuan Hocicudo
Despite having a long name, the Quechuan Hocicudo is a tiny mouse. These creatures can be found in the cloud forests of the Andes. This little region is also between 2600 and 3000 meters above sea level.
A rat-like rodent called the Quechuan Hocicudo resides in Bolivia’s Andean cloud forests. The information about this species is scant. It primarily consumes insects and may use its powerful claws to dig up invertebrates from the ground.
The species is a member of the Cricetidae family, which also includes hamsters, voles, and lemmings.
The Quechuan Hocicudo is considered endangered because of its restricted range and habitat destruction. For cattle grazing, a large portion of the area’s original cloud forest has been destroyed.
19. Quacking Frog
There are only quaking frogs in Australia. And as you might have predicted, it quacks like a duck during its mating call. Given that there is a high mating rate during the full moon, moon phases appear to have an impact on the quacking frog’s mating behavior.
20. Quebrada Valverde Salamander
Only in Costa Rica is the Quebrada Valverde Salamander to be found. It can be found in damp woodlands or adjacent to water sources. The Quebrada Valverde Salamander breathes through its wet skin since it lacks lungs.
See the Video of Animals that start with Q
Here is a video of animals that start with O. All the animals talked about in this article might not be captured in the video, but you could also see animals in the video that are not in the article.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed reading about these amazing new animals that begin with the letter Q. But because of human influences like deforestation, urban sprawl, industrialization, and other things, many of these creatures are in danger. They have caused a significant loss of biodiversity, and the loss will keep growing unless significant action is taken to stop the threat.
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A passion-driven environmentalist by heart. Lead content writer at EnvironmentGo.
I strive to educate the public about the environment and its problems.
It has always been about nature, we ought to protect not destroy.