Discover 10 animals that start with the letter 'J'.
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10 animals that start with 'J'
Jacana
Jacanas are probably most famous for their extraordinarily long toes, which allow them to spread their weight over floating aquatic vegetation, earning them the sobriquet of ‘lily trotters’.
We included it as one of our favourite birds in our round up of the weirdest birds in the world.
Jackal
A member of the canine family, jackals look a bit like an Alsatian. there are three species; the black-backed jackal; the golden, or common, jackal; and the side-striped jackal.
Jackdaw
Noisy and gregarious, this small crow is best distinguished by its lively aerobatics accompanied by a high-pitched cry – the ‘tchack’ from which it takes its name. Up close, the jackdaw is easy to distinguish by its grey head and startling pale blue eyes.
Jaguar
The jaguar Panthera onca is the largest cat in the Americas and the third-largest cat in the world (after the lion and tiger).
Japanese Macaque
Japanese Macaque are a type of old world monkey that is native - to yes you have guessed it - Japan. They are the most northern-living primates - apart from humans - and are also sometimes known as snow monkeys.
Jay
The most colourful bird in the corvid or crow family, jays have vibrant pink and punky blue colouring. Despite their appearance the jay is a secretive bird, and can often be found in woodlands.
Jellyfish
Though jellyfish may seem little more than a bag of angry water, they are sophisticated predators that can eat, swim, reproduce and taunt humans all without a centralised brain. Instead, they have networks of nerves that send signals around the body so that, for example, a single tentacle can deftly move a piece of prey to the invertebrate’s mouth.
Jerboa
These weird-looking - but cute - leggy rodents live in the deserts of North Africa and Asia. And these long legs come in useful when chased as they help generate speeds of up to 24 km/h.
Johnson's abyssal seadevil
Anything going by the name of Johnson’s abyssal seadevil is unlikely to score highly on the cute-and-cuddly scale. Though, to be fair, this one looks as terrified as it does terrifying. Equipped with needle-sharp teeth, a bioluminescent lure between its eyes and a stomach that can expand to accommodate prey much larger than itself, it is the quintessential deep-sea anglerfish.
We included it in our round up of the weirdest sea creatures.
Jaguarundi
This small, elusive and primarily solitary wild cat species is native to the Americas. What makes it particularly intriguing is its variable coat colour, which can range from reddish-brown to grey or even black, adapting to its diverse habitats, including forests, grasslands, and scrublands.
Looking for ideas about animals starting with other letters of the alphabet?
Whether you're stuck on a crossword clue, setting a quiz or just curious, check out our guides to animals beginning with every letter of the alphabet.