The question started with talk of wakefulness, wakened people, and that somehow brought up the question of which animals begin with the letter W. I was then challenged by my colleague to create a list, which is precisely why I decided to write this post. Even though my internet search skills aren’t the greatest (heck, my memory would have been sufficient), I was able to find a full list of all of the animals that start with W.
WOOF! WOOF! There, I said it. But my dog isn’t the only one who can bark out a W-word. Let’s put our animal knowledge to the test with this fun article about animals starting with W.
W is for Wasp, wolf, whale…and weird. Well, no one likes being called weird. But these animals must be pretty cool with it—they are all starting with the letter W on this list!
This list will surely enrich your day, so let’s begin.
Contents show
Walrus
Walruses are huge and very social animals who won’t say no to your small cuddling offer. That doesn’t mean they won’t attack you if threatened. Their long, strong tusks are capable of hurting you if you mess with them.
Fun fact, walrus tusks keep growing throughout their lives, right till they die. They can grow up to a meter!
What’s the use of these ridiculously long tusks, you ask? They’re used as a weapon and as protection in fights. Male walruses are extremely aggressive during mating seasons. And will battle one another quite furiously.
As I said, Walruses are quite smart and curious by nature. They actually might be the most highly cognitive and social bunch among all pinnipeds. These animals have relatively poor eyesight, but they can see both dorsal and frontal directions.
Worm
When you think worm, you picture an earthworm. A vertebrate creature that most of you are grossed out of, worms are an essential part of the food chain. These are true vertebrates, as they have no legs, arms, face, or even eyes, for that matter!
They have extremely strong mouths, though, to swallow and digest food but no teeth. Because there’s literally nobody parts on this creature, they breathe through their skins.
Quite harmless to humans, there are about a million species of worms. Though they do have parasitic cousins that will seriously mess with you. The thought of having something lay eggs inside me seriously gives me the heebie-jeebies!
Earthworms usually regrow if a part of their body is cut off, but not when they’re cut in half. They actually feel pain when that happens. A worm fun fact: they get paralyzed when exposed to a light source for too long.
Whale
As most of you know, the Blue Whale is the largest mammal to live on earth. An average adult male can measure anywhere between 80 to 90 feet. That’s like 2 whole buses long!
The Antarctic blue whale is the largest whale species, growing up to 100 feet and weighing about 450,000 pounds!
Whales are also the loudest animals on the planet. Their calls are recorded to be around 200 decibels. That’s loud enough to cause serious internal injury to us humans. Enough to kill us.
A very interesting whale fact is that they sleep with half their brain active at a time. That’s because so that they can use the other half to surface and breathe.
Wanna hear a sad whale story? There’s a whale called the 52-hertz whale that has the most unique, one-of-a-kind call at an unusual frequency of 52 hertz. No other whale has ever responded to its call before. It can be heard calling every season between August and December but has never been spotted.
With no mate or companion, it’s the loneliest animal on the planet. Sad, right?
Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders are quite hairy. They have eight eyes in total, with four in a line below and two big ones above. No wonder they have razor-sharp eyesight.
The wolf spider gets its name for its wolf-like hunting skills. They stalk their prey with patience and stillness, just like a wolf.You’ll never find a wolf spider sitting on a web. They don’t build webs but actually live in burrows.
Fun fact, just like kangaroos, wolf spiders carry their babies in a sac in their jaws until they hatch. After they hatch, the mother wolf spider will carry the baby on her back for a week till it’s ready to survive on its own.
Water Dragon
There are five water dragon species, the most common ones being the Chinese water dragon and Australian water dragon. These lizards are quite big. They can grow up to 3.5 feet and weigh about 1.5 kg.
Unlike other reptiles, water dragons constantly need to be near a water body. They like to spend their days upon the trees. But when alarmed or threatened, they run towards the water to take cover.
You’ll spot these in various colors like black, brown, yellow, green, and tan. With unique, colorful scales down the neck, the water dragon is a gorgeous creature.
Among the five species, Chinese water dragons are the most social ones. That’s one reason why they’re a popular reptile pet choice. But sadly, they are a near-threatened species.
Wasp
Every wasp has a unique facial pattern, just like human fingerprints. Which is how wasps can recognize each other.
A key difference between bees and wasps is that bees die once they sting someone or something, but wasps don’t. Wasps can sting multiple times, actually unlimited times, and won’t die because of it.
Wasps can also remember and recognize human faces.
Bottom line, don’t mess with wasps. But in case you do get in trouble with wasps, protect yourself with anything mint. They despise anything with methanol in it. Even vinegar should help.
Wolffish
One of the most voracious predators, the Wolffish, is a large fish usually found up north. This fish isn’t exactly pretty to look at. Looking at it, you can tell it’s an angry fish you should probably keep your distance from.
Wolffish is quite big, measuring up to 1.5 meters and weighing around 18-20 kgs. They’re also fast swimmers, which is one of their ace features when hunting.
The most distinct feature of this fish is its strong, crushing teeth. With an especially fierce set of teeth, Wolffish can easily devour a hard-shelled adult crab. Wolffish has a rather unique diet. They don’t feed on other fish but only eat hard-shelled aquatic creatures like crustaceans and echinoderms.
The Atlantic wolffish can survive in freezing waters due to its ability to produce natural anti-freeze hormones.
Wolf eel
An extremely rare creature, wolf eels are the lone wolves of the ocean. This eel gets its name because of its extremely strong jaw and deadly bite. They feed on crabs, sea urchins, and sand dollars.
Wolf eels aren’t actually true eels. They belong to a whole different family, which is commonly called the wolffish family.
But like other eels, wolf eels are also very slimy. Fun fact, this slimy skin is actually an immune system that keeps them healthy down on the ocean floor. It’s also responsible for making them, fast swimmers.
Despite their scary looks, these are actually often friendly. But don’t try and approach them. A bite from a wolf eel can cause waves of excruciating amount pain.
West Indian Manatee
True to its nickname, “sea cow,” the West Indian manatee is a large aquatic mammal that roams shallow waters. Interestingly enough, a female manatee is called a cow, and a baby manatee, a calf. Like land cows, manatees are also herbivores, feeding on ocean vegetation.
Manatees eat about 15% of their body weight every single day. Despite their bulky looks and large bodies, manatees are actually really speedy swimmers.
You’d be surprised to know that manatees, in general, have no real predators. Big predators like crocodiles and sharks actually avoid them because they’re simply too big to consume!
But sadly, they’re still endangered. How? Humans, of course! We’re their biggest threat.
Water vole
These are voles, except they love water. Water voles are amphibians who live on the banks of rivers, ponds, lakes, and streams. Water voles are the largest vole species in the UK. They also need to eat 80% of their body weight every day.
Although these are semi-aquatic, water voles don’t have webbed feet to help them swim better. As a result, they can’t swim for longer periods.
Their population is declining rapidly. As much as 90% of the total population has been lost in just 3 decades. It doesn’t help that their average lifespan is 2-3 years. Most die within a year.
Fun fact, baby water voles are born completely blind!
Whale shark
Whale sharks aren’t exactly whales. You guessed it right, they got their name due to their similar appearance to whales. This is also why they’re quite easy to spot. Additionally, the unique white spots all over their bodies also make it easy to identify them.
The most distinctive feature of Whale Sharks is their huge, wide mouths. 4 feet is quite huge if you ask me. They have a lot of teeth too, about 3000 of them. But they don’t really use them to eat because they’re very tiny.
Because these teeth aren’t big and sharp enough to feed on big fishes like other sharks, Whale Sharks mostly feed on plankton, small fish, and shrimp. They’re basically filter feeders. They can swim as far as 1000 meters below in search of enough plankton.
Unfortunately, this species is critically endangered today. With no real predators other than humans, this huge fish is largely fished for its skin, meat, and liver oil.
Woolly Mammoth
The well-known elephant’s cousin, Woolly Mammoth, is an extinct mammal we all were first introduced to us by the movie ‘Ice Age.’ This majestic animal lived some 10,000 thousand years ago, during the last ice age. And went extinct party due to climate change and hunting.
Woolly mammoths were known for their majestically long ivory tusks. I mean, it’s part of the reason that contributed to their gradual extinction.
Fun fact, Woolly Mammoths weren’t all that giant as people believe them to be. The average Woolly Mammoth was roughly the same size as the African elephant.
Another fun fact, we actually have Woolly Mammoth DNA, and there have been attempts to revive it using elephant DNA. We haven’t been successful, though, with the current technology.
But what if we actually do it someday…?
Wahoo
Wahoo is a speedy fish which is why it’s a costly catch. Wahoos are closely related to mackerels and are equally famous for their meat. The wahoo is commonly known as ono in Hawaii, which translates to “good to eat.”
Wahoos are aggressive predators who feed on small fish and squids. These are fairly large in size, growing around 2 meters on average and weighing at least 80 kilos. That’s the biggest in the mackerel family.
They come in beautiful graded colors like dark silvery bluish-green and can even change colors when excited. That’s something uncommon in fish.
Wyoming Toad
Thought to have gone extinct back in the 1990s, this toad species is still recovering today. There are just about 1800 existing Wyoming toads, which mostly exist in captivity.
Wyoming toads grow up omnivores but turn complete carnivores after turning adults. They can be identified by the large black mark under their bellies. For a nocturnal animal, Wyoming toads have really poor eyesight.
This species isn’t exactly poisonous, but the lower parts of their body, especially their necks, secretes a mildly toxic substance as protection from predators.
Water Boatman
Just as the name suggests, this insect swims on water like it’s rowing on the surface, just like a boat.
This small insect has long legs with tiny hairs, flattening out like boat oars which helps it glide over the water.Water boatmen are dark brownish in color with an oval body.
These are very commonly found all over the world and not exactly that unique. Water boatmen thrive in a rich aquatic habitat and are typically found in brackish, saltwater, and even freshwater ponds. They feed on algae by sucking on its juice.
Water boatmen are also great flyers. These are harmless to humans and don’t even bit. So, on your next lake-side picnic, don’t freak out and kill em’. They won’t really bug you. Get it?
White Tiger
White tigers are a cross between Bengal tigers and Siberian tigers. These tigers tend to grow faster and heavier than their orange mates.
Not many know, but White tigers aren’t actually a different species altogether. In fact, they’re a result of a rare genetic mutation, which is why their numbers were quite low, to begin with.
In rarest of rare cases, an additional genetic condition can cause a complete absence of black stripes. So, the tiger is completely snow white! Fascinating right?!
Let me throw you something crazier.
There are also black tigers who have simply more prominent black stripes, giving them an overall darker appearance. Again, genetic mutation.
A super-rare breed, to begin with, there are only 200 or so white tigers left in the world as of today. And none of them live in the wild, only in captivity.
Woodlouse
Many mistake Woodlice as insects, but they’re actually crustaceans – the same family as crabs and lobsters.
They’re tiny with elongated bodies of seven segments and fourteen tiny legs. Some woodlice can even curl themselves completely like an armadillo as a defense.
Remember the creepy fictional carnivorous insects in ‘The Mummy’ movie? Woodlice are quite similar in appearance to those.
This creature lives in highly humid areas. Although they don’t live near actual water bodies, they need a lot of moisture around them.
Waterbuck
Waterbucks are antelopes native to Africa. There are two subspecies of Waterbucks. There’s the common Waterbuck, and then there’s Defassa Waterbuck. Both are more or less the same except for a few physical and regional differences.
Common waterbucks are safe, but the Defassa Waterbucks is classified as near threatened.
Waterbucks are fairly big with a long body and short legs. They’re actually the largest Kobus antelopes among the Bovidae family. Waterbucks stand 1.5 to 2.5 meters in height and weigh anywhere between 160 to 262 kgs. Males are usually bigger and heavier than females.
Waterbucks are known for their beautiful long, ringed horns and unique dotted skin, making them easy to identify. True to their name, Waterbucks need to constantly stay near a water source.
Waterbucks can’t survive alone. They’re herd animals. Living in wild African plains and jungle means dangerous predators like hyenas, crocodiles, and lions. And sticking together means a higher chance of survival.
Wildebeest
Another member of the Bovidae family on the list, Wildebeest, is a beautiful antelope native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They are also commonly called ‘gnu.’
There are two wildebeest species – black wildebeests and blue wildebeests. Their horns and color are the distinguishing factors. While the regular black Wildebeest has a dark-brown coat with whitetails, blue wildebeests have a slight bluish sheen.
Wildebeests are nomadic creatures. Covering around 1000 miles every year, they never stay in one place for too long. Their biggest predators are leopards, hyenas, lions, and even wild dogs. But with their fast speed, they can outrun death by pacing at 80 kph! That’s the same speed as a lion.
Water Deer
As the name suggests, water Deers live near water sources like streams, rivers, and swamps. This is a really unique species of deer that I myself didn’t know existed before today.
So, what sets them apart from other Deers? Water Deers lack antlers and instead have long, curved, sharp fang-like canines. Due to this, locals in some areas sometimes call them Vampire Deers. We don’t know why they have these unusually long canines since their herbivores.
Water Deers has two species called the Chinese Water Deer and the Korean Water Deer. There’s little to no difference between the two except for the slight color difference.
They are relatively quiet stout, and chunky. With tails as small as 3 centimeters, Water Deers looks like a cross between a llama, deer, and Shiba dog.
Wolverine
If you didn’t know, yes, there is, in fact, an animal sharing the same name as the legendary X-Men character. Wolverines are actually a member of the weasel family. The largest one in it, actually.
People often confuse them with small bears because of how similar they look. Wolverines have thick fur and can easily survive in the Arctic, just like bears.
This animal is quite aggressive and extremely strong. It’s said wolverines can even take on animals bigger than themselves, and that includes bears and wolves. A wolverine’s bite force is about 224 newtons. That’s strong enough to bite your arm off.
Contrary to its cool superhero common name, the scientific name of wolverines is ‘Gulo gulo’ – a hint at its big appetite.
Wolf
The largest member of the dog family, wolves are crazy loyal animals. They can very well die protecting their family and pack. They sure are dogs, alright.
You probably know the most common facts about wolves, like how they howl to communicate with each other, that they’re dangerously fierce predators, and extremely territorial. So, let me tell you some more interesting facts today.
Contrary to popular belief, wolves aren’t actually that fast. They can only reach as much as 45 km/h at the most.
What makes them superior predators is their insanely organized hunting skills. Wolves are team players; they never hunt alone. And everyone has a specific role to play.
Wolves actually have quite a lot in common with humans. Pups train for the first two years, staying with the pack. And will often spend their time playing hide-and-seek with each other. Once mature, they can either leave the pack and start a new life or stay, just like college-bound teenagers.
Isn’t that fascinating? But unlike humans, wolves usually mate for life. Aww.
A cute, fun fact about pups? For the first month or so, cubs need their mother to massage their bellies for them to pee.
Water Buffalo
Native to South Asia and China, water buffalos were first domesticated more than 5,000 years ago. The scientific name for water buffalos is Bubalus bubalis. Funny right? Quite apt for their lazy gait and large appearance.
Buffaloes can be easily identified with their super strong and longhorns. The tensile strength of just a baby buffalo is about 92.6 MPa! Basically, very, very difficult to break.
There are two types of water buffalos – river and swamp buffalo. These buffalos love water. After their shift at the farm, water buffaloes will head straight to the nearest big-enough water source to lay around and swim in.
Wallaby
Wallabies are chunkier and a lot smaller cousins of kangaroos. Their size can vary from that of a rabbit’s to just about 2 meters. Just like kangaroos, they hop and carry their babies in a pouch. The two are very similar.
A lesser-known fact about Wallabies and even kangaroos is that they cannot walk backward.
Red-neck wallabies can jump up to 6 feet in the air! They’re very fast, too, averaging 70 km/h. This animal likes to rest and lay low during the afternoons and is the most active during dawn and dusk – a crepuscular. But some species are also nocturnal.
Wallabies can live up to 10 to 18 years in the wild. Sadly, like many on this list, these too are endangered. The main reason for this is habitat loss.
Welsh Corgi
Corgi means dwarf dog in Welsh. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is a quite rare breed in itself.
Another sub-breed, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, is believed to be first reared by Vikings. That’s like the 10th century!
Welsh Corgis make amazing herding dogs.
A natural herding animal, this dog doesn’t particularly like to be held. But that doesn’t mean corgis are not cuddly.
As a lot of you might know, Welsh Corgis are notorious for being extra cuddly. Corgis are very attached dogs. A trained Welsh Corgi can be left alone for 6 to 8 hours, max.
These little dogs are very hyper and always full of energy. Burning energy so much throughout the day, Welsh Corgis typically need 14 hours of sleep every day!
Whippet
No one can beat Whippets at sleeping for long, long hours, though. Whippets normally sleep for 18 to 20 hours a day!
Have you seen Whippet tremble a lot? That’s because they’re simply cold. It’s their way of warming themselves up by generating heat with rapid muscular activity since Whippets have short hair.
If you’re a dog-loving introvert, I’d say a Whippet is the best dog companion for you. This is a quiet, well-mannered dog that isn’t a big fan of the outdoors unless it’s for walks here and there. Whippets prefer staying home, always in the presence of their owners. One might even say they’re clingy.
Did you know? Whippets are prone to suffer from separation anxiety. And a stressed Whippet can go into Hulk mode, destroying the house if left alone for just more than a couple of hours.
West Highland Terrier
Smaller dogs tend to be more aggressive. And Westies are no exception. These dogs are very, very aggressive and stubborn. Basically, a bit difficult to train. So, if you’re a first-time dog owner, maybe not go for a Westie?
This terrier is a highly energetic little pet that needs a good amount of exercise every day. They’re loud bakers too.
West Highland Terriers are independent dogs. Although they do suffer from separation anxiety, they don’t always have to be around their owners.
Additionally, if you have smaller pets at home like genie pigs or rabbits, a Westie can prove to be a nuisance. Originally used to watch over farms to clear out rodents and other vermin, Westies have a natural hunting instinct.
Wrasse
Wrasses have a large family, with 600 species. They’re typically quite small, but the largest is the hump head wrasse which measures up to 8 feet. The hump head wrasse is critically dangerous. It’s also one of the most expensive reef fishes in the world.
Wrasses differ quite a lot in appearances, but a common feature found among all is their distinct, weird mouths. They have large and thick lips that jut outwards. They also have a unique jaw structure, unlike other fish.
Wrasses are also dimorphic. Meaning they can change sexes. It’s usually the females that change to males, and rarely the other way around.
Wild Boar
Wild boars first came to be domesticated as vermin hunters some 6,000 years ago in China. All wild boar species can be domesticated and are usually kept by farmers.
But a downside? They have what we call a rooting behavior, where they tend to just dig about everywhere. That’s one big headache for farm owners.
Wild boars are tropical animals who like to stay around areas of vegetation. They are omnivores and feed on plants, roots, small mammals, worms, seeds, and even bird eggs.
This animal is actually quite fast than most think. Notorious for breaking out of sheds, a wild boar can run at 30 mph.
Woolly Monkey
This species of monkey is native to tropical regions and is found through the Amazon forests. Brazilian and Colombian tropical forests are other areas they’re found in.
There are 4 species of woolly monkeys in total. And they all have distinct physical features that easily sets them apart. All four species are omnivores. Their main diet consists of seeds, fruits, and insects.
Sadly, woolly monkeys are critically endangered today. It’s due to environmental change, habitat loss owing to increasing human activities, and even hunting for their fur and illegal trade.
Fun fact: the tails of woolly monkeys are so strong that they use it as a fifth limb.
White Rhinoceros
A very likely to extinct species of rhinos, there are only 2 White rhinoceros left on the face of the planet. Both of which live in captivity in Kenya. That’s really unfortunate because these are truly majestic creatures.
As you can tell, this rhino is huge. It’s actually the third-largest African animal. On average, a White rhino can weigh somewhere between 1,800 to 2,500 kilograms.
Fun fact, the name white rhinoceros is actually a misinterpretation. They’re not white at all, but instead grey. They get their name from a Dutch word called ‘wijde,’ which literally means wide, hinting at their wide square mouths. Instead, people over the years made it into white.
Ready for another trivia? Rhino horns aren’t actually bones or part of the skeleton. They’re made up of keratin. So basically, rhino horns are just enormous nails.
Wild Bactrian Camel
Wild Bactrian camels are two-humped camels with a light brown or dirty grey color. This is yet another endangered species of animals, with less than 900 left in the world.
This camel has only one true predator, which is the grey wolf. But it’s excessive hybridization that actually makes the wild Bactrian camel so threatened.
Even though this species is rare, a good chunk of the population is found in the wild. In fact, they’re the last of truly wild camels existing in the world. They’re also one of the most adaptable camel species.
The thicker and furrier coat along their necks, legs, and humps is another distinction that makes these easy to identify. They almost look like camel sheep.
Warthog
It’s Pumba! The Warthog is a close cousin of wild boars native to Africa. Just like them, warthogs, too, have manes extending till midway of their bodies.
With an unusually big head and small body, a warthog is actually quite strong. They have curved tusks, almost like a French gentleman’s mustache back in the day. These tusks are a solid defense against strong predators like hyenas, lions, and crocodiles.
Fast runners, warthogs use their 35-mph speed to outrun predators. The moment they sense any kind of danger, they will dash away without missing a beat.
Yes, warthogs do have warts on them. They actually help tell apart males from females. An adult male warthog has 3 warts on its face, while a female has two. These warts also help protect their face like a cushion during fights.
Western Lowland Gorilla
The western lowland gorilla is the smallest and lightest species of gorillas. But even so, they weigh about 500 pounds and are 6 feet tall. Still very capable of crushing an average adult human.
This species also has the smallest family group among all gorillas, with just 4 to 8 members. They’re the most widespread of all gorillas, found in dense forests of Cameroon, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea.
Western lowland gorillas are classified as critically endangered. This is mainly due to habitat loss and illegal hunting and trade. About one-third of their wild population was wiped out by Ebola fever.
Like all gorillas, the western lowland gorilla is a solitary animal living in dense parts of tropical forests. This is why their exact population is unknown.
White-winged Duck
A very rare and critically endangered bird, the white-winged duck is a South-Asian native species of duck. They’re found in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Myanmar.
This is a one-of-its-kind duck with a speckled head and black body. They have clear white patches all over the wings and mostly at the tips. The white is most noticeable when they’re flying.
This is a very shy duck who likes to be isolated. So, if you want to spot one of these, you can head down to quiet and secluded forest waterways in South-Asian tropical forests. The duck breeds in holes they make in trees.
Their diet includes small aquatic creatures like snails, crabs, insects, plant seeds, frogs, and vegetation. Sadly, this remarkable duck species is very likely to go extinct due to habitat loss.
Woodpecker
A very well-known bird, Woodpeckers are perfectly named for their wood pecking skills.
There are about 180 species of woodpeckers found worldwide, except New Guinea and Australia. A woodpecker can peck close to 20 times a second.
Woodpeckers are anti-social birds who prefer living alone. They’re a relatively peaceful kind but are aggressive towards their own species. They’re quite territorial. But red-headed woodpeckers are the most hostile.
A very unusual behavior was recently observed among Gila woodpeckers. One Gila was seen to literally drill into baby doves’ skulls and eat their brains. It’s a disturbing image to picture, I know.
Having said that, here’s a bloody interesting fun fact: a woodpecker can peck through a human arm within 10 seconds.
White-faced Capuchin
You must recognize this buddy as Marcel from ‘Friends.’ The White-faced capuchin is one of the most recognizable capuchin species. Their bodies are black with white faces, shoulders, and necks.
They are quite social and generally easy-going around humans. But they have a strange way to bond. These capuchins will poke your eyes and chew on you if they want to get close to you.
An interesting fact: capuchins have some sense of fairness. If they think you’re selfish, they’ll avoid you.
Wombat
Wombats are small but muscular marsupials native to Australia. This cute and cuddly-looking animal can be quite aggressive. They aren’t exactly human-friendly but will leave you alone if you do the same.
Though today wombats stand just 40 inches tall and 20-35 kgs in weight, there were wombats as big as rhinos during the Ice Age!
A strange fact about wombats is that they use their butts for defense if threatened. Why? They have tough backsides that can hold attacks.
They’re also known for their unique ability to form cube-shaped poop.
Lastly, guess what a group of wombats is called? A Wisdom.
Weasel
Weasels are small carnivorous mammals with long bodies and short limbs.
They are really good and aggressive predators who can easily take on animals twice their size, like rabbits. Quite bold, these small animal is fearless to the point of riding birds in flight!
Weasels are equally great swimmers and climbers.
The weasel insult? It refers to this animal due to its small body and ability to quickly sneak in and out of places. That’s partly because weasels are exceptional escape artists. Their slim and flexible bodies help them is the reason why.
Wandering Albatross
This is a truly exceptional bird with the largest wingspan in the bird kingdom, which is 11.5 feet! It’s one of the largest birds in the world today.
Wandering Albatrosses are known to have the ability to fly for not just hours but days. They have been recorded to fly for 10,000 miles straight without once landing! That’s 46 days of constant flying!
This is because Albatrosses have a unique flying mechanism that locks their wings and allows them to use the wind to sustain their flight.
Have you heard of the superstition among sailors? Seamen are quite wary of Albatrosses. A dead albatross on-board is considered a bad omen.
Wren
Wrens come from way back since the last Ice age. They are most commonly found in the UK.
Fun fact, the surname Wren in the UK actually comes from this bird species used to describe someone very active and energetic.
This bird absolutely hates the winter. Wren struggle the most during cold winters and would huddle up together in their nests. Speaking of nests, Wrens are known to build unique dome-shaped nests.
Like other typical birds, their diets mainly include insects like spiders, crickets, etc.
Whooping Crane
This elegant and extremely tall bird is the rarest crane species. Whooping cranes are considered critically endangered. Habitat loss and illegal poaching for their feathers are the two leading causes of this.
However, over the last few years, the population has been revived slowly but steadily. As of 2021, there are close to 850 Whooping cranes surviving. That’s a lot more than it was in 1945 – just 15!
Whooping cranes are almost all white except for their brownish heads. They have a wingspan of 2.5 meters and can fly at 80 kph.
Conclusion: Animals that Start with W
Wha-ha-ha-haaa! Well, we’ve just about reached the end of our little journey. It’s been an incredible journey but all good things must come to an end. Hope you had some fun along the way (and found it helpful too)! We had some laughs writing this article, and I hope it shows.
We’d also appreciate it if you help us get the word out about AnimalHype.com by sharing it with your friends and family. And if you liked this article then please share it on your social media channels.
Animals that Start with E
Animals that Start with O
Animals that Start with Q
Animals that Start with T
Animals that Start with U
Animals that Start with V
Animals that Start with X
Animals that Start with Z
