104 Animals That Start with S: From Vivid Scarlet Macaws to Fuzzy Sugar Gliders

The letter S is one of the most common in the English language, so it’s no surprise that many animal species have names starting with it. These include almost any type of animal imaginable: massive creatures, adorable fuzzy critters, intimidating reptiles, and even colorful creepy crawlies.

If you love learning about unique animals, keep reading to discover more about the species beginning with the letter S.

List of Animals

Here are 104 animal species that start with the letter S.

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

Animal	Type	Region
Sable	Mammal	Russia
Sable Antelope	Mammal	Southeastern Africa
Saddleback Caterpillar	Insect	Eastern North America
Saiga Antelope	Mammal	Central Asia
Sambar Deer	Mammal	Southeast Asia
San Francisco Garter Snake	Reptile	San Francisco
Sand Cat	Mammal	North Africa, Central and Southwest Asia
Sand Lizard	Reptile	Europe, Northern Asia
Sand Tiger Shark	Fish	Worldwide (excluding central/eastern Pacific)
Sandhill Crane	Bird	Canada to Northern Mexico
Sarus Crane	Bird	South Asia, Southeast Asia, Northern Australia
Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko	Reptile	Madagascar
Savannah Sparrow	Bird	North America
Saw-Scaled Viper	Reptile	Middle East, Central Asia
Scale-Crested Pygmy Tyrant	Bird	Central and South America
Scarlet Ibis	Bird	South America
Scarlet Kingsnake	Reptile	Southeastern United States
Scarlet Macaw	Bird	Southern Mexico to Northern South America
Scarlet Tanager	Bird	Eastern North America
Scimitar Oryx	Mammal	Captivity (formerly North Africa)
Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher	Bird	United States to Southern Mexico
Sea Otter	Mammal	North Pacific Ocean
Sea Roach	Crustacean	North America, Europe
Secretarybird	Bird	Sub-Saharan Africa
Sedge Warbler	Bird	Europe, Western Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa
Sei Whale	Mammal	Worldwide
Senegal Parrot	Bird	Western Central Africa
Serval	Mammal	Sub-Saharan Africa
Sharp-Shinned Hawk	Bird	North, Central, and South America
Sheepshead	Fish	Atlantic Coast of Americas
Shoebill	Bird	Central Africa
Short-Beaked Echidna	Mammal	Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea
Short-Eared Owl	Bird	Worldwide (except Australia, Antarctica)
Shortfin Mako Shark	Fish	Worldwide
Siamang	Mammal	Malay Peninsula, Sumatra
Siberian Ibex	Mammal	Central and Northern Asia
Siberian Tiger	Mammal	Eastern Russia
Sichuan Takin	Mammal	China
Sidewinder	Reptile	Mohave and Sonoran Deserts
Sika Deer	Mammal	Eastern Asia
Silky Shark	Fish	Tropical oceans worldwide
Six-Eyed Sand Spider	Arachnid	Southern Africa
Sloth Bear	Mammal	India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Slow Worm	Reptile	Western Eurasia
Smallmouth Bass	Fish	Eastern U.S., Southeastern Canada
Smooth Green Snake	Reptile	Southeastern Canada, Northeastern U.S.
Snouted Cobra	Reptile	Southeastern Africa
Snow Bunting	Bird	High Arctic
Snow Goose	Bird	North America
Snow Leopard	Mammal	Central Asia
Snowberry Clearwing	Insect	Indo-Pacific Region
Snowflake Moray	Fish	Indo-Pacific
Snowshoe Hare	Mammal	Northern North America
Snowy Egret	Bird	Americas
Snowy Owl	Bird	Arctic
Sockeye Salmon	Fish	West Coast of North America
Somali Ostrich	Bird	Horn of Africa
Song Sparrow	Bird	North America
Song Thrush	Bird	Eurasia
South American Coati	Mammal	South America
Southern Alligator Lizard	Reptile	Western North America
Southern Black Racer	Reptile	Southeastern United States
Southern Cassowary	Bird	Australia, New Guinea
Southern Flannel Moth	Insect	Southeastern United States
Southern House Spider	Arachnid	Americas
Southern Right Whale	Mammal	Southern Hemisphere
Speckled Kingsnake	Reptile	Central and Southern United States
Spectacled Bear	Mammal	Andes Mountains
Spectacled Caiman	Reptile	Central and South America
Sperm Whale	Mammal	Deep Oceans
Spider-Tailed Horned Viper	Reptile	Iran and Iraq
Spinner Dolphin	Mammal	Tropical Oceans
Spiny Bush Viper	Reptile	Central and Eastern Africa
Spiny Dogfish	Fish	North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Spiny Turtle	Reptile	Southeast Asia
Spongy Moth	Insect	Eurasia
Spotted Garden Eel	Fish	Indo-Pacific
Spotted Lanternfly	Insect	Asia
Spotted Owl	Bird	North America
Spotted Salamander	Amphibian	Eastern North America
Spring Peeper	Amphibian	Eastern North America
Springbok	Mammal	Southern Africa
Sri Lankan Junglefowl	Bird	Sri Lanka
Star-Nosed Mole	Mammal	Eastern North America
Steller Sea Lion	Mammal	North Pacific Ocean
Steller’s Jay	Bird	Western North America
Steller’s Sea Eagle	Bird	Eastern Russia
Stoat	Mammal	North America, Europe, Asia
Strawberry Hermit Crab	Crustacean	Indo-Pacific Region
Striped Hyena	Mammal	Africa, Asia
Striped Rocket Frog	Amphibian	Australia, Papua New Guinea
Striped Skunk	Mammal	North America
Sugar Glider	Mammal	New Guinea, Australia
Sulcata Tortoise	Reptile	Sahel, Sahara
Sumatran Elephant	Mammal	Sumatra
Sumatran Orangutan	Mammal	Sumatra
Sumatran Rhinoceros	Mammal	Sumatra, Borneo
Sumatran Tiger	Mammal	Sumatra
Summer Tanager	Bird	United States to South America
Sun Bear	Mammal	Southeast Asia
Sunbeam Snake	Reptile	Southeast Asia
Swainson’s Hawk	Bird	Canada to South America
Swamp Rabbit	Mammal	Southeastern United States
Swift Fox	Mammal	Central Canada and United States

1. Sable

• Scientific Name: Martes zibellina
• Habitat: Forests across Russia
• Size: 15 to 22 inches
• Diet: Small mammals, berries, nuts

Sables are martens, which are adorable small mammals belonging to the weasel family. They typically live in burrows along riverbanks, and they cover the entrances well with grass and fur to keep themselves safe. Sometimes, these burrows are only temporary homes since sables often travel far in search of food, especially in the winter when food is scarce. They’re typically solitary, and each sable defends 1 to 12 square miles of territory.

2. Sable Antelope

• Scientific Name: Hippotragus niger
• Habitat: Savannas of southeastern Africa
• Size: 480 to 520 pounds
• Diet: Grasses, herbs, shrubs, tree leaves

Both male and female sable antelopes have large, impressive horns that curve. The horns typically grow between 40 and 65 inches, and the antelopes use their horns to defend themselves. These mammals gather in groups of 15 to 20, and the most dominant female leads the group. There’s usually only one adult male in the group, and young males must leave the herd when they turn three. Young males without a group will gather together, and the most dominant of them will be the first to join a herd of females.

3. Saddleback Caterpillar

• Scientific Name: Acharia stimulea
• Habitat: Shade trees and ornamental shrubs of eastern North America
• Size: About 1 inch long
• Diet: Leaves, fruits, vegetables

Saddleback caterpillars may look intriguing, but it’s best for humans to keep a distance. Touching their spines results in a sting that hurts more than a wasp sting and can cause severe allergic reactions in some cases. Saddleback caterpillars turn into saddleback moths, which are dark brown moths with large legs. However, the caterpillars are more well-known since the moths only live for less than a week. They’re unable to eat in adult form, so they only live long enough to mate and lay eggs.

4. Saiga Antelope

• Scientific Name: Saiga tatarica
• Habitat: Open steppes and deserts of Central Asia
• Size: 57 to 152 pounds
• Diet: Grasses, herbs, lichens

Saiga antelopes stand out from other antelopes because of their large noses that seem swollen. Those weird noses help the antelopes regulate temperature. The nose can warm cold air before it gets to the animal’s lungs in the winter and filter dust in the summer to cool their blood. While their unusual appearance might make them seem clumsy, they’re actually fast and agile, running up to 50 miles per hour to escape predators. They can also migrate over 600 miles.

5. Sambar Deer

• Scientific Name: Rusa unicolor
• Habitat: Dry forests of Southeast Asia
• Size: 300 to 1,000 pounds
• Diet: Grasses, fruits, leaves, herbs

The size of sambar deer can vary greatly based on the location and subspecies. Like many deer species, the males have large antlers that they can use to defend themselves. The females use their feet instead. Their hearing and sense of smell are very strong, allowing them to remain alert and quickly detect predators. If they sense danger, they usually become very silent and freeze until the threat passes.

6. San Francisco Garter Snake

• Scientific Name: Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia
• Habitat: Freshwater wetlands of San Francisco
• Size: 39 to 47 inches long
• Diet: Frogs, newts, toads, small fish, worms, rodents

Even though San Francisco garter snakes are brightly colored, they’re not dangerous to humans. While these colors may trick some predators into thinking they’re poisonous, the pattern blends in surprisingly well to wetland habitats. They’re an endangered species because they’re native to such a small range, and a lot of that area has been taken over by urban and agricultural developments.

7. Sand Cat

• Scientific Name: Felis margarita
• Habitat: Dry, arid habitats of North Africa and parts of Central and Southwest Asia
• Size: 3 to 7.5 pounds
• Diet: Rodents, birds, spiders, insects, reptiles

Sand cats might look like domestic kittens, but they’re very small wild cats. They’re able to survive in harsh desert environments because they have fur covering the pads of their feet to protect them from hot sand. They can also go a long time without water because they get most of the moisture they need from their prey. They have excellent hearing, so they sit and wait for prey to move under the sand before pouncing.

8. Sand Lizard

• Scientific Name: Lacerta agilis
• Habitat: Warm, sandy areas across Europe and northern Asia
• Size: 7 to 8 inches long
• Diet: Insects, spiders

Female sand lizards are colored similarly to the sand to help them blend into their environment. However, male sand lizards have bright green patches, which become more vibrant than usual during the mating season. Females are drawn to males with bright coloring. These lizards create burrows in the sand, which they retreat to at night and when hibernating. During the day, they can be spotted basking in the sun on bare sand patches.

9. Sand Tiger Shark

• Scientific Name: Carcharias taurus
• Habitat: Warm temperate and coastal seas worldwide (except central and eastern Pacific)
• Size: 7 to 10 feet
• Diet: Bony fish, rays, crabs, lobster, squid

Even though these sharks breathe underwater like other sharks, they occasionally come up to the surface to get a gulp of air. The air goes to the stomach and makes them more buoyant, which can help them float in one place while they search for prey. They have so many jagged teeth that you can even see a row of teeth when their mouth is closed. These sharks give birth to live young, which can swim and eat immediately.

10. Sandhill Crane

• Scientific Name: Antigone canadensis
• Habitat: Wetlands and fields from Canada to northern Mexico
• Size: 3.2 to 3.9 feet tall
• Diet: Plants, seeds, berries

Sandhill cranes are an extremely old species, with the oldest sandhill crane fossils dating back about 2.5 million years. These birds make loud, rattling calls that sound more like an instrument than a bird. They look majestic because of their tall stature and red patches, but they look even more beautiful when “dancing” during their mating displays. When trying to attract a mate, they may leap, bow, shake their heads, and extend their wings in an elegant manner.

11. Sarus Crane

• Scientific Name: Antigone antigone
• Habitat: Wetlands parts of the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia
• Size: 5 to 6 feet
• Diet: Aquatic plants, insects, crustaceans, fish, frogs, lizards

These tall cranes are mostly gray, but their heads are covered in deep red feathers with a bald spot on top. They’re the tallest flying bird in the world, standing the height of a human. They often look even bigger in flight because they extend their necks and let their long legs trail behind. They’re not particularly social, and they become very aggressive toward other cranes when defending their territories, especially when nesting.

12. Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko

• Scientific Name: Uroplatus phantasticus
• Habitat: Tropical forests of Madagascar
• Size: 3 to 4 inches
• Diet: Insects, worms, snails

Satanic leaf-tailed geckos have impressive camouflage skills. Their bodies look nearly identical to leaves, allowing them to easily hide in trees. They don’t have eyelids, so their eyes are a similar color to their skin. To keep their eyes moist, they occasionally lick them. The word “satanic” was given to these reptiles because they look more like mythical creatures than real-life animals. Despite being small, they’re capable of making a sound that resembles the scream of a human child.

13. Savannah Sparrow

• Scientific Name: Passerculus sandwichensis
• Habitat: Grassy areas across North America
• Size: 4.3 to 5.9 inches
• Diet: Insects, seeds

There are a lot of small, brown birds across North America, but this one stands out because of the yellow patch before the eye. This species is so widespread that it has several unique subspecies, such as the Ipswich savannah sparrow, which is 50% heavier than the species normally is. Young savannah sparrows only live in the nest for 8 days, but they’re a handful during that time. The mom must gather 10 times her weight in food daily to feed her chicks and herself.

14. Saw-Scaled Viper

• Scientific Name: Echis carinatus
• Habitat: Dry, arid regions of the Middle East and Central Asia
• Size: 12 to 30 inches long
• Diet: Small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates

Saw-scaled vipers have sharp scales, including a saw-like central ridge. They can produce a sizzling sound by rubbing sections of scales together, which is used to intimidate other animals. They’re one of the most dangerous snakes because a single bite can cause internal bleeding and kidney failure. They spend most of the day hiding in burrows and crevices, and then they become active at night to hunt whatever animals they can find.

15. Scale-Crested Pygmy Tyrant

• Scientific Name: Lophotriccus pileatus
• Habitat: Tropical forests from eastern Honduras to southern Peru
• Size: 3.1 to 3.9 inches
• Diet: Insects

These little birds have olive green feathers, but the most unique part of their appearance is the feather crest that resembles scales from a distance. The birds can raise those feathers to appear more intimidating to predators or appealing to mates. They stay low in tree canopies, where they quickly capture insects using their sharp bills. They’re not very social, so they usually only appear alone or in pairs.

16. Scarlet Ibis

• Scientific Name: Eudocimus ruber
• Habitat: Wetlands and marches along South American coasts
• Size: 22 to 30 inches long
• Diet: Crustaceans, small fish, mollusks, frogs, worms, insects

The striking red plumage of these birds comes from the crustaceans they eat, much like how a flamingo’s diet is what makes them pink. The only part of this bird’s body that isn’t red is their black wing tips. These birds have long, curved bills that allow them to probe mud, grass, and water to collect prey. They’re very quiet birds, only using croaks and grunts to communicate with each other. There are fossil records of these birds going back 60 million years.

17. Scarlet Kingsnake

• Scientific Name: Lampropeltis elapsoides
• Habitat: Wet pine forests of the southeastern United States
• Size: 14 to 20 inches long
• Diet: Lizards, small snakes, frogs, small mammals

Despite having bold coloring, scarlet kingsnakes aren’t venomous. Their colors are very similar to the coral snake, which is venomous. Yellow and red touches each other on the coral snake’s pattern, but not on scarlet kingsnakes. Yet, their bright coloring can confuse or scare predators, making them less likely to hunt them. They often make quick, jerky movements to further intimidate predators with their coloring.

18. Scarlet Macaw

• Scientific Name: Ara macao
• Habitat: Forests from southern Mexico to northern South America
• Size: 32 to 39 inches
• Diet: Seeds, nuts, leaves, berries

Scarlet macaws are some of the most colorful birds in the world. They’re also very intelligent, capable of learning about 5 to 10 human words or phrases at a time. They have a large, thick beak that’s great for breaking into nuts and seeds. They can also eat fruits that are toxic (and even deadly) to other animals without any harm. It’s likely because they also consume clay to neutralize the plant toxins.

19. Scarlet Tanager

• Scientific Name: Piranga olivacea
• Habitat: Forests of eastern North America
• Size: 6.3 to 7 inches
• Diet: Insects, berries

Scarlet tanagers have significant differences between males and females. Only the breeding males have scarlet feathers, while females have bright yellow feathers instead. After the breeding season, males shift from red feathers to yellow-green ones. Despite being so vibrant, scarlet tanagers can be hard to spot because they spend most of their time high in tree canopies. These birds often gather in mixed-species flocks with flycatchers, antbirds, woodcreepers, and other tanagers.

20. Scimitar Oryx

• Scientific Name: Oryx Dammah
• Habitat: Only in captivity
• Size: 200 to 460 pounds
• Diet: Grasses, herbs, roots, buds

Sadly, the scimitar oryx went extinct in the wild in 2000. They used to live across North Africa, but their population plummeted because people hunted them for their horns and meat. There are over 1,000 individuals still living in captivity. Reintroducing them into the wild is difficult because they don’t have as much space to migrate to as they once did. They often lived in dry areas, so they’re able to survive without water for several days.

21. Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

• Scientific Name: Tyrannus forficatus
• Habitat: Open, grassy areas from south-central United States to southern Mexico
• Size: 11 to 15 inches long
• Diet: Insects, spiders, berries

The unique tails of these birds resemble scissors, which is how they got their name. The tail is longer on each side, and it opens and closes like scissors occasionally. This behavior can help the bird maneuver in the air and attract mates. When they gather before migrating, they form groups with up to 1,000 birds per flock.

22. Sea Otter

• Scientific Name: Enhydra Lutris
• Habitat: Coastal waters of the North Pacific Ocean
• Size: 50 to 70 pounds
• Diet: Marine invertebrates

Sea otters are much larger than river otters. The smallest sea otters are heavier and longer than the biggest river otters. Sea otters have extremely thick fur to help them stay warm in frigid waters since they lack blubber. They have 600,000 to 1,000,000 hair follicles per square inch on their bodies. They eat 25% of their body weight daily, diving up to 250 feet below the surface to collect invertebrates like crabs, clams, and mussels.

23. Sea Roach

• Scientific Name: Ligia exotica
• Habitat: Rocky coasts near temperate waters in North America and Europe
• Size: About 1 inch long
• Diet: Decaying plants, algae, and animals

Despite being called sea roaches, these animals aren’t a type of cockroach. Instead, they’re land-dwelling isopods that live near the ocean. They’re sometimes mistaken for shrimp at first glance. Even though they spend more time on land than in the water, they have gills that must stay moist to help them breathe. They have a wide range, but their exact origin is unknown.

24. Secretarybird

• Scientific Name: Sagittarius serpentarius
• Habitat: Open savannas and grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa
• Size: About 4 feet tall
• Diet: Snakes, lizards, insects, scorpions, small mammals, eggs

Secretarybirds gained their unique name because secretaries from the 1800s were known for wearing gray coats and black pants while tucking goose-quill pens behind their ears. These unique birds share a similar appearance. While they hunt a wide range of animals, they’re best known for capturing snakes. They use their large wings to distract the snakes, and their scaly legs make it difficult for the snakes to bite them. They typically only fly short distances to reach nests and display courtship dances.

25. Sedge Warbler

• Scientific Name: Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
• Habitat: Marshy, scrubby areas of Europe, western Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa
• Size: 4.5 to 5.1 inches
• Diet: Insects, worms, berries

Sedge warblers can be noisy birds, making rambling chatters and other rushed sounds. They’re most active at dawn and dusk because the colder temperature makes their prey slower. They may grab insects off plants or catch them in mid-air as they fly from one perch to another. They’re monogamous birds that typically travel in pairs.

26. Sei Whale

• Scientific Name: Balaenoptera borealis
• Habitat: Subtropical, temperate, and subpolar waters worldwide
• Size: 44,000 to 100,000 pounds, 40 to 60 feet long
• Diet: Plankton, small fish, cephalopods

Sei whales are massive creatures that are already 1,500 pounds and 15 feet long at birth. They don’t become fully mature until they are 6 to 12 years old, and they live 50 to 70 years. To support their large size, they eat about 2,000 pounds of food daily. They dive underwater for 5 to 20 minutes at a time, gulping water to collect their food. They can swim over 34 miles per hour, and they usually travel alone or in small groups of up to five individuals.

27. Senegal Parrot

• Scientific Name: Poicephalus senegalus
• Habitat: Savanna woodlands of western central Africa
• Size: 9 to 10 inches
• Diet: Seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetation

While they’re not as noisy as other parrots, they squawk and make high-pitched whistles. They’re also capable of mimicking a couple of dozen human words, which is why captive-bred Senegal parrots are sometimes kept as pets. They’re social birds, usually gathering in flocks of 10 to 20 individuals. They stay high in the trees, where they forage, rest, and clean themselves in a space that’s far from humans.

28. Serval

• Scientific Name: Leptailurus serval
• Habitat: Grasslands and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa
• Size: 20 to 40 pounds
• Diet: Rodents, snakes, birds, insects

Servals might look cute, but like all wild cats, they’re fierce hunters. A single serval hunts about 4,000 rodents every year. Their hunts have a high success rate, with most of these felines catching two out of every three rodents they hunt. Their long legs allow them to leap 10 feet in the air and run 50 miles per hour, making it easy for them to escape predators. They have huge ears that can rotate 180 degrees, allowing them to easily pinpoint sounds made by nearby animals.

29. Sharp-Shinned Hawk

• Scientific Name: Accipiter striatus
• Habitat: Forests across most of North, Central, and South America
• Size: 9.1 to 11.8 inches
• Diet: Small birds, rodents, bats, lizards, frogs, snakes, large insects

These hawks are small, but female sharp-shinned hawks are about a third heavier than males. Since males are smaller, they also catch smaller prey. So, males catch prey for the chicks at first, but then females hunt for the chicks once the chicks grow bigger. The adults typically remove the heads from animals before feeding them to their young. These hawks have long, sharp claws, which can be used to impale prey.

30. Sheepshead

• Scientific Name: Archosargus probatocephalus
• Habitat: Saltwater and brackish waters along the Atlantic Coast of North and South America
• Size: 8 to 26 inches
• Diet: Invertebrates, small vertebrates, plant material

At first glance, sheepshead look like any other fish. Yet, their strange, human-like teeth set them apart. They received their unique name because their teeth are like a sheep’s. They’ve evolved to have these flat teeth because they have an omnivorous diet. They can use their teeth to crush and grind animals with shells. They might look intimidating when they open their mouths, but they’re rarely aggressive.

31. Shoebill

• Scientific Name: Balaeniceps rex
• Habitat: Freshwater swamps in central Africa
• Size: 3.5 to 5 feet
• Diet: Fish, frogs, reptiles, small mammals

The enormous bill on these birds resembles a clog shoe, which is why they have such a silly name. The bill is wide enough to swallow animals whole, and the end is sharp to impale prey before swallowing. They stand extremely still near the water before ambushing prey, so most of the time, prey never sees them coming. Many people find these birds creepy due to their dinosaur-like appearance and the fact that they rarely blink.

32. Short-Beaked Echidna

• Scientific Name: Tachyglossus aculeatus
• Habitat: Forests, woodlands, grasslands, and scrublands across Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea
• Size: 5 to 15 pounds
• Diet: Ants, termites, worms, larvae

Short-beaked echidnas have long, sticky tongues that help them reach into ant and termite nests to collect their prey. They often consume lots of dirt when eating invertebrates. Even though they’re small, these animals have few predators because their spines deter most large creatures. Like the platypus, echidnas are one of the only mammals that lay eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the young echidnas stay inside the mother’s pouch for about two to three months.

33. Short-Eared Owl

• Scientific Name: Asio flammeus
• Habitat: Open areas of every continent except Australia and Antarctica
• Size: 13 to 17 inches
• Diet: Small mammals, birds

Short-eared owls have ear tufts, but they’re so small that they’re often invisible. These owls have excellent hearing, allowing them to easily locate nearby prey. Researchers believe these owls can travel across oceans, which is why they appear on so many continents. People have spotted the owls landing on boats that are thousands of miles from land. These owls can lay anywhere from 4 to 14 eggs in one clutch.

34. Shortfin Mako Shark

• Scientific Name: Isurus oxyrinchus
• Habitat: Near the surface of temperate and tropical oceans worldwide
• Size: 6 to 13 feet long
• Diet: Squid, bony fish

Shortfin mako sharks are considered the fastest sharks, swimming over 45 miles per hour. They can migrate thousands of miles, which is why the species is so widespread. They can also jump far out of the water while hunting. They’re at the top of the food chain, so other animals rarely eat the adults. However, the species is endangered because they are often harmed by overfishing and other negative human interactions.

35. Siamang

• Scientific Name: Symphalangus syndactylus
• Habitat: Mountain and monsoon forests of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, Indonesia
• Size: 23 to 25 pounds
• Diet: Fruits, leaves, insects, birds, eggs

Siamangs are a gibbon species with a unique throat sac. They inflate their throat sacs when vocalizing, causing them to become as big as a grapefruit. These gibbons move around by swinging from one branch to the next. They usually live in groups that include a mating pair and their offspring. Each group performs daily singing rituals to make their territory known, and they will defend their area as needed.

36. Siberian Ibex

• Scientific Name: Capra sibirica
• Habitat: Mountain ranges of central and northern Asia
• Size: 175 to 290 pounds
• Diet: Grasses, herbs, mosses, plant matter

Both male and female Siberian ibexes have horns, but males have much larger horns, ranging from 45 to 58 inches long. No two pairs of Siberian ibex horns are exactly alike. These mammals typically travel in herds that include anywhere from 5 to 30 individuals. Males mate with multiple females in their group, and they will fight other males using their massive horns to display dominance.

37. Siberian Tiger

• Scientific Name: Panthera tigris altaica
• Habitat: Cold forests of eastern Russia
• Size: 375 to 700 pounds
• Diet: Elk, deer, boars, bears

The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, is the world’s largest cat. They’re so powerful that they even hunt bears, which make up about 10% of their diet. They must eat at least 20 pounds of food daily to survive in their cold, snowy environment, and they sometimes eat up to 60 pounds of food in one night. If they’re unsuccessful in catching prey, they find a new target rather than chasing down escaped prey.

38. Sichuan Takin

• Scientific Name: Budorcas taxicolor tibetana
• Habitat: Dense bamboo forests of China
• Size: 550 to 790 pounds
• Diet: Bamboo shoots, foliage, bark, flowers

Sichuan takin are massive mammals, but they’re also great climbers. They typically live at altitudes above 14,000 feet, so their flexible hooves help them grip onto rocky terrain. They’re also capable of standing upright on their hind legs, which allows them to collect vegetation from higher branches. They use a lot of soft, unusual sounds to communicate with each other, such as whistles, trills, coughs, and even burps.

39. Sidewinder

• Scientific Name: Crotalus cerastes
• Habitat: Sandy areas of the Mohave Desert and Sonoran Desert
• Size: 1 to 3 feet long
• Diet: Rodents, lizards, snakes, birds

Most snakes have a difficult time moving on slippery surfaces like smooth sand, so sidewinders make unique movements to get around sandy areas. They move in an S-shaped curve, which throws their bodies to the side to help them continue forward. They’re fast-moving, venomous rattlesnakes, but they’re shy and only active at night. So, bites are rare since they don’t interact with humans much.

40. Sika Deer

• Scientific Name: Cervus nippon
• Habitat: Temperate and subtropical forests of eastern Asia
• Size: 70 to 150 pounds
• Diet: Grasses, leaves, herbs, ferns, fungi

While most deer only have spots when they’re young, sika deer keep their spots even when full-grown. They frequently bounce around like gazelles, leaping over 5 feet into the air. They’re very vocal animals, making a variety of whistles, screams, and other sounds to communicate with each other. Male sika deer mate with up to 12 different females, but they remain solitary while the females travel with their young.

41. Silky Shark

• Scientific Name: Carcharhinus falciformis
• Habitat: Tropical oceanic waters worldwide
• Size: 8 to 11 feet long
• Diet: Bony fish, cephalopods, crustaceans

Silky sharks have different teeth on the top and bottom of their mouth. Their top teeth are wide, serrated triangles, while their bottom teeth are narrow, smooth, and pointed. This likely allows them to capture a wide variety of prey. While they primarily feed on bony fish, they’re not picky, sometimes eating carcasses. They have excellent hearing to help them hunt, and they’re particularly attracted to low-frequency sounds.

42. Six-Eyed Sand Spider

• Scientific Name: Sicarius Hahni
• Habitat: Hot, arid regions of southern Africa
• Size: 0.6 to 2 inches
• Diet: Insects, scorpions

While six-eyed sand spiders aren’t typically aggressive, they have potent venom that can cause life-threatening wounds to humans in extreme cases. It’s hard to spot them because their bodies are colored similarly to sand. They use that camouflage to their advantage when hunting, often burying themselves slightly with sand. They sit in one spot, wait for prey to get close, and then ambush it.

43. Sloth Bear

• Scientific Name: Melursus ursinus
• Habitat: Grasslands, scrublands, and forests of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
• Size: 175 to 310 pounds
• Diet: Termites, other insects, eggs, honeycombs, carrion

Sloth bears got their name because they have long, thick claws like sloths, but they’re not related to sloths at all. Their name can be confusing because they’re not slow. They’re agile and can run faster than a human. They primarily eat termites, ants, and similar insects by sucking them into their mouth. The sounds they make when eating are loud enough to be heard up to 330 feet away. They can close their nostrils to prevent insects from climbing into their nose.

44. Slow Worm

• Scientific Name: Anguis fragilis
• Habitat: Grasslands and woodland edges of western Eurasia
• Size: About 20 inches long
• Diet: Slugs, worms, snails, spiders

The slow worm, also known as the common slow worm, isn’t a worm at all. They’re also not snakes, despite their very snake-like appearance. Instead, they’re a species of legless lizard. Legless lizards have a few unique characteristics from snakes, such as having eyelids and external ear openings. Even though it’s hard to tell where their body ends and their tail starts, slow worms can detach their tail to escape predators and grow it back later, like other lizard species.

45. Smallmouth Bass

• Scientific Name: Micropterus dolomieu
• Habitat: Cool lakes and rivers of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada
• Size: 8 to 22 inches
• Diet: Insects, crustaceans, small fish

While smallmouth bass are native to North America, they have been introduced to many other countries worldwide, and they’ve survived in those areas due to their adaptability. They’re invasive in introduced areas, causing problems for those ecosystems. They’re one of the most common fish that people catch and eat because they’re common and considered tasty. While smallmouth basses typically have dark stripes, those lines fade as they get older.

46. Smooth Green Snake

• Scientific Name: Opheodrys vernalis
• Habitat: Moist, grassy areas of southeastern Canada and northeastern United States
• Size: 12 to 26 inches long
• Diet: Insects, spiders, slugs

Smooth green snakes are small, non-venomous, and rarely aggressive. They’re more likely to freeze than bite since their bright green scales blend in well with grass. When provoked, they may also release a foul smell to deter predators. They’re solitary snakes that hunt both during the day and at night, but when it gets too cold outside, they hibernate. They move to underground burrows when hibernating, where they may gather with other smooth green snakes.

47. Snouted Cobra

• Scientific Name: Naja annulifera
• Habitat: Savannas of southeastern Africa
• Size: 3.9 to 5.9 feet long
• Diet: Small mammals, birds, frogs, lizards, other snakes

Snouted cobras are highly venomous, and their venom can cause respiratory concerns. Their venom spreads fast and can lead to death if not treated quickly. If they feel threatened, they will raise the front of their body and extend their hood while hissing to scare off people and animals. If that doesn’t work, they will either retreat and hide or strike. They typically live in abandoned termite mounds, and they live in the same termite mound for years at a time.

48. Snow Bunting

• Scientific Name: Plectrophenax nivalis
• Habitat: Fields and open tundra of high arctic latitudes
• Size: 5.9 to 7.4 inches
• Diet: Grass, flowering plant seeds, weeds

Snowy buntings change their appearance based on the season. Breeding males and females are mostly white with dark wings, but during the nonbreeding season, they have patches of brown among the white feathers. Rather than growing a new set of feathers, the birds rub their heads and bellies on snow to wear down the brown tips of their feathers and reveal bright white coloring instead. In the winter, these birds can flock in hundreds.

49. Snow Goose

• Scientific Name: Anser caerulescens
• Habitat: Tundra, marshes, and fields across parts of North America
• Size: 6.5 to 7.5 pounds
• Diet: Grasses, grains, aquatic plants

Snow geese have a long migration. They breed at the very top of Canada, and then they fly down to areas of the southern United States and northern Mexico when they’re not breeding. While these birds are typically solid white with black wing tips, there are some color morphs, including one with blueish-black feathers. You can tell whether a snow goose will have light or dark feathers as soon as it hatches.

50. Snow Leopard

• Scientific Name: Panthera uncia
• Habitat: High mountain ranges of central Asia
• Size: 55 to 165 pounds
• Diet: Sheep, ibex, marmots, pikas, deer

Snow leopards are agile felines that can easily navigate cliffs and rocky terrain at altitudes of over 9,800 feet. Their long tails provide balance while their thick fur offers insulation amid the frigid temperatures. While most big cats roar, snow leopards have a much different call, which sounds like a piercing yowl. Even though they’re called leopards and have spots like leopards, they’re more closely related to tigers.

51. Snowberry Clearwing

• Scientific Name: Hemaris diffinis
• Habitat: Meadows, gardens, fields
• Size: 0.9 to 1.2 inches
• Diet: Nectar

Snowberry clearwings are hummingbird moths. They’re a type of moth that behaves like a hummingbird by hovering near flowers and sipping nectar. They got their name because snowberries are the preferred plant of snowberry clearwing larvae. The moths lay their eggs on the plants so the caterpillars can eat the leaves and build their cocoons on the plants. These insects are also nicknamed “flying lobster moths” because their unusual appearance slightly resembles lobsters.

52. Snowflake Moray

• Scientific Name: Echidna nebulosa
• Habitat: Rocky shallows and coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region
• Size: 2 to 3 feet long
• Diet: Fish, shrimp, squid, krill

The speckled white pattern of these eels has earned them nicknames like snowflake, clouded, starry, and floral moray. Like other morays, they constantly have their mouths open to help get enough water flow near their small gills. They don’t have good eyesight, but they have an excellent sense of smell, which helps them locate and ambush prey. They have sharp teeth and a second set of jaws in their throats to help pull prey into the stomach.

53. Snowshoe Hare

• Scientific Name: Lepus americanus
• Habitat: Boreal forests of northern North America
• Size: 18 to 20 inches
• Diet: Grasses, clovers, ferns, twigs, buds, bark

Like several other species living in cold climates, snowshoe hares can change colors depending on the season. In the winter, they have their iconic white fur to help them blend into the snow. Then, by summer, their fur turns into a reddish-brown hue to help them blend into dirt. They tend to have larger back feet than other hares, making it easier for them to move on thick snow as if they’re wearing snowshoes.

54. Snowy Egret

• Scientific Name: Egretta thula
• Habitat: Marshes, swamps, and ponds from the United States through South America
• Size: 20 to 27 inches
• Diet: Crustaceans, small fish, insects

Snow egrets typically breed in the United States, but after that, they make a long migration down to South America, sometimes even reaching the southern tip. When breeding, they develop long, wispy feathers. Male and female egrets take turns incubating the eggs. They sometimes present their mate with a stick when switching places. Both males and females continue caring for the young after they hatch.

55. Snowy Owl

• Scientific Name: Bubo scandiacus
• Habitat: Open areas of the Arctic
• Size: 20 to 28 inches
• Diet: Lemmings, arctic hares, mice, ducks, seabirds

Snowy owls are majestic birds with white plumage. The males are completely white, while the females have dark bars among their white coloring. These owls have thick, fluffy feathers on their feet, which provide insulation amid freezing weather. Snowy owl owlets look very different than their parents because they’re covered in dark gray feathers. The mother stays with the owlets at all times while the males give the females food to feed their young.

56. Sockeye Salmon

• Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus nerka
• Habitat: Lakes, streams, and estuaries on the west coast of North America
• Size: 1.5 to 2.5 feet
• Diet: Zooplankton, amphipods, insects

Most of the sockeye salmon’s body is bright red because of the carotenoid pigments in the food they eat. This is also what causes their flesh to be orange. These fish hatch in freshwater, but they typically migrate to the ocean to feed and grow. Salmon that don’t venture to saltwater are called kokanee, and they’re usually smaller and less colorful. Sockeye salmon use their sense of smell to return to where they hatched when it’s time to breed.

57. Somali Ostrich

• Scientific Name: Struthio molybdophanes
• Habitat: Hot savannas and open woodlands in the Horn of Africa
• Size: 6.6 to 9.2 feet
• Diet: Grasses, seeds, leaves, succulents, insects

Somali ostriches are some of the largest birds on the planet. Since they’re very tall and can weigh over 100 pounds, their wings aren’t large enough to allow them to fly. Despite being stuck on land, they can run surprisingly fast, reaching 37 mph when running long distances and 43 mph when sprinting. As another form of protection, they sometimes lie flat on the ground so predators will mistake them for a plant or mound of dirt.

58. Song Sparrow

• Scientific Name: Melospiza melodia
• Habitat: Brushy fields, woodland edges, and gardens throughout most of North America
• Size: 4.3 to 7.1 inches
• Diet: Insects, seeds, fruits

While song sparrows always have a brown feather pattern, their appearance can vary based on their location. Song sparrows in deserts of the southwestern United States are pale, while those in the Pacific Northwest are dark brown with streaks. They’re called song sparrows because they make a wide range of sounds, which typically include loud songs with two to six phrases. Like their coloring, their songs can vary based on location.

59. Song Thrush

• Scientific Name: Turdus philomelos
• Habitat: Woodlands, farmlands, and parks across Eurasia
• Size: 7.9 to 9.2 inches
• Diet: Worms, snails, insects, fruit

Song thrushes have an impressive repertoire of songs, with males knowing over 100 phrases. They can even imitate the sounds of other birds and some manmade objects. Besides songs, these birds also make loud calls to warn other song thrushes of predators and to communicate with other birds while migrating. Snails are some of their favorite foods, and they use rocks to crack open the shells.

60. South American Coati

• Scientific Name: Nasua nasua
• Habitat: Forests across northern and central South America
• Size: 4.4 to 17.6 pounds
• Diet: Fruits, invertebrates, eggs, lizards, small mammals

Coatis are relatives of raccoons, and they have a similar bushy tail with stripes. They have long, narrow noses that make it easy for them to gather food from rocks and crevices. They also use their long claws to dig holes and break rotting logs. They’re social creatures that live in groups called “bands.” A band of coatis typically includes 10 to 30 individuals. If they feel threatened, the entire group of coatis will leap into the trees.

61. Southern Alligator Lizard

• Scientific Name: Elgaria multicarinata
• Habitat: Grasslands and open forests of western North America
• Size: About 1 foot long
• Diet: Insects, spiders, snails, slugs, small lizards, bird eggs

While southern alligator lizards typically eat invertebrates, they’re capable of eating animals that are about the same body length as them. Like other lizards, they can drop their tail as a defense mechanism. However, it takes a lot of energy for them to regrow their tail, making them less active during the regeneration process. They’re secretive, solitary creatures that spend most of their time hiding under rocks and logs.

62. Southern Black Racer

• Scientific Name: Coluber constrictor priapus
• Habitat: Forests and grassy areas of the southeastern United States
• Size: 3 to 5 feet long
• Diet: Rodents, birds, bird eggs, lizards, insects

Southern black racers are primarily active during the day. They spend their time basking in the sun or hunting any animals they can find. They’re able to swim, climb, and move quickly. They’re non-venomous, and they’re more likely to flee than bite. When they’re not active, they retreat to underground burrows or piles of leaves for safety. They hibernate in their burrows during colder months.

63. Southern Cassowary

• Scientific Name: Casuarius casuarius
• Habitat: Tropical rainforests of northeastern Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands
• Size: 4.9 to 5.9 feet tall
• Diet: Fruit, invertebrates, small vertebrates, carrion

Cassowaries are huge flightless birds like ostriches, except they almost look like dinosaurs. Southern cassowaries have bristly black feathers, a blue face, and a helmet-like feature. Southern cassowaries are the largest cassowary species, weighing up to 167 pounds. Despite being so heavy, they can jump up to 7 feet off the ground to reach high fruits or leap into a kick as a form of self-defense.

64. Southern Flannel Moth

• Scientific Name: Megalopyge opercularis
• Habitat: Deciduous forests of southeastern United States
• Size: About 1 inch long
• Diet: Trees, shrubs

Southern flannel moth caterpillars, also known as puss caterpillars, may look fuzzy, but avoid touching them. Their fur has venomous spines that can cause skin reactions if you brush up against it, and the stinging sensation could last for several days. The hair can even cause some people to go into anaphylactic shock. While adult flannel moths are just as fluffy, they aren’t dangerous.

65. Southern House Spider

• Scientific Name: Kukulcania hibernalis
• Habitat: Crevices and cracks of buildings from southern United States through South America
• Size: 0.5 to 2 inches
• Diet: Insects

Southern house spiders primarily reside in man-made structures. While their large size often frightens people, they’re not dangerous. They spin webs like other spiders, but they will also chase down prey when needed. They’re social spiders that seem to recognize spiders they’ve met before, such as their siblings. Some southern house spiders even work together when catching food.

66. Southern Right Whale

• Scientific Name: Eubalaena australis
• Habitat: Oceans of the Southern Hemisphere
• Size: 160,000 to 180,000 pounds
• Diet: Zooplankton

Southern right whales might seem intimidating because of their massive size, but they’re actually curious, social creatures. They regularly interact with whales and dolphins, and they sometimes approach boats to get a better look at the people on board. These whales typically travel in groups of 2 to 12 individuals. They have a thick layer of blubber to keep them warm in sub-Antarctic areas, but that means they cannot handle extreme heat.

67. Speckled Kingsnake

• Scientific Name: Lampropeltis holbrooki
• Habitat: Swamps and woodlands of central and southern United States
• Size: 3 to 4 feet long
• Diet: Small mammals, birds, frogs, eggs, lizards, small snakes

Speckled kingsnakes are opportunistic hunters, so they will eat nearly any animals available to them. They constrict their prey to kill it before eating it. While they are a threat to many small animals, they’re considered docile and harmless toward humans. If they feel threatened, they may shake their tail like a rattlesnake to scare off predators. They can also release a musky smell to protect themselves.

68. Spectacled Bear

• Scientific Name: Tremarctos ornatus
• Habitat: Cloud forests of the Andes Mountains and surrounding areas
• Size: 220 to 340 pounds
• Diet: Fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey, insects, small animals

The spectacled bear is the only living species of bear that’s native to South America. They’re called spectacled bears because the light coloring around their eyes sometimes looks like glasses. Their front legs are longer than their back legs, which makes them great climbers. They even build nests in trees, which resemble massive bird nests. Their teeth are designed for grinding vegetation, so they primarily eat plants (only 5% of their diet is meat).

69. Spectacled Caiman

• Scientific Name: Caiman crocodilus
• Habitat: Freshwater wetlands from southern Mexico to northern South America
• Size: 4.5 to 8.5 feet long
• Diet: Fish, crustaceans, amphibians, small mammals, birds

Spectacled caimans have a bony ridge between their eyes, which looks like glasses from certain angles. At night, the eyes of these reptiles reflect red, making them easy to spot. Female spectacled caimans have strong maternal instincts, closely guarding their nests to protect their young. When the young caimans are old enough, the mom will carefully carry each hatchling to the water.

70. Sperm Whale

• Scientific Name: Physeter macrocephalus
• Habitat: All deep oceans
• Size: 77,000 to 99,000 pounds
• Diet: Fish, squid, sharks

Sperm whales have the largest teeth of all whales, allowing them to eat large prey. They also have the biggest brain of any animal, which weighs 20 pounds. They prefer deep water because they can dive up to 10,000 feet below the surface and stay under for up to two hours. They’re called sperm whales because they have a waxy substance on their head known as spermaceti, which is believed to help the whales change their buoyancy.

71. Spider-Tailed Horned Viper

• Scientific Name: Pseudocerastes urarachnoides
• Habitat: Rocky, arid hills of western Iran and eastern Iraq
• Size: 20 to 33 inches long
• Diet: Birds, rodents, lizards, arthropods

The spider-tailed horned viper has a unique tail tip with bristles, making it resemble a spider or insect. These reptiles use their tails to lure birds toward them before striking. The rest of the snake’s body blends into the rocky environment, so birds will often land on the snake by mistake because they’re so focused on the tail. Local birds usually figure out the snake’s tricks, so most of the birds it captures are the ones passing through.

72. Spinner Dolphin

• Scientific Name: Stenella longirostris
• Habitat: Warm ocean waters worldwide
• Size: 4.6 to 6.8 feet long
• Diet: Small fish, shrimp, squid

Spinner dolphins represent their name well because they’re often seen leaping out of the water and spinning in mid-air. They seem to do this for several reasons, such as removing parasites, communicating with each other, and simply having fun. Dolphins sometimes use echolocation to communicate, so spinner dolphins may slap the water’s surface to alert others of food or danger.

73. Spiny Bush Viper

• Scientific Name: Atheris hispida
• Habitat: Tropical forests of central and eastern Africa
• Size: 16 to 30 inches long
• Diet: Frogs, lizards, small mammals, birds

Spiny bush vipers have a stunning appearance because of their keeled dorsal scales, which make the snake look bristly. These scales look leaf-like, helping the snakes blend into forests. The snakes are excellent climbers and can use their tails to grab onto branches, so they spend most of their time in the trees. It’s hard not to stare at their unique features, but it’s best to keep a distance since they’re venomous and can cause serious harm to internal organs.

74. Spiny Dogfish

• Scientific Name: Squalus acanthias
• Habitat: Temperate and subarctic areas of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans
• Size: 2.5 to 4 feet long
• Diet: Schooling pelagic fish, crustaceans, squid

The spiny dogfish is a small, bottom-dwelling shark that has sharp, venomous spines on its dorsal fins. While their spines can cause pain, they’re not dangerous to humans when handled carefully. They often hunt and feed in dog-like packs, sometimes even gathering in hundreds or thousands. In large groups, they can easily sweep an area and collect as many fish as possible. These sharks have some of the longest gestation periods of any vertebrate, lasting 18 to 24 months.

75. Spiny Turtle

• Scientific Name: Heosemys spinosa
• Habitat: Near streams in forested areas of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand
• Size: 6.8 to 8.6 inches
• Diet: Vegetation, fruit, insects, crayfish

While adult spiny turtles typically look like most other turtles, juveniles have large spikes on the edges of their shells. As the turtles get older, those spikes become smaller. This is likely an evolutionary characteristic to protect young turtles from predators. These turtles are semi-aquatic, so they’re almost always found near streams and other bodies of water. Young spiny turtles hang out on land more than adults, often hiding among leaf litter.

76. Spongy Moth

• Scientific Name: Lymantria dispar
• Habitat: Areas with trees across Eurasia
• Size: 1.5 to 2 inches
• Diet: Tree leaves

While the spongy moth is native to areas of Europe and Asia, it has been introduced to North America, where it has become an invasive pest. As caterpillars, they cause significant damage to trees. The bristles on the caterpillars can also irritate human skin and eyes. These critters earned the name spongy moths because their egg masses look like sponges.

77. Spotted Garden Eel

• Scientific Name: Heteroconger hassi
• Habitat: Sandy flats bordering coral reefs in tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region
• Size: 14 to 16 inches long
• Diet: Zooplankton

Spotted garden eels spend most of their time burrowed in the sand with only their heads sticking out. This is so they can easily catch zooplankton floating by. When feeding, they may stretch as much as two-thirds of their body out of the sand. Hundreds of spotted garden eels typically live together in a colony. They slide tail-first into their burrows and retreat completely into the holes when they feel threatened.

78. Spotted Lanternfly

• Scientific Name: Lycorma delicatula
• Habitat: Near trees of heaven in China, India, and Vietnam
• Size: About 1 inch long
• Diet: Trees, fruits, other plants

While spotted lanternflies are native to parts of Asia, they have spread and become invasive in other places, such as Japan, South Korea, and North America. They have only been in the United States since 2014. However, since they have no specific predators there, their population will keep growing. While these insects look pretty with their spots and red patches, they’re viewed as pests because they cause significant damage to plants and crops.

79. Spotted Owl

• Scientific Name: Strix occidentalis
• Habitat: Coniferous forests across North America
• Size: About 1.5 feet
• Diet: Flying squirrels, woodrats, bats

Spotted owls have pitch black eyes, which help them camouflage in the darkness. The spotted owl population is declining rapidly because of ongoing habitat loss. On top of that, barred owls sometimes compete with spotted owls, and since they’re larger and more aggressive, they usually win. If spotted owls catch more prey than they can eat, they store extras under cool, moss-covered logs and rocks. Some spotted owls don’t breed every year, and some have even gone five to six years without breeding.

80. Spotted Salamander

• Scientific Name: Ambystoma maculatum
• Habitat: Moist forests of eastern North America
• Size: 6 to 10 inches long
• Diet: Worms, slugs, spiders, insects

Spotted salamanders are dark with round, yellow spots along their backs. The bright spots act as a warning so predators know that these amphibians can release toxic secretions. In rare cases, spotted salamanders may never develop spots. Like most salamanders, they spend their time hiding under logs and leaf litter to keep themselves moist and safe. Every year, these salamanders return to the same breeding pool to reproduce.

81. Spring Peeper

• Scientific Name: Pseudacris crucifer
• Habitat: Moist, wooded areas of eastern North America
• Size: 0.75 to 1.5 inches
• Diet: Ants, beetles, flies spiders

Spring peepers are seen more than they’re heard. They make a high-pitched peep noise that they typically repeat 15 to 25 times in a minute. Several peepers usually call at the same time. The males make these sounds to attract females, so they can be heard up to a half mile away. After mating, the female lays 750 to 1,200 eggs, which she attaches to leaves or sticks in a body of water.

82. Springbok

• Scientific Name: Antidorcas marsupialis
• Habitat: Dry, open plains of southern Africa
• Size: 60 to 100 pounds
• Diet: Succulents, grasses, shrubs

Springbok can bounce up to 10 feet in the air in a display known as pronking. When doing so, they keep their backs arched and their legs stiff to signal to predators that they’re difficult to catch. They can also run 55 miles per hour, which can help them escape most predators (except for cheetahs). Since they live in dry areas, they acquire enough water from the food they eat to go for long periods without drinking.

83. Sri Lankan Junglefowl

• Scientific Name: Gallus lafayettii
• Habitat: Forests and scrub habitats across Sri Lanka
• Size: 26 to 28 inches
• Diet: Seeds, fruits, insects

The Sri Lankan junglefowl looks like a domesticated chicken, but these wild birds are much more colorful with vibrant red, yellow, orange, and green coloring. They’re very shy and will typically avoid humans. They spend most of their time foraging for food on the ground. These birds are capable of flying, but they typically only fly to quickly escape predators or to search for better food.

84. Star-Nosed Mole

• Scientific Name: Condylura cristata
• Habitat: Woods, bogs, marshes, and fields of eastern North America
• Size: 6.8 to 8.1 inches
• Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, worms, insects, snails

Star-nosed moles have very weak eyesight, but that doesn’t slow them down. Their star-shaped noses have 22 projections with highly sensitive organs, which help them navigate the world and identify food. The tentacle-like parts of their nose are constantly moving, and they have over 100,000 nerve fibers. These moles are great swimmers, and they sometimes even swim under ice.

85. Steller Sea Lion

• Scientific Name: Eumetopias jubatus
• Habitat: Cold temperate to subarctic waters of the North Pacific Ocean
• Size: 800 to 2,500 pounds
• Diet: Fish, squid, clams

Steller sea lions are the largest sea lion species, with some males growing 3 times larger than a grizzly bear. They eat about 6% of their body weight daily, which is a huge amount considering how large they are. They typically forage close to the shore, and the majority of them gather near Alaska. While most sea lions are known for barking, Steller sea lions roar instead.

86. Steller’s Jay

• Scientific Name: Cyanocitta stelleri
• Habitat: Dense coniferous forests of western North America
• Size: 12 to 13 inches
• Diet: Pine seeds, acorns, nuts, berries, insects

Steller’s jays have beautiful blue feathers, but only on the lower half of their bodies. The upper half is a dark gray hue. While its appearance can be described as stellar, the bird is actually named after naturalist and explorer George W. Steller. During the breeding season, these birds work together to build a nest made of twigs and plants, which they cement together using mud. They typically stay in the same area year-round rather than migrating.

87. Steller’s Sea Eagle

• Scientific Name: Haliaeetus pelagicus
• Habitat: Coastal regions of eastern Russia
• Size: 35 to 40 inches
• Diet: Large fish, small mammals, birds

Steller’s sea eagles are the largest sea eagle species, but not a lot is known about them because they have a remote natural habitat. They’re also the only sea eagles with bright yellow beaks, which stand out from their white and dark gray feathers. They have binocular vision, which helps them focus on prey. They can dive at prey that’s 100 feet away. These birds may even steal prey from other animals.

88. Stoat

• Scientific Name: Mustela Erminea
• Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands across North America, Europe, and Asia
• Size: 6.7 to 12.8 inches
• Diet: Rabbits, rodents, birds, eggs

Even though stoats are cute and small, they’re fierce predators. They can pursue animals that are more than five times their size. Stoats go through a drastic color change as the seasons change. They have reddish-brown fur with a white belly during warmer months, but they turn completely white in the winter to help them blend in with the snow. Stoats have become an invasive species in several areas, where they destroy native plants and hunt large numbers of local animals.

89. Strawberry Hermit Crab

• Scientific Name: Coenobita perlatus
• Habitat: Coasts of the Indo-Pacific region
• Size: 2 to 4 inches
• Diet: Decaying organic matter, algae, carrion

Strawberry hermit crabs are bright red like the fruit they’re named after. Like other hermit crabs, they need to find a new shell every time they outgrow their current one. Sometimes, these hermit crabs will gather in a line when shedding shells so they can easily collect a larger shell from a different hermit crab. These critters use their long antennae to help them locate water, food, odors, and fellow hermit crabs around them.

90. Striped Hyena

• Scientific Name: Hyaena hyaena
• Habitat: Semi-arid and arid environments of Africa and parts of Asia
• Size: 49 to 120 pounds
• Diet: Carrion, fruits, small animals

Like other hyenas, striped hyenas are scavengers, eating anything that other animals leave behind. Their jaws are strong enough to crush parts of carrion that other animals won’t eat, such as bones, teeth, hooves, and horns. Most of their body is striped, and they have long hairs on their back that they can raise to make themselves look larger when threatened. Female striped hyenas are more dominant than males, making them more likely to act aggressively.

91. Striped Rocket Frog

• Scientific Name: Litoria nasuta
• Habitat: Swamps, ponds, and flooded grasslands of Australia and Papua New Guinea
• Size: 1.9 to 2.2 inches
• Diet: Insects, insect larvae, spiders, worms

Striped rocket frogs may be small, but they have long legs with powerful muscles. They can leap 6.5 feet in the air, which is about 40 times their body length. They have a large vocal sac that expands like a balloon, allowing them to make loud “wick wick” sounds to call for a mate. These frogs look similar to some other Australian frogs, but they can be distinguished by the horizontal stripes across their bodies.

92. Striped Skunk

• Scientific Name: Mephitis mephitis
• Habitat: Grasslands and forests from central Canada to northern Mexico
• Size: 22 to 32 inches
• Diet: Insects, small mammals, fruits, nuts, leaves, carrion

Striped skunks are the most iconic skunk species, featuring two large white stripes on a black body. Most of the time, these skunks live alone. Female skunks sometimes form small groups, but they avoid males outside the breeding season. They live in burrows, but they typically take over abandoned burrows from other animals rather than digging their own. Their well-known spraying defense mechanism is not only stinky, but it can also cause pain or vision problems if sprayed in the eyes.

93. Sugar Glider

• Scientific Name: Petaurus breviceps
• Habitat: Wooded areas of New Guinea and coastal Australia
• Size: 9 to 12 inches
• Diet: Insects, sap, pollen, spiders, bird eggs, small lizards

Sugar gliders look a lot like flying squirrels, but they’re marsupials rather than rodents. This means they have pouches in which they carry their young, like kangaroos do. They can leap from one tree to another while extending their skin flaps to help them glide. They can glide almost 150 feet before landing. Sugar gliders are social animals that often live in groups of 20 to 40. They make a lot of noises to communicate with each other, such as chattering, chirping, crabbing, hissing, and barking.

94. Sulcata Tortoise

• Scientific Name: Centrochelys sulcata
• Habitat: The Sahel and the southern edge of the Sahara Desert
• Size: 75 to 220 pounds
• Diet: Grasses, fruits, flowers, leaves

The sulcata tortoise, also known as the African spurred tortoise, is often kept as a pet. However, these reptiles can live 70 to 100 years, so they’re a lifelong commitment. Since wild sulcata tortoises live in deserts, they’re able to go for weeks without food and water when needed. Once they find a water source, they can drink 15% of their body weight at once. They can dig burrows of up to 10 feet deep to keep cool.

95. Sumatran Elephant

• Scientific Name: Elephas maximus sumatrensis
• Habitat: Lowland forests of Sumatra
• Size: 4,500 to 11,000 pounds
• Diet: Leaves, grass, fruit, bark

Sumatran elephants are a subspecies of Asian elephants. They’re almost bald with small, rounded ears. They eat about 330 pounds of plant matter daily to support their large size. While they’re too heavy to jump, they can run 27 miles per hour. Female Sumatran elephants don’t have tusks, even though females of other elephant species do. They form close connections with other elephants and seem to mourn the loss of friends.

96. Sumatran Orangutan

• Scientific Name: Pongo abelii
• Habitat: Tropical rainforests of Sumatra
• Size: 80 to 200 pounds
• Diet: Fruit, leaves, flowers, bark

Sadly, Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered because they’ve faced habitat loss in their small range. These unique creatures are the largest arboreal primates. They use their strong arms, which are 1.5 times their leg length, to help them climb and swing among the trees. They build nests in the trees to sleep, and they typically build a new nest every night.

97. Sumatran Rhinoceros

• Scientific Name: Dicerorhinus sumatrensis
• Habitat: Dense forests of Sumatra and Borneo
• Size: 1,100 to 1,800 pounds
• Diet: Leaves, fruit, shrubs, twigs

Sumatran rhinos are one of the rarest animals in the world, with only about 40 wild individuals remaining. Like many other species, they have suffered from habitat loss and fragmentation. Even though they weigh over 1,000 pounds, they’re the smallest living rhino species. They have two horns while other Asian rhinos only have one. They’re more closely related to the extinct woolly rhinos than any of the living rhino species today.

98. Sumatran Tiger

• Scientific Name: Panthera tigris sumatrae
• Habitat: Rainforests of Sumatra
• Size: 180 to 300 pounds
• Diet: Hoofed mammals, birds, monkeys, fish

The Sumatran tiger is the smallest tiger subspecies. They have darker orange fur and heavier black stripes than other tigers. These tigers are very strong swimmers, and they have webbed paws to help with that. They save up their energy for hunting and swimming by sleeping 18 to 20 hours daily. They’re critically endangered, with less than 600 wild individuals remaining.

99. Summer Tanager

• Scientific Name: Piranga rubra
• Habitat: Open woodlands from the central United States to northern South America
• Size: 7 to 8 inches
• Diet: Insects, berries

Summer tanagers differ greatly in color between males and females. Adult males are bright red while females are solid yellow. Young males are yellow with patches of red, and they gradually become redder as they age. These birds primarily feed on bees and wasps, which they catch in mid-air and then rub against trees to remove the stingers.

100. Sun Bear

• Scientific Name: Helarctos malayanus
• Habitat: Tropical forests of Southeast Asia
• Size: 60 to 150 pounds
• Diet: Insects, honey, seeds, fruits, small animals

Sun bears are the smallest bear species. They have a distinct crescent moon pattern on their chest, which stands out from their otherwise black fur. They have very long tongues that typically measure 8 to 10 inches. Those tongues come in handy for reaching insects in small spaces and removing honey from beehives. They spend most of their time high in the trees, which is also where they build their nests.

101. Sunbeam Snake

• Scientific Name: Xenopeltis unicolor
• Habitat: Forests, gardens, and parks of Southeast Asia
• Size: 3 to 4 feet long
• Diet: Amphibians, rodents, small snakes, carrion

Sunbeam snakes have beautiful, smooth scales that are iridescent when the sun hits them just right. Most of the time, they appear solid brown. They spend most of their time burrowing, and they only come out to feed. They capture their prey by wrapping their bodies around the animal to suffocate it. While they typically hide from humans, they may bite if they can’t escape in time. Luckily, they’re not venomous.

102. Swainson’s Hawk

• Scientific Name: Buteo swainsoni
• Habitat: Grasslands and savannas from Canada through South America
• Size: 18.9 to 22.1 inches
• Diet: Rodents, rabbits, reptiles, insects

These hawks have one of the longest migrations of any American bird. They breed in Canada and the United States, and then they fly down all the way to areas of southern South America. That’s about 6,000 miles each way! They form flocks of hundreds or thousands when they travel. Groups of Swainson’s hawks flying together are known as kettles, and they’re an incredible sight to see.

103. Swamp Rabbit

• Scientific Name: Sylvilagus aquaticus
• Habitat: Wetland areas of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana
• Size: 16 to 22 inches
• Diet: Sedges, sprouts, grasses, leaves, fruits, bark

Swamp rabbits are larger than other cottontail rabbits, but they have smaller, rounder ears. They have dense, waterproof fur that allows them to swim comfortably. They’re secretive creatures that usually keep to themselves, but if they feel threatened, they’ll quickly hop into water and swim away. They dig in tall grass or leaves to provide cover when they need to rest.

104. Swift Fox

• Scientific Name: Vulpes velox
• Habitat: Open shortgrass prairies of central Canada and United States
• Size: 5 to 7 pounds
• Diet: Small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects

Swift foxes are small foxes that earned their name for being fast. They can run over 30 miles per hour, which aids in hunting and escaping predators. This species almost went extinct in the 1930s because of predator control programs, but its population has since stabilized. They stay in their dens, which are underground burrows, during the day and come out to hunt at night.

More Animals (A-Z)

Since S is such a popular letter, this list is only the beginning. There are tons of other species that start with this letter, and there are more animals under every other letter of the alphabet, too. There’s always more to discover, so check out some of the other letters to reveal more impressive species.

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