1
Manatee
Trichechus (genus)
A massive, slow-moving aquatic herbivore — the "sea cow" of warm coastal waters — vegetarian, gentle, and inexplicably evolutionary close relatives of elephants.
If you've been searching for animals that start with M, you'll find 13 detailed animals below. We're not interested in giving you only a list of names — every entry on this page links to a full profile with the kind of detail you'd actually want to know.
For animals, that means taxonomy, habitat, diet, range, lifespan, and conservation status.
List of Animals That Start With M
2
Mandrill
Mandrillus sphinx
The world's largest monkey and the most colourful mammal — males develop electric blue and red facial colouring and a brilliantly coloured rump; despite their fearsome appearance, mandrills are omnivorous and live in enormous groups called hordes.
3
Maned Wolf
Chrysocyon brachyurus
The giraffe-legged wolf of South American grasslands — an unmistakable canid with improbably long legs, reddish-orange fur, a black mane, and large ears; the maned wolf is not closely related to wolves or foxes, being the sole member of its genus; it is an omnivore that eats more fruit than meat, and the wolf-apple (lobeira fruit) forms a large part of its diet.
4
Mara
Dolichotis patagonum
The Patagonian mara looks exactly like a small deer but is actually a giant guinea pig — a large South American rodent that runs on the tips of its hoofed toes, mates for life, and lives in colonial warrens where multiple pairs deposit their young in a communal den while taking turns guarding.
5
Markhor
Capra falconeri
The national animal of Pakistan — a large wild goat of the Himalayas and Hindu Kush with spectacular spiral horns that in old males can reach 160 cm; the horns spiral outward in a tight corkscrew, unique among wild goats; the markhor lives on vertiginous cliff faces inaccessible to most predators and is revered in the region — its Farsi name means "snake eater," though it does not actually eat snakes.
6
Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
A small social mongoose of southern African deserts — famous for upright sentinel posture, tightly cooperative family groups, and starring roles in nature documentaries and "The Lion King."
7
Mole
Talpidae (family)
A small underground mammal with paddle-like front feet for digging — found across most of the northern hemisphere, dug-into-the-ground specialists with extraordinarily refined sense of touch and a near-permanent underground existence.
8
Mongoose
Herpestidae (family)
A diverse African and Asian mammal family famous for snake-fighting prowess — about 35 species ranging from solitary forest dwellers to highly social pack animals like meerkats.
9
Monkey
Cebus capucinus (white-faced) and several related species
A small, intelligent New World monkey famous for its tool use and dexterity, named after the brown-and-white robes of Capuchin friars and the most studied genus of monkey in cognitive research.
10
Moose
Alces alces
The largest living deer species — North American and Eurasian, browsing on aquatic plants and tree bark, capable of being unexpectedly aggressive and outweighing most cars they collide with.
11
Mouse
Mus musculus (house mouse)
One of the most successful mammals on Earth — house mice have followed humans worldwide, while wild mice species number in the dozens, serving as both pest, prey, and the most-used laboratory animal in modern biology.
12
Musk Ox
Ovibos moschatus
A massive Ice Age survivor of the Arctic tundra — famous for the defensive circle it forms against wolves, its extraordinarily warm qiviut wool, and the musky odour males produce during rut.
13
Mussel
Mytilus (genus, marine); Unionidae (freshwater)
A bivalve mollusk attached to rocks and ropes by tough byssal threads — an ecologically critical filter feeder, a major sustainable seafood, and an emerging water quality indicator.
About animals starting with M
That's our current list of animals starting with the letter M. We add new entries every week — if you have a favorite animal starting with M that isn't on this page, let us know and we'll write it up.
Looking for more? Try animals that end with M, or contain M anywhere in the name.