41 Animals That Start with Q: From Chatty Quaker Parrots to Cute Quokkas

There are tons of animal species that start with every letter of the alphabet, and Q is no exception. Even though Q is one of the least used letters, there’s still a wide variety of animals that fall into this category.

From unusual invertebrates to adorable small mammals, there are plenty of creatures starting with the letter Q. Let’s take a closer look at some of those fascinating species.

List of Animals

Here are 41 animal species that start with the letter Q.

Click an animal name to jump to its full description, image, and more below.

Animal	Type	Region
Qinling Panda	Mammal	Northern China
Quacking Frog	Amphibian	Southwest Australia
Quahog Clam	Mollusk	East Coast of North America
Quailfinch	Bird	Africa
Quaker Jumping Spider	Arachnid	North America
Quaker Moth	Insect	Europe, Western Asia
Quaker Parrot	Bird	South America
Quaker Wrasse	Fish	Indo-Pacific
Quarrion	Bird	Australia
Quarter Horse	Mammal	Domesticated
Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing	Insect	Papua New Guinea
Queen Angelfish	Fish	Western Atlantic Ocean
Queen Butterfly	Insect	Southern United States
Queen Charlotte Goshawk	Bird	Alaska, Canada
Queen Conch	Mollusk	Caribbean, Western Atlantic
Queen Coris	Fish	Indian Ocean
Queen of Spain Fritillary	Insect	Europe
Queen Parrotfish	Fish	West Atlantic Ocean
Queen Scallop	Mollusk	Northeast Atlantic Ocean
Queen Snake	Reptile	Eastern North America
Queen Triggerfish	Fish	Atlantic Ocean
Queen Victoria Pigeon	Bird	New Guinea
Queen Victoria Riflebird	Bird	North Queensland, Australia
Queen Whydah	Bird	Southern Africa
Queensland Fruit Fly	Insect	Eastern Australia
Queensland Grouper	Fish	Indo-Pacific
Queensland Heeler	Mammal	Domesticated
Queensland Koala	Mammal	Queensland, Australia
Queensland Lungfish	Fish	Queensland, Australia
Queensland Tube-Nosed Bat	Mammal	Northeastern Australia
Quenda	Mammal	Western Australia
Quercus Moth	Insect	Europe, Northwestern Asia
Queretaran Dusky Rattlesnake	Reptile	Central Mexico
Querula Purpurata	Bird	Northern South America
Question Mark Butterfly	Insect	Eastern North America
Quetzal Cichlid	Fish	Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala
Quill Pig	Mammal	Canada, Western United States
Quillback Rockfish	Fish	Pacific Coast of North America
Quince Monitor	Reptile	Indonesia
Quino Checkerspot	Insect	California, USA and Baja California, Mexico
Quokka	Mammal	Western Australia

1. Qinling Panda

• Scientific Name: Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis
• Habitat: Across the Qinling mountains
• Size: 130 to 420 pounds
• Diet: Bamboo

Qinling pandas are a subspecies of giant pandas, named after the mountains of northern China that make up their habitat. They’re commonly called brown pandas because they often have reddish brown fur in the place of the traditional black fur. Sadly, they’re a highly endangered species with only 200 to 300 wild Qinling pandas remaining. However, that number has gone up since 2001, when there were only 100 individuals left.

2. Quacking Frog

• Scientific Name: Crinia georgiana
• Habitat: Shallow water in southwest Australia
• Size: Up to 1.8 inches
• Diet: Insects, snails, worms, spiders

These frogs make sounds that closely mimic ducks quacking, which is what caused their unusual name. They’re also called red-thighed froglets since they sometimes have red patches on their back legs. They’re especially noisy after dusk or during the mating season. They may also quack if startled, such as if a human picks up the rock or log they’re hiding under.

3. Quahog Clam

• Scientific Name: Mercenaria mercenaria
• Habitat: Sandy or muddy seabeds from Novia Scotia, Canada to Florida, United States
• Size: 2 to 5 inches
• Diet: Phytoplankton

Quahog clams, more commonly known as hard clams, are round, hard-shelled clams found in coastal waters. They can live up to 100 years, and you can tell a clam’s age based on how many shell ridges it has. Each ridge represents a growth season. These clams have a unique foot underneath them that helps them bury themselves in the mud.

4. Quailfinch

• Scientific Name: Ortygospiza atricollis
• Habitat: Grasslands across Africa
• Size: About 4 inches
• Diet: Seeds, vegetation

While quailfinches share a similar name to the group of birds known as quails, they aren’t closely related. However, their appearance closely resembles a quail in a finch’s body. They spend most of their time exploring the ground and pecking at sand and dirt to find food. Their short, thick red bills are perfect for breaking seeds, which make up most of their diet.

5. Quaker Jumping Spider

• Scientific Name: Phidippus audax
• Habitat: Open habitats with temperate climates across North America
• Size: 0.5 to 0.8 inches
• Diet: Small insects, other spiders

The Quaker jumping spider is more commonly known as the bold jumper or daring jumping spider. Like other jumping spider species, they can jump up to 40 times their body length. Due to these abilities, they pounce on prey rather than using a web to catch insects. They quickly retreat if they feel threatened, but they rarely bite humans.

6. Quaker Moth

• Scientific Name: Orthosia cerasi
• Habitat: Woodlands across Europe and parts of western Asia
• Size: 1.3 to 1.6 inch wingspan
• Diet: Sallow catkins, blackthorn flowers, sugar

The Quaker moth, also known as the common Quaker, has rounded wings with a brown pattern that closely resembles the texture of tree bark. Like many moths, they’re often attracted to light and sugar, causing them to swarm in large groups while trying to get closer to those items. They lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves on deciduous trees. From April to June, the eggs hatch and the caterpillars feed on the leaves.

7. Quaker Parrot

• Scientific Name: Myiopsitta monachus
• Habitat: Open forests and grasslands from Argentina to Chile
• Size: 11 to 13 inches long
• Diet: Seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, vegetation

Quaker parrots, also known as monk parakeets, can mimic human speech. They can learn about 50 or more words and phrases. While Quaker parrots are native to South America, escaped pets have caused invasive populations in North America and Europe. They compete with natural wildlife in those areas and damage infrastructure.

8. Quaker Wrasse

• Scientific Name: Cheilio inermis
• Habitat: Tropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific region
• Size: 14 to 20 inches
• Diet: Crustaceans, mollusks, sea urchins

The Quaker wrasse is also known as the cigar wrasse since its long body resembles the shape of a cigar. These fish appear in several colors, including a mottled brown, green, and bright yellow. They’re constantly swimming and eating, so you’ll rarely see them stay in one place for long. When they find something to eat, they retreat to rock crevices and sand beds for safety.

9. Quarrion

• Scientific Name: Nymphicus hollandicus
• Habitat: Arid or semi-arid areas of Australia
• Size: 11 to 14 inches
• Diet: Seeds, grasses, plants, berries

Quarrion is another name for a cockatiel, which is one of the most common pet birds. The name comes from “guwarraying” in the Wiradhuri language, which doesn’t have an exact English translation. Cockatiels are social birds, so they typically live in small groups in the wild. In captivity, they thrive when they can spend lots of time with other cockatiels and their humans. They can mimic human speech, learning anywhere from 15 to over 100 unique words and phrases.

10. Quarter Horse

• Scientific Name: Equus caballus
• Habitat: Domesticated
• Size: 900 to 1,200 pounds
• Diet: Grass, hay, grains

Quarter horses, sometimes called American quarter horses, are great at sprinting short distances. The name came from the breed’s ability to outrun horses if the distance is 1/4 mile or less. These horses weren’t recognized as an official breed until the 20th century, but there’s evidence of them dating back to 1611. While they’re most commonly a brownish-red color, they have 17 recognized coat colors, including black, gray, and white.

11. Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing

• Scientific Name: Ornithoptera alexandrae
• Habitat: Coastal rainforests of Papua New Guinea
• Size: 10 to 11 inch wingspan
• Diet: Pipevine plant, nectar

The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is famous for being the biggest butterfly in the world. Females have a wingspan that’s several inches bigger than males. These butterflies are territorial and use their size to their advantage, sometimes chasing away birds. Unfortunately, they’re an endangered species due to habitat destruction and poaching.

12. Queen Angelfish

• Scientific Name: Holacanthus ciliaris
• Habitat: Tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean
• Size: Up to 18 inches long
• Diet: Sponges, tunicates, jellyfish, corals

These large fish are named for the dark spot on top of their heads that’s placed like a crown. While their shimmering blue colors make them easy for humans to spot, they actually help them blend into the coral reef from the perspective of predators. As juveniles, they form a symbiotic relationship with other fish by eating the parasites off them.

13. Queen Butterfly

• Scientific Name: Danaus gilippus
• Habitat: Open, sunny areas of the southern United States
• Size: 3.1 to 3.3 inch wingspan
• Diet: Nectar

Queen butterflies are often mistaken for monarch butterflies, but they lack the bold black stripes that appear on monarch butterfly wings. However, like monarch butterflies, they rely on milkweed when laying eggs. Queen butterfly larvae feed on milkweed, which gives them toxins that make them unappealing to predators, even when they turn into butterflies. Florida Viceroy butterflies are another similar-looking species, causing predators to avoid them even though they’re not poisonous.

14. Queen Charlotte Goshawk

• Scientific Name: Accipiter gentilis laingi
• Habitat: Dense forests in Alaska and parts of Canada
• Size: 20 to 26 inches
• Diet: Small birds, small mammals, snakes, insects, carrion

The Queen Charlotte goshawk is a subspecies of the northern goshawk. This subspecies evolved to live in the coastal rainforests of Alaska, the Queen Charlotte islands, and Vancouver Island. They’re generally smaller and have darker feathers than other northern goshawks. These birds are very stealthy when they hunt, hiding in dense foliage or flying low to the ground as they ambush prey.

15. Queen Conch

• Scientific Name: Strombus gigas
• Habitat: Seagrass beds across the Caribbean and western Atlantic Ocean
• Size: Up to 12 inches
• Diet: Algae, seagrass

Conchs are more than just beautiful shells. Slow-moving snails live inside, so if you look closely, you might see their long eye stalks poking out. Like similar species, they have a muscular foot that helps them hop around the sea floor. They typically live for 20 to 30 years with some even reaching 40 years.

16. Queen Coris

• Scientific Name: Coris formosa
• Habitat: Coral reefs in parts of the Indian Ocean
• Size: Up to 24 inches long
• Diet: Crustaceans and echinoderms

The queen coris goes by many names, including sand wrasse, queen coris wrasse, and Formosan coris. The majority of this fish population is female, but females can turn into males for reproduction. These fish can be extremely aggressive, especially the males, so in captivity, they need to be kept solo. They frequently dig in the sand to forage for food and lay eggs.

17. Queen of Spain Fritillary

• Scientific Name: Issoria lathonia
• Habitat: Grasslands across mainland Europe
• Size: 1.5 to 1.8 inch wingspan
• Diet: Nectar

These gorgeous orange butterflies have unique reflective spots on the underside of their wings, which are thought to resemble the pearls that the queen of Spain once wore. They lay their eggs on field pansies and wild pansies, which their larvae feed on. Then, as adults, they eat nectar from a variety of wildflowers, but thistles are their favorite.

18. Queen Parrotfish

• Scientific Name: Scarus vetula
• Habitat: Tropical waters of the West Atlantic Ocean
• Size: About 24 inches long
• Diet: Algae, coral, plants

Like other parrotfish species, queen parrotfish have a unique parrot-like beak that makes it easy for them to chew dead coral and scrape off algae. Queen parrotfish find secure places among coral reefs to rest at night. As an additional form of protection, they cover themselves in a layer of mucus. The foul taste of the mucus deters predators from trying to eat them.

19. Queen Scallop

• Scientific Name: Aequipecten opercularis
• Habitat: Coastal waters of the northeast Atlantic Ocean
• Size: 2 to 3 inches
• Diet: Plankton

These medium-sized scallops are frequently eaten by humans because they’re said to have a sweet yet slightly salty flavor. The shell of these scallops varies in color including shades of pink, brown, and orange. While it might not look like it, they’re capable of swimming by opening and closing their shells to propel them. They use light detectors on the edges of their shells to help them spot predators.

20. Queen Snake

• Scientific Name: Regina septemvittata
• Habitat: Near rivers, streams, and lakes of eastern North America
• Size: 15 to 24 inches long
• Diet: Crayfish, small fish, tadpoles

Queen snakes are semi-aquatic reptiles. They’re strong swimmers, allowing them to hunt prey in the water and hide under submerged rocks and wood. They’re non-venomous and rarely bite if threatened. Instead, they typically escape into water and swim away quickly to avoid predators. They’re ovoviviparous, meaning the females carry the eggs in their bodies instead of laying them.

21. Queen Triggerfish

• Scientific Name: Balistes vetula
• Habitat: Rocky bottoms and coral reefs of the Atlantic Ocean
• Size: 12 to 23 inches
• Diet: Sea urchins, bivalves, seaweed, sea stars, crabs

Queen triggerfish have lots of methods to keep them safe from predators. They hide in crevices and stick their dorsal fins up so predators can’t pull them out. They may also make warning noises before delivering painful bites. They can easily be distinguished from similar triggerfish species because they have two bright blue stripes near their mouths.

22. Queen Victoria Pigeon

• Scientific Name: Goura victoria
• Habitat: Swamp forests of New Guinea and surrounding islands
• Size: 24 to 28 inches
• Diet: Fruits, seeds, berries, insects

Queen Victoria pigeon is a nickname for the Victoria crowned pigeon. This beautiful bird species gets its name from the crown of blue feathers on top of the bird’s head. Both males and females share the same stunning appearance, with males being only slightly larger. They spend most of their time on the ground foraging for food, but they can fly short distances to escape danger, such as retreating to a tree if they spot a predator.

23. Queen Victoria Riflebird

• Scientific Name: Ptiloris victoriae
• Habitat: Rainforests of north Queensland, Australia
• Size: 9 to 9.8 inches
• Diet: Insects, insect larvae, spiders, fruit

Male and female Queen Victoria riflebirds look very different. Males have sleek black feathers while females are light brown. To attract females, males perform a unique mating dance where they spread their wings as far as possible, making them look huge. When they hunt for food, these birds probe their long, narrow beaks into crevices to find hidden insects and larvae.

24. Queen Whydah

• Scientific Name: Vidua regia
• Habitat: Open grasslands of southern Africa
• Size: 3.9 to 4.3 inches (not including the tail)
• Diet: Seeds

Queen whydahs, also known as shaft-tailed whydahs, stand out because breeding males have extremely long tail feathers. They have two long feathers that stick out and measure longer than their entire body. After the breeding season, these birds form flocks with other seed-eating birds. They often take over other bird nests, such as violet-eared waxbill nests, instead of making their own.

25. Queensland Fruit Fly

• Scientific Name: Bactrocera tryoni
• Habitat: Temperate and tropical areas of eastern Australia
• Size: 0.1 to 0.3 inches
• Diet: Fruits, vegetables

These teeny tiny flies have distinct yellow markings. The females have a stinger known as an ovipositor that allows them to lay eggs in fruit. They only insert their eggs into fruit that’s still attached to the plant. The larvae hatch inside the fruit and begin feeding on it from the inside. One female fruit fly can lay 500 to 2,000 eggs in a lifetime, which is why they’re considered a huge pest to anyone who grows fruit.

26. Queensland Grouper

• Scientific Name: Epinephelus lanceolatus
• Habitat: Shallow waters and coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific
• Size: Up to 9 feet
• Diet: Fish, small sharks, crustaceans, young sea turtles

The Queensland grouper, also known as the giant grouper, is the largest reef-dwelling bony fish, weighing up to 800 pounds. They’re solitary and move very slowly, often resting very still in the substrate. They wait for prey to come nearby, and then they ambush creatures by quickly opening their large mouths and swallowing the prey whole.

27. Queensland Heeler

• Scientific Name: Canis familiaris
• Habitat: Domesticated
• Size: 35 to 50 pounds
• Diet: Domestic dog food

Queensland heeler is one of the many nicknames for the Australian cattle dog. As the name implies, the breed was created in Australia to help herd cattle on rough terrain. While many Queensland heelers are still used for herding cattle today, they’re commonly kept as pets too. However, due to their desire to herd, they need at least two hours of exercise per day, along with some mental stimulation, to match their energy and keep them content.

28. Queensland Koala

• Scientific Name: Phascolarctos cinereus adustus
• Habitat: Eucalyptus forests of Queensland, Australia
• Size: 11 to 17 pounds
• Diet: Eucalyptus leaves, other leaves

The Queensland koala is a subspecies of koala, referring to the ones living in the northern Queensland area. These koalas are typically smaller with lighter colored fur. Koalas rarely need to drink water because the Eucalyptus leaves they eat help keep them hydrated. While Eucalyptus leaves are toxic to other animals, koalas have special liver enzymes and gut bacteria that can safely digest them. They can eat over a pound of Eucalyptus leaves per day.

29. Queensland Lungfish

• Scientific Name: Neoceratodus forsteri
• Habitat: Still or slow-moving water in Queensland, Australia
• Size: Up to 3.3 feet
• Diet: Fish, tadpoles, frogs, freshwater invertebrates

Lungfish have been on this planet for nearly 400 million years, and there’s evidence that Queensland lungfish have existed for at least 145 million years. They’re thought to have poor eyesight, so they rely on smell when finding prey. They have one single lung, which allows them to breathe surface air when the water quality is poor. Yet, most of the time, they breathe exclusively through gills.

30. Queensland Tube-Nosed Bat

• Scientific Name: Nyctimene robinsoni
• Habitat: Rainforests and woodlands of north-eastern Australia
• Size: 3.9 to 4.3 inches
• Diet: Fruit, nectar, pollen

These bats have two tube-shaped nostrils, as their species name implies. Scientists believe this nose shape allows them to breathe easily while eating fruit. They have unique gold spots on their wings and ears, which can help them camouflage. When flying around, they’re known for making a loud, distinct whistling sound.

31. Quenda

• Scientific Name: Isoodon fusciventer
• Habitat: Open habitats of western Australia
• Size: 11 to 14 inches
• Diet: Insects, plant material

The quenda is a marsupial also known as the southwestern brown bandicoot. They look like rats, but their bodies are thicker and their tails are shorter. They’re mostly solitary, and they spend a lot of time digging to locate food, especially at night. When digging, they help aerate the soil, leaving a positive impact on the ecosystem.

32. Quercus Moth

• Scientific Name: Lasiocampa quercus
• Habitat: Open scrubby habitats in Europe and parts of northwestern Asia
• Size: 1.7 to 2.9 inches
• Diet: Trees, shrubs, flowers

The Quercus moth, more commonly known as the oak eggar, is a big, furry moth. The females are nocturnal, but the males are primarily active during the day. They can be found in just about any open habitats across their range because their caterpillars aren’t picky with the plants they feed on. Even though they’re called oak eggars, oak trees aren’t a common host for the caterpillars.

33. Queretaran Dusky Rattlesnake

• Scientific Name: Crotalus aquilus
• Habitat: Open grassy and rocky habitats of central Mexico
• Size: Up to 27 inches long
• Diet: Small mammals, lizards, snakes

The Queretaran dusky rattlesnake is a venomous pit viper. Just one bite can severely harm a human, affecting their blood and tissue. Luckily, they’re generally shy and avoid people, but they will attack if they feel threatened. They eat a variety of other animals, including other snake species like garter snakes and Mexican pine snakes. They can create hybrids with a similar species (Crotalus lepidus).

34. Querula Purpurata

• Scientific Name: Querula purpurata
• Habitat: Subtropical and tropical forests across northern South America
• Size: 10 to 12 inches
• Diet: Fruits, berries, insects

This bird species is often referred to by its scientific name because it’s the only species in the genus Querula. However, it’s also called the purple-throated fruitcrow. This nickname refers to the birds’ reddish-purple throats, which males often flare to attract females. They typically stay in groups in tree canopies, sometimes flocking with birds of other species. They have a distinct purring whistle call.

35. Question Mark Butterfly

• Scientific Name: Polygonia interrogationis
• Habitat: Parks and wooded areas across eastern North America
• Size: 2.25 to 3 inch wingspan
• Diet: Tree sap, rotting fruit, carcasses, feces

Question mark butterflies have two white marks on the underside of their left wings that sometimes resemble a question mark, giving them their unique name. Their open wings are bright orange, but when closed, they look like dead leaves. They sip a variety of liquids for food, which includes some gross items. While females can be skittish, males are very territorial, darting out to scare threats away.

36. Quetzal Cichlid

• Scientific Name: Vieja melanurus
• Habitat: Slow-moving river drainages in southern Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala
• Size: About 14 inches
• Diet: Algae

Quetzal cichlids typically have red or pink coloring near their faces, which stand out from the yellows, greens, blues, blacks, and whites on the rest of their body. This unique coloring has also earned them the nicknames redhead cichlid and firehead cichlid. These fish primarily eat algae off underwater logs and roots, using their sharp teeth to easily scrape it off.

37. Quill Pig

• Scientific Name: Erethizon dorsatum
• Habitat: Forests across Canada and the western United States
• Size: 24 to 36 inches
• Diet: Seeds, grasses, roots, berries, leaves, stems

Quill pig is a fun nickname sometimes used for the North American porcupine. These porcupines each have about 30,000 quills. Despite the common myth, they cannot shoot their quills. Instead, the quills easily detach, making them easily stick to predators that get too close. While they spend most of their time on the ground foraging for food, they’re great at climbing and swimming. They may even build their nests in trees.

38. Quillback Rockfish

• Scientific Name: Sebastes maliger
• Habitat: Rocky reefs along North America’s Pacific coast
• Size: Up to 25 inches
• Diet: Crustaceans, small fish, clams, worms

True to their name, quillback rockfish have sharp fins on their backs. Those dorsal fins are venomous, so they can use them to defend themselves from predators. They spend most of their time hiding among kelp, rocks, and coral rather than swimming in the open ocean. Rather than laying eggs, female quillback rockfish give birth to live young.

39. Quince Monitor

• Scientific Name: Varanus melinus
• Habitat: Tropical forests in Indonesia
• Size: 3 to 5 feet
• Diet: Insects, small mammals, frogs, eggs

Quince monitors are great at both swimming and climbing, allowing them to hunt a wide variety of prey. These reptiles can be fairly social, especially during the breeding season. They seem to use a mix of body language, such as head bobbing, and vocalizations, such as hissing and chirping, to communicate with each other. Scientists have only known of them since 1997, so there’s still a lot that’s unknown about them.

40. Quino Checkerspot

• Scientific Name: Euphydryas editha quino
• Habitat: Among shrubs and trees in California, USA, and Baja California, Mexico
• Size: 1-inch wingspan
• Diet: Nectar

Quino checkerspots suffer from habitat loss and fragmentation, which is why this endangered species has such a small range today. They’re frequently seen gathering on hilltops, which may be related to their mating routines. These butterflies don’t move around much, and when they do fly, it’s usually close to the ground.

41. Quokka

• Scientific Name: Setonix brachyurus
• Habitat: Dense riparian vegetations of western Australia
• Size: 16 to 21 inches
• Diet: Grasses, leaves, stem, bark

Quokkas are famously known as “the world’s happiest animals” because they frequently appear as if they’re smiling. Since they have a unique facial structure and frequently pant like a dog, it makes them look constantly happy. These adorable small mammals are marsupials, meaning they have pouches that can hold their young. Quokka joeys stay in their mother’s pouches for about six months, and they continue to nurse for six months after that.

More Animals (A-Z)

The letter Q might not include a ton of animal species, but it still contains more than most people would expect. While some of these animals are ones you may already love, there are likely some you’ve never heard of, too. If you enjoyed reading about these animals, then it’s only the beginning. There are so many more animals to learn about under every other letter of the alphabet as well.

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z