Animals that start with V
Various animals are present globally, whose names start with “v”, each with unique identities and characters. This blog post provide you with exciting facts and information about some of these animal species. Examples include Vulture, Vole, Vicuna, Viperfish, Vervet monkey, vampire bat, Volcano rabbit, Vaquita, Vireo, Virginia opossum, etc.
List of Animals that start with V
- Virginia opossum
- Vireo
- Vaquita
- Volcano rabbit
- Vampire bat
- Vervet monkey
- Viperfish
- Vicuna
- Vole
Virginia opossum
The Virginia opossums have the scientific name Didelphis virginiana. These animal species possess hairless and scaly prehensile tails about half of their total lengths, long heads, pointed snouts and rounded naked ears. In addition to this, they are called playing opossums because of their playing dead nature. One wackiest myth includes that the females use nostrils to give births. They have an average lifespan of about 4 years.
| Phylum | Chordate |
| Habitat | shrubs, cities, farmlands, forests and other wet areas |
| Size | 30 inches (males), 28 inches (females) |
| Weight | 6.6 pounds (males), 4.4 pounds (females) |
| Diet | Garbage, frogs, mice, snakes, seeds, fruits, dead animals and insects |
| Predators | Humans, cats, dogs, red foxes, hawks, owls |
Vireo
The Vireos with the scientific name Vireonidae have gray-blue-colored caps, olive-gray-colored wings and backs, dark-colored lores, thick white-colored supercilia, and dark gray-colored eye stripes. Short tails with olive gray colors are present. They travel long distances twice yearly between South and North America. Their diet includes invertebrates, a variety of insects, berries and some fruits.
| Phylum | Chordate |
| Habitat | Shrublands, wetlands, mangroves, swamps, woodlands, forests |
| Size | 4 to 7 inches |
| Weight | Less than 2 ounces |
| Lifespan | Unknown |
| Predators | Opossums, skunks, raccoons, blue jays, chipmunks, mice, snakes |
Vaquita
The Vaquitas with the scientific name Phocoena sinus come in the category of animals, whose names start with “v.” They have rounded heads, small and short bodies, spade-shaped teeth and black-colored patches around lips and eyes. No beaks are present in these animal species. Furthermore, these animals are called the smallest cetaceans of the world. They have giant dorsal fins that help them in heat dissipation.
| Phylum | Chordate |
| Habitat | murky waters (with the depth between 30 and 90 feet) |
| Size | 5 feet |
| Weight | 43 kg |
| Diet | Cephalopods, crustaceans, small fishes |
| Predators | Killer whales, large sharks |
Volcano rabbit
The Volcano rabbits have the scientific name Romerolagus diazi. They possess short legs and small rounded ears. Their short, thick and brown or black-colored furs help them quickly blend in the volcano and rocky soils. These animal species appear to live in small groups containing two to five animals. These crepuscular rabbits tend to be more active at dusk and in the morning rather than during the day. They live an average life of approximately 7 to 9 years.
| Phylum | Chordate |
| Habitat | Central Mexico’s four extinct volcanoes |
| Size | Second smallest rabbits |
| Weight | 390 to 600 grams |
| Diet | Eryngium rosei, Stipa itchu, Muhlenbergia macroura, Festuca amplissima |
| Predators | Red-tailed hawks, bobcats, long-tailed weasels |
Vampire bat
The Vampire bats with the scientific name Desmodontinae are included in the list of animals, whose names start with “v.” They velvety light brown-colored furs covering their bellies. Their backsides are of burnt amber color. In contrast to fruit-eating birds, they come with short, conical muzzles. These agile and light animal species can drink blood from animals for almost thirty minutes without waking them up.
| Phylum | Chordate |
| Habitat | Deserts, forests, mines, caves, abandoned buildings, tree hollows, Uruguay, Argentina, South and Central America, Mexico |
| Size | 2 to 3 inches |
| Weight | 33 grams |
| Lifespan | 9 years (in wild), 20 years (in captivity) |
| Predators | Large eagles and hawks |
Vervet monkey
The Vervet monkeys have the scientific name Chlorocebus pygerythrus. These animal species with short black-colored faces come with silvery-grey or greenish-olive-colored bodies. The white-colored bands on their foreheads help them easily blend with short whiskers. In addition to this, they possess cheek pouches, with the help of which they store food to eat later. Their diet includes rodents, lizards, birds and their eggs, shoots, buds, flowers, berries, fruits, fungi, etc.
| Phylum | Chordate |
| Habitat | Open Savannah, woodlands, Senegal, Africa |
| Size | 420 to 600 mm |
| Weight | 3.4 to 8 kg |
| Lifespan | 12 to 24 years |
| Predators | Baboons, raptors, snakes, leopards |
Viperfish
The list of those animals, whose names start with “v,” also include Viperfishes having the scientific name Chauliodus. They have hinged lower jaws and long needle-like teeth quickly grabbing prey. The vertebrae present behind their heads are used as shock absorbers similar to air bags. Their modified fin rays contain luminescent lures that help them glow. Furthermore, they can live up to almost 30 years.
| Phylum | Chordate |
| Habitat | Tropical regions of major oceans |
| Size | 2 to 10 inches |
| Weight | 10 to 15 grams |
| Diet | Small fishes and crustaceans |
| Predators | Dolphins and sharks |
Vicuna
The Vicunas with the scientific name Vicugna vicugna are graceful and swift animal species. They are the smallest of all camels and possess white-colored chests, hairs on throats, and brown-colored coating on their backs. The manufacturers use their strong wool to produce soft, expensive and warm clothes. Furthermore, family-based groups containing young ones, five to fifteen females and one male, is present.
| Phylum | Chordate |
| Habitat | Peru, Equador, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, plains, high mountainous grasslands |
| Size | 75 to 85 cm |
| Weight | 35 to 65 kg |
| Lifespan | 15 to 20 years |
| Diet | Grass |
Vole
The vole rodents have the scientific name Microtus. They come in the list of animals, whose names start with “v.” These animal species with tails shorter than their bodies possess blunt noses, sharp incisor teeth, and small ears and eyes. In addition to this, grey to brown-colored furs are present. The other names of these rodents are field mice or meadow mice. Their lifespan varies depending on the species. The average known lifespan is 3 to 6 months.
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Habitat | Japan, Taiwan, Southern China, Asia, Europe, British Isles, sea levels to high mountains |
| Size | 4 to 6 inches |
| Weight | Varies depending on the species |
| Diet | Roots and bark of trees, tubers, bulbs, herbaceous plants, grasses |
| Predators | Owls, hawks, gulls, cats, weasels, badgers, foxes, coyotes |
Vulture
The Vultures, also called turkey vultures, have the scientific name Cathartus. These heavy-bodied animal species possess looser and shaggy feathers compared to other birds. Their bodies are mainly of dull brown or black colors. They also tend to have deep blue or bright red-colored throats and heads. About 23 species of these animals are present throughout the world. Sometimes they do vomiting to lighten their bodies and fly more easily.
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Habitat | Savannas, plain areas, suburban areas |
| Size | 3.3 feet, 8.9 feet (wingspan) |
| Weight | 27.5 pounds |
| Lifespan | 10 to 30 years |
| Predators | Wild cats, snakes, hawks |
FAQ’s
Sometimes people get confused and ask some questions to get to know more about various animals. Therefore, the answers to some of those questions are as follows
What are the mammals that start with V?
There is the presence of different animal species in the world, each starting with a specific letter. Here, the mammals that start with “V” include Vizsla, Vampire bats, Volpino Italiano, Vervet monkeys, etc.
Conclusion
This world contains a variety of species, including animals, plants and microbes. This blog post provides you with enough information about the animals, whose names start with “V.” Various exciting facts are explained in it that will help you greatly.