Animal Names Starts With Letter: W

Animals that start with W wander from Arctic ice to tropical reefs. Meet the social wolf coursing over tundra, tusked walrus hauling out on sea ice, and singing whales—from agile orca to giant blue and humpback. African grasslands rumble with wildebeest herds and sturdy warthogs; Australia adds burrowing wombats and bounding wallabies. Forest edges hide quick weasels and powerful wolverines, while trunks drum to woodpeckers and wetlands host the rare whooping crane. Rivers flash with walleye and open oceans with swift wahoo; coral reefs bustle with cleaner wrasses. Look closer and you’ll find pollinating wasps, stalking wolf spiders, skimming water striders, moisture-loving woodlice, and soil-building earthworms. This “W” lineup spans carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores across tundra, forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, wetlands, rivers, reefs, and open seas. Browse the list below for species profiles—scientific names, habitats, diets, and conservation status—and wander through the wide world that begins with W.