Animals That Start With C

Welcome to animals that start with C.

Animals that start with the letter C are ubiquitous. You will find some animals you are already familiar with here and some new ones you’ve probably never heard of.

Sit back and enjoy the list.

Overview of animals that start with c

1. Caiman

These social reptiles have their eyes and nostrils on the top of their head and snout. They feed primarily on fish.

They are found in Central and South America and can grow up to 6 meters long.

Fun Fact: Caimans cannot chew food. They tear meat and swallow it whole.

2. Caiman lizards

They are also called ‘Dracaena lizards’ or ‘Water tegu.’ Caimans have large crocodile-like scales and live in forests, wetlands, and savanna areas.

Their predominant predators are crocodiles, snakes, and Jaguars.

Fun Fact: Caiman lizards are some of the largest lizards in the world and can grow as long as 5 feet!

3. Camel

Camels are very popular mammals. They live in arid deserts and scrublands and can be found throughout the Middle East. They can travel long distances across the desert.

Fun Fact: Camels can survive for long periods, even as long as ten months without water!

4. Camel Spider

These are also known as ‘Wind scorpions’ or ‘Sun spiders.’ They are fast, predatory, and have an excruciating bite.

Fun Fact: Camel Spiders follow human shadows to keep warm.

5. Canada Lynx

These solitary wildcats have long hair on their chins and ears called ‘Gray lynx.’ They are found in North America and prey on Snowshoe hares.

Fun Fact: Canada Lynx has natural snowshoes to keep them warm.

6. Cape Lion

Cape lions are extinct. They once inhabited Africa’s southern Cape region. Their distinct characteristic was their black mane. Its other traits are the same as those of other lion species.

Fun Fact: Cape lions are symbols of strength and nobility in African culture.

7. Capybara

They are semi-aquatic rodents found in the swampy areas of central and south America. They have webbed digits that make them excellent swimmers.

They have acute sight, sound, and smell in the water.

Fun Fact: Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world.

8. Caracal

Caracals inhabit Africa, the Middle East, and India. They are speedy cats and can leap high into the air, making them good hunters.

They also have excellent hearing.

Fun Fact: Caracals have 20 muscles in each ear.

9. Caribou

Caribou are often regarded as ‘reindeer.’ Their distinct characteristic is their antlers which grow bigger annually.

Their coats get a darker or lighter shade, depending on the climate they live in.

Fun Fact: Unlike other cervid species, both males and females have prominent antlers.

10. Carpenter Ant

Like every other ant species, these ants live in colonies. They leave piles of wood shavings as they burrow through woods which usually leads to their nests.

Fun Fact: Carpenter ants have the ability to carry up to seven times their weight with their teeth!

11. Carpet Viper

These are small and deadly snakes, and they are the cause of the most snake bite-related deaths in the world.

Fun Fact: The venom of the Carpet Viper is made of four different types of poison.

12. Cassowary

The Cassowary is a large flightless bird that possesses a horn-like crest. Its bright blue head and red neck set it apart.

Nests are made on the ground by the male. After mating, he chases the female away and raises the chicks himself.

Fun Fact: Cassowaries eat their feces if undigested.

Also have a look at our other articles like Animals that Start with G.

13. Catfish

Catfishes thrive in fast-flowing rivers all over the world. They serve as food in many parts of the world.

Their most distinguishing features are the ‘whiskers’ around their jaw that have a sensory function.

Fun Fact: Catfishes can live up to 20 years in the wild.

14. Christmas Island Red Crab

Its beautiful red carapace is what stands out the most about the crabs. Mature crabs molt once annually.

They will die if they dry out.

Fun Fact: These crabs have shells so hard that they can puncture tires.

15. Cross River Gorilla

These gorillas live in the mountainous region between Nigeria and Cameroon. They are the most endangered great ape species in Africa.

They are very social and usually live in groups of 2 – 20 with only one male gorilla who is the leader.

Fun Fact: They do not reproduce again until their young reach the age of 3 or 4 years.

16. Chickadee

Chickadees have striking black and white markings and you can find them across North America. They feature striking black and white markings.

They do not reuse old nests; they build new ones for each brood.

Fun Fact: Chickadees have their name from the sound they make ‘ chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee!’.

17. Chinese Paddlefish

These fishes are characterized by large paddle-shaped noses and are called ‘Elephant fish.’ These fishes have no scales, except near the fins.

Fun Fact: Chinese paddlefishes were hunted in the 1970s and 1980s for their eggs made into caviar and sold at a high price.

18. Chinstrap Penguin

These species of penguins are the most numerous penguin species in the world. They mate for life and are the most aggressive penguins in the world.

Fun Fact: The largest chinstrap penguin colony has more penguins than San Francisco has people.

19. Colossal Squid

These squids are enormous. They can grow as long as 46 feet! They are arguably the largest invertebrate in the world.

Fun Fact: Colossal squids have the most prominent eyes in the animal kingdom.

20. Cheetah

Cheetahs are popularly known as the fastest land mammals in the world. These felines have five different subspecies that are easy to characterize based on their location.

Their ‘tear marks’ that run from the inner corner of their eyes make them look different from other big cats.

Fun Fact: A long time ago, cheetahs were domesticated and used to hunt food for villages.

Summary of animals that start with C

You already knew some of the animals on this list, but we can guarantee that you learned something new from this article.  

And you can even learn some more from this list of animals that start with J or Animals That Start With the Letter A or Animals That Start With Letter Z.

See you next time.