Animals That Start With C - Full List, Images and Facts (2024)

Welcome to animals that start with C.

You should find some animals you are already familiar with here, but hopefully some new ones too.

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Overview of Animals That Start With C

1. Caiman

Scientific Name	Caiman spp.
Where it Lives	Central & South America
What it Eats	Fish, birds, small mammals
Conservation Status	Least concern

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

Caimans, also spelled caymans, are social reptiles. They have eyes and nostrils on the top of their head and snout that often stay above water when they swim. They feed primarily hunt fish, but will also feed on other small animals. Caimans are smaller than alligators, crocodiles, and gharials. They are further characterized by their stocky bodies and U-shaped mouths. There are presently six extant species of caimans.

2. Caiman lizards

Scientific Name	Dracaena spp.
Where it Lives	Central South America
What it Eats	snails, crawfish, freshwater clams
Conservation Status	Least concern

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

Caiman lizards, also known as water tegus, spend much of their time in the water of marshes, streams, and flooded forests. Caimans have crocodile-like scales and are colored mostly green with a reddish head. There are two species of caiman lizards, the northern caiman lizard and Paraguayan caiman lizard. Their main predators are crocodiles, snakes, and jaguars.

3. Camel

Scientific Name	Camelus spp.
Where it Lives	Sahara Desert, Middle East, central Asia
What it Eats	Grass, leaves, grains
Conservation Status	Critically endangered (one specie)

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

Camels are very recognizable mammals that live in arid deserts and scrublands in Africa and Asia. They can travel long distances across the desert without growing tired and, accordingly, have been used for centuries as a means of transport of passengers and cargo. There are three species of camels, two domesticated species, Dromedary and Bactrian camels, and one wild species, wild Bactrian camels, which are critically endangered.

4. Camel Spider

Scientific Name	147 genera, >1,000 species
Where it Lives	Worldwide, except Antarctica and Australia
What it Eats	Termites, beetles, arthropods
Conservation Status	Least concern

Fun Fact: Camel spiders may appear to chase humans, but in reality they are following the shadow.

Camel spiders, also known as wind scorpions or sun spiders, are an order of arachnids known as Soliugae. They are neither true scorpions nor true spiders. They live in dry climates and are characterized by their large sizes and large jaws. Camel spiders do not pose a significant threat to humans.

5. Canada Lynx

Scientific Name	Lynx canadensis
Where it Lives	Central Canada, Alaska
What it Eats	Hares, ducks, squirrels
Conservation Status	Least concern

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

Canada lynxes are solitary wildcats that have fluffy coats with long hair, and triangular ears with a long tuft of black hair at the tip. These cats are medium-sized and weigh between 11-37 lbs (5-17 kg). They live far north in North America and primarily prey on Snowshoe hares.

6. Cape Lion

Scientific Name	Panthera leo melanochaita
Where it Lived	South Africa
What it Ate	Large ungulates
Conservation Status	Extinct

Fun Fact: In 2000, lions guessed to be descendants of Cape lions were found in captivity in Russia, and two of them were brought to South Africa; however, DNA testing has never been done and so whether they are Cape lions has not been proven.

Cape lions are extinct. They once inhabited Africa’s southern Cape region and were distinct from other lion species by their black mane. They became extinct due to overhunting and habitat loss during colonization.

7. Capybara

Scientific Name	Hydrocho*rus hydrochaeris
Where it Lives	South America
What it Eats	Grasses, aquatic plants
Conservation Status	Least concern

Fun Fact: Capybaras are social and friendly; they have even been spotted being friendly with caimans.

Capybaras are semi-aquatic rodents native to swampy areas of South America. They have webbed feet that make them excellent swimmers and they enjoy . They are the largest rodent species in the world.

8. Caracal

Scientific Name	Caracal caracal
Where it Lives	Africa, Middle East, Central Asia
What it Eats	Small mammals, birds
Conservation Status	Least concern

Fun Fact: Caracals have 20 muscles in each ear.

Caracals are medium-sized wild cats. They are typically nocturnal and often hunt in pairs. They are speedy and can leap high into the air, making them good hunters.

9. Caribou

Scientific Name	Rangifer tarandus
Where it Lives	Northern Europe, North America
What it Eats	Lichen, leaves, grass
Conservation Status	Vulnerable

Fun Fact: In contrast to other deer species, both females and males have prominent antlers.

Caribous are also known as reindeer. Their distinct characteristic is their antlers, which grow bigger annually. Their fur varies in shade, becoming darker or lighter based on the climate of their habitat.

10. Carpenter Ant

Scientific Name	Camponotusspp.
Where it Lives	Worldwide, wood in forests/houses
What it Eats	Honeydew, insect parts
Conservation Status	Least concern

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

Carpenter ants live in colonies in dead or decaying wood in houses or in forests. They leave piles of wood shavings behind as they burrow through wood creating their nests. This is because, contrary to popular belief, ants do not eat wood, they only tunnel through it.

11. Carpet Viper

Scientific Name	Echis spp.
Where it Lives	South Asia, Middle East, North Africa
What it Eats	Locusts, spiders, frogs, birds
Conservation Status	Least concern

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

Carpet vipers, also known as saw-scaled vipers, are small and deadly snakes. They cause the most snake bite-related human deaths worldwide. There are 12 extant species of these snakes, all living in warm, arid climates.

12. Cassowary

Scientific Name	Struthio casuarius
Where it Lives	New Guinea, Australia, Yapen
What it Eats	Fruit, fungi, snails, insects
Conservation Status	Endangered

Fun Fact: Cassowaries will eat their feces if undigested.

Cassowaries are large, flightless birds characterized by their horn-like crests atop their bright blue heads and red necks. There are three extant species of cassowaries. Males construct their nests out of leaves on the ground. After mating, the male chases the female away and raises the chicks himself.

13. Catfish

Scientific Name	Silurus glanis
Where it Lives	Every continent except Antarctica
What it Eats	molluscs, crustaceans, fish
Conservation Status	Nine species critically endangered

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

Catfishes thrive in fast-flowing rivers all over the world. They serve as food in many parts of the world. Their most distinguishing features are the ‘whiskers’ around their jaw that have a sensory function. Several species of catfish are critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable.

14. Cheetah

Scientific Name	Acinonyx jubatus
Where it Lives	Africa, Middle East, South Asia
What it Eats	Medium-sized ungulates
Conservation Status	Vulnerable

Fun Fact: In the past, cheetahs were tamed and employed in hunting to provide food for communities.

These cats are categorized into five distinct subspecies by their geographical locations. They are easily recognizable by their characteristic “tear stains” extending from the inner corners of their eyes. Cheetahs are widely recognized as the world’s fastest land mammal, capable of running at speeds of 58-65 mph (93-104 km/h).

15. Chickadee

Scientific Name	Poecile spp.
Where it Lives	North America
What it Eats	Seeds, berries, insects
Conservation Status	Least concern

Fun Fact: Chickadees have their name from the sound they make “chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee!”

Chickadees are a North American species of birds in the tit family. They have striking black and white plumage on their small, round bodies. They will build a new nest every year for each new brood.

16. Chinese Paddlefish

Scientific Name	Psephurus gladius
Where it Lived	Yangtze & Yellow River basins
What it Ate	Small & medium-sized fish
Conservation Status	Extinct

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

Chinese paddlefishes, also known as Chinese swordfish, were officially declared extinct in 2022, with an estimated time of extinction to be by 2005. Overfishing and the construction of dams, which affected their spawning migration, were the main causes of their extinction. They were characterized by their large paddle-shaped noses. These fish only had scales near their fins.

17. Chinstrap Penguin

Scientific Name	Pygoscelis antarcticus
Where it Lives	Antarctica, South Atlantic islands
What it Eats	Fish, krill, shrimp
Conservation Status	Least concern

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

Chinstrap penguins are the most numerous penguin species in the world. They mate for life and are the most aggressive penguins in the world. They can also “microsleep” in 4-second intervals, which they do around 10,000 times per day.

18. Christmas Island Red Crab

Scientific Name	Gecarcoidea natalis
Where it Lives	Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands
What it Eats	Leaves, fruits, snails
Conservation Status	Not evaluated yet

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

Christmas Island red crabs are characterized by their beautiful red carapaces (their exoskeleton). Mature crabs molt once annually. They use gills to breathe and will die if they dry out.

19. Colossal Squid

Scientific Name	Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni
Where it Lives	Antarctic Ocean
What it Eats	Plankton, large fish
Conservation Status	Least concern

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

Colossal squids are, as implied by their names, enormous. Not to be confused with the giant squid, they can grow as long as 46 ft (14 m)! They are the largest known invertebrate in the world.

20. Cross River Gorilla

Scientific Name	Gorilla gorilla diehli
Where it Lives	Cameroon, Nigeria
What it Eats	Fruit, herbs, bark
Conservation Status	Critically endangered

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

Cross river gorillas live in the mountainous region between Nigeria and Cameroon. They are a subspecies of the western gorilla and, unfortunately, are the most endangered great ape species in Africa. They are very social and usually live in groups of 2-20 with only one male gorilla who is the leader.

Summary of Animals That Start With C

And there we have it; animals that start with C.

FullAnimal Alphabet:

• Animals That Start With A
• Animals That Start With B
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