Animal Names Starts With Letter: H

Animals that start with H highlight power, agility, and clever adaptations. Meet the river-dwelling hippopotamus, prairie-running horse, and social hyena with a famous cackle. Forest edges host quick hares and spiny hedgehogs, while wetlands fill with patient herons stalking fish. In the air, glittering hummingbirds hover for nectar, broad-winged hawks scan for prey, and tropical hornbills boom through the canopy. Oceans add the wide-headed hammerhead shark, singing humpback whale, and shell-toting hermit crab along rocky shores. Amphibian fans can spot the giant hellbender in cold streams; reptile lovers may follow the endangered hawksbill turtle over reefs. This “H” lineup spans herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and nectarivores across rivers, savannas, grasslands, forests, mountains, wetlands, coasts, and open seas. Browse below for species profiles—scientific names, habitats, diets, and conservation status—and explore the habitats where H truly shines.