Quick Answer: From powerful bears to tiny beetles, there are over 30 incredible animals that start with the letter B! Meet creatures like Baboon, Bear, Blue Whale, Butterfly, Bison, Beaver, Barracuda, Bengal Tiger, and more. They live across every continent and ocean on Earth.
Download the full list to explore all B animals, learn fun facts, and discover what makes each one special!
Quick Table of B Animals
| Animal | Type | Region | Fun Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baboon | Mammal | Africa & Arabia | Lives in troops of up to 200 members |
| Bear | Mammal | Worldwide | Can run up to 40 mph despite their size |
| Blue Whale | Mammal | All oceans | Largest animal ever to exist on Earth |
| Butterfly | Insect | Worldwide | Tastes with their feet |
| Bison | Mammal | North America | Can jump 6 feet high from a standstill |
| Beaver | Mammal | North America & Europe | Builds dams that can be seen from space |
| Bengal Tiger | Mammal | India & Bangladesh | Stripes are like fingerprints – no two tigers match |
| Bald Eagle | Bird | North America | Can see 4-8 times better than humans |
| Barracuda | Fish | Tropical oceans | Swims up to 36 mph |
| Blue Jay | Bird | North America | Can mimic hawk calls to scare other birds |
| Beluga Whale | Mammal | Arctic waters | Called “sea canaries” for their vocalizations |
| Boa Constrictor | Snake | Central & South America | Squeezes prey but doesn’t crush bones |
| Badger | Mammal | Worldwide | Digs massive underground tunnel systems |
| Bat | Mammal | Worldwide | Only mammal that can truly fly |
| Bee | Insect | Worldwide | A single hive can produce 60-100 lbs of honey per year |
| Blackbird | Bird | Worldwide | Males sing complex songs with up to 100 notes |
| Blue Poison Dart Frog | Amphibian | South America | Bright blue warns predators of its toxicity |
| Blobfish | Fish | Deep ocean | Looks normal underwater; gelatinous above |
| Bonobo | Mammal | Congo | Shares 98.7% DNA with humans |
| Buffalo | Mammal | Africa & Asia | Also called Cape Buffalo in Africa |
| Basking Shark | Fish | Temperate oceans | Second-largest fish, filter feeds on plankton |
| Barn Owl | Bird | Worldwide | Heart-shaped face acts as a satellite dish for sound |
| Bull Shark | Fish | Coastal waters | Can survive in both salt and freshwater |
| Bullfrog | Amphibian | North America | Males bellow loud mating calls heard a mile away |
| Bandicoot | Mammal | Australia | Sleeps in a nest and digs for insects |
| Beetle | Insect | Worldwide | Makes up 25% of all known animal species |
| Beluga Sturgeon | Fish | Caspian Sea | Source of the world’s most expensive caviar |
| Basilisk Lizard | Lizard | Central America | Runs across water on its hind legs |
| Bearded Dragon | Lizard | Australia | Puffs out throat to communicate |
| Bongo | Mammal | Africa | Largest forest antelope with spiral horns |
Most Common Animals That Start With the Letter B
1. Baboon
Scientific Name: Papio species | Habitat: African savannas and rocky areas
Baboons are super smart monkeys with dog-like faces and cool hairdos! They live together in big families called troops that can have up to 200 baboons living together. Just imagine having 200 brothers and sisters! They talk to each other using over 30 different sounds—that’s like speaking a secret baboon language. Baboons eat almost everything: fruits, seeds, bugs, and even small animals.
Conservation Status: Least Concern (most species)
2. Bear
Scientific Name: Ursidae family | Habitat: Forests, mountains, tundra worldwide
Bears are big, furry, and surprisingly fast! Even though they look cuddly, bears can run up to 40 miles per hour—that’s faster than your parents’ car in the neighborhood! They have the best noses in the animal kingdom, even better than your pet dog. Bears love to eat honey, berries, fish, and pretty much anything yummy they can find. Some bears, like grizzlies, can live for 20-30 years.
3. Blue Whale
Scientific Name: Balaenoptera musculus | Habitat: All major oceans
The Blue Whale is the BIGGEST animal that has EVER lived on Earth—even bigger than the biggest dinosaur! It’s as long as three school buses parked end-to-end. Its heart is so huge that a small child could crawl through its arteries (but please don’t try!). Blue Whales eat tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill and need to munch on 4 tons of them every single day. That’s like eating 40,000 hamburgers for lunch!
Conservation Status: Endangered
4. Butterfly
Scientific Name: Order Lepidoptera | Habitat: Worldwide except Antarctica
Butterflies are like flying rainbows! They taste food with their feet—imagine tasting pizza with your toes! Their beautiful wings are covered in thousands of tiny colorful scales, kind of like glitter on a greeting card. Some butterflies, like the Monarch, fly thousands of miles to warmer places when winter comes. They drink flower nectar through a long straw-like tongue called a proboscis (say: pro-BAH-sis).
5. Bison (American Buffalo)
Scientific Name: Bison bison | Habitat: North American grasslands
Bison are the biggest, hairiest animals in North America! They can weigh as much as a small car but can still run 35 miles per hour and jump over 6 feet high. That’s like jumping over your bedroom door! A long time ago, millions of bison roamed across America, but they were almost all hunted. Thanks to people who cared, there are now about 500,000 bison living wild and free again. Their thick, shaggy fur keeps them warm even in super cold winters.
Conservation Status: Near Threatened
6. Beaver
Scientific Name: Castor canadensis | Habitat: North American rivers and lakes
Beavers are nature’s best builders! They chop down trees with their super strong orange teeth and use them to build dams across rivers. The biggest beaver dam in Canada is so huge, you can see it from outer space! Beavers can hold their breath underwater for 15 minutes (try holding yours for even 30 seconds!). They have see-through eyelids that work like swimming goggles. Beaver families stick together and help build their home, just like you help your family with chores.
7. Bengal Tiger
Scientific Name: Panthera tigris tigris | Habitat: India, Bangladesh, and surrounding regions
The Bengal Tiger is one of the most beautiful and powerful cats in the world! Every tiger has its own special stripe pattern—no two tigers look exactly the same, just like your fingerprints. Tigers are excellent swimmers and actually love playing in water, unlike your pet cat at home! They can eat up to 88 pounds of meat in one meal. That’s like eating 350 hamburgers for dinner! Sadly, only about 2,500 Bengal Tigers are left in the wild.
Conservation Status: Endangered
8. Bald Eagle
Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus | Habitat: North America
The Bald Eagle is America’s national bird and isn’t actually bald—it just looks that way because of its white head feathers! Eagles have super eyes that can see tiny rabbits from 2 miles away. That’s like spotting a penny on the ground from the top of the Empire State Building! They build gigantic nests that can weigh more than a car. Eagle parents stay together forever and come back to the same nest every year to raise their babies.
Conservation Status: Least Concern (recovered from endangered)
9. Barracuda
Scientific Name: Sphyraena species | Habitat: Tropical and subtropical oceans
Barracudas are like the race cars of the ocean! They have long, torpedo-shaped bodies perfect for zooming through water at 36 miles per hour. Their mouths are filled with razor-sharp teeth that look super scary, but they’re actually not usually dangerous to people. Barracudas love shiny things and sometimes mistake sparkly jewelry for fish. The biggest barracudas can grow as long as a grown-up is tall!
10. Blue Jay
Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata | Habitat: Eastern and central North America
Blue Jays are beautiful blue birds that are also excellent pranksters! They can copy the sounds of hawks to scare other birds away from their favorite food. Blue Jays are really smart and can remember where they hid thousands of acorns. Some of these forgotten acorns grow into new oak trees, so Blue Jays are actually helping forests grow! They’re noisy birds that squawk and chatter, like kids on a playground.
11. Beluga Whale – The Singing White Whale
Beluga Whales are adorable white whales that live in icy Arctic waters. People call them “sea canaries” because they sing, chirp, click, and whistle underwater! Belugas can make their foreheads change shape to make different sounds—imagine if you could do that with your forehead! Unlike most whales, Belugas can turn their heads side to side, which helps them look around for fish and friends.
Fun Fact: Belugas can swim backwards, like a car in reverse!
12. Boa Constrictor – The Squeezing Snake
This is a big snake from Central and South America that gives its prey the world’s tightest hug! Boas wrap around animals and squeeze until they can’t breathe anymore. Don’t worry though—they don’t actually crush bones like in the movies. Boas can grow up to 13 feet long (longer than your bedroom!) and can live for 20-30 years. Baby boas are born ready to hunt on their own.
Fun Fact: Boas have special heat sensors that help them hunt in the dark!
13. Badger – The Underground Architect
Badgers are chunky animals with black and white striped faces that look like they’re wearing masks! They’re expert diggers with powerful claws and can dig huge underground homes with lots of rooms and tunnels. European badgers love having roommates, but American badgers prefer living alone. When badgers get scared or angry, they can be surprisingly tough and brave, even against animals much bigger than them.
Fun Fact: Badgers and coyotes sometimes team up to hunt together!
14. Bat – The Only Flying Mammal
Bats are the only mammals in the world that can truly fly like birds! There are over 1,400 different kinds of bats. Most bats use echolocation (ek-oh-low-KAY-shun), which means they make clicking sounds and listen to the echoes to “see” in the dark. It’s like having a superpower! Some bats eat bugs, some eat fruit, and vampire bats drink blood (but don’t worry, they only bite sleeping cows and horses, not people).
Fun Fact: One little bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes in just one hour!
15. Bee – The Honey-Making Superstar
Bees are buzzing insects that make delicious honey and help flowers grow! A beehive is like a tiny city with one queen bee, thousands of girl worker bees, and some boy bees called drones. Worker bees do a special “waggle dance” to tell their friends where to find the best flowers. To make just one pound of honey, bees have to visit 2 million flowers. That’s a LOT of work!
Fun Fact: Without bees, we wouldn’t have apples, strawberries, or many other yummy foods!
16. Blackbird – The Beautiful Singer
Blackbirds are birds where the boys are shiny black with bright yellow beaks, and the girls are brown. Male blackbirds are amazing singers and can sing songs with over 100 different notes. That’s like knowing all the words to tons of different songs! They love to sing early in the morning when the sun comes up. Blackbirds protect their homes and will chase away any birds that come too close.
Fun Fact: Male blackbirds learn new songs their whole lives, like learning new music!
17. Blue Poison Dart Frog – The Tiny Toxic Jewel
This tiny frog is bright, bright blue like it’s wearing a superhero costume! The bright color is like a warning sign that says “Don’t eat me—I’m poisonous!” Long ago, people in the rainforest used the frog’s poison on their hunting arrows. Blue Poison Dart Frogs are only 1-2 inches long (smaller than your thumb!) but they’re not shy at all. Male frogs are super dads—they carry their tadpole babies on their backs to water!
Fun Fact: Pet dart frogs aren’t poisonous because they don’t eat the special bugs that make the poison!
18. Blobfish – The Misunderstood Deep-Sea Dweller
The Blobfish won the contest for “World’s Ugliest Animal,” but that’s not really fair! Deep underwater where Blobfish live, they actually look like normal fish. But when scientists bring them up to the surface, the change in pressure makes them look all saggy and blobby—like a deflated balloon. Blobfish are lazy hunters that just float around and eat whatever swims into their mouths.
Fun Fact: Blobfish only look “blobby” out of water—underwater they’re just regular-looking fish!
19. Bonobo – Our Close Cousin
Bonobos are apes that are one of our closest animal relatives! We share 98.7% of the same DNA—that means we’re super similar. Bonobos live only in the African country called the Democratic Republic of Congo. They’re much more peaceful than their chimpanzee cousins and solve arguments by being nice to each other instead of fighting. Bonobos are really smart and can even learn sign language to talk with people!
Conservation Status: Endangered
20. Buffalo – The Tough African Giant
African Buffalo (also called Cape Buffalo) are huge, powerful animals with big curved horns. They can weigh as much as a car! Buffalo live in enormous herds—imagine hundreds or even thousands of buffalo traveling together. They have amazing memories and never forget hunters who’ve tried to hurt them. Buffalo work as a team to protect each other from lions and other predators.
Fun Fact: Buffalo “vote” on where to move by standing up and staring in that direction!
21. Basking Shark – The Gentle Giant
The Basking Shark is the second-biggest fish in the entire ocean! They can be as long as a school bus. But guess what? They’re totally harmless! Basking Sharks swim slowly with their gigantic mouths wide open, filtering tiny plankton (microscopic sea creatures) from the water. They got their name because they like to “bask” or relax near the water’s surface on sunny days, like they’re sunbathing!
Conservation Status: Endangered
22. Barn Owl – The Silent Night Hunter
Barn Owls have beautiful heart-shaped faces that help them hear better. Their face works like a satellite dish, collecting sounds and helping them find mice in total darkness! Barn Owls fly so quietly that mice can’t even hear them coming. Their special feathers make almost no noise when they flap. One Barn Owl can catch over 1,000 mice, rats, and other rodents in one year—they’re nature’s pest control!
Fun Fact: Their ears are at different heights on their head to help them pinpoint exactly where sounds come from!
23. Bull Shark – The Tough Guy of the Ocean
Bull Sharks are one of the scariest sharks because they can swim in both salty ocean water AND freshwater rivers. They’ve been found thousands of miles up rivers, way far from the ocean! Bull Sharks are strong, have super powerful jaws, and can grow up to 11 feet long. They’re called “bull” sharks because they’re stocky and tough, like a bull. Don’t worry though—shark attacks are still super rare!
24. Bullfrog – The Loud Croaker
American Bullfrogs are the BIGGEST frogs in North America. They’re as big as a dinner plate! Male bullfrogs make a super loud, deep sound—”jug-o-rum, jug-o-rum”—that you can hear a whole mile away. Bullfrogs have huge appetites and will eat anything they can stuff in their mouths: bugs, fish, baby birds, and even other frogs! They have powerful back legs for jumping far and swimming fast.
Fun Fact: Bullfrogs never really sleep—they just rest while staying alert for danger!
25. Bandicoot – The Australian Digger
Bandicoots are cute little marsupials (like kangaroos!) with long pointy noses and strong digging claws. They come out at night to dig cone-shaped holes in the ground, searching for yummy bugs and grubs to eat. Bandicoots sleep in cozy nests during the day and prefer to be alone rather than hanging out with other bandicoots. Even though they’re small, they can jump really far when scared!
Fun Fact: Bandicoot moms are pregnant for only 12 days—the shortest pregnancy of any mammal!
26. Beetle – The Insect Champion
Beetles are EVERYWHERE! There are over 400,000 different types of beetles—that’s more than any other kind of animal on Earth! One out of every four animals you meet is a beetle. They have hard wing covers that protect their delicate flying wings underneath, like armor. Some beetles, like ladybugs, help gardens by eating bad bugs. Others, like dung beetles, are super strong and can roll poop balls that weigh 50 times more than they do!
Fun Fact: If you could be as strong as a dung beetle, you could roll a ball weighing as much as six elephants!
27. Beluga Sturgeon – The Caviar King
The Beluga Sturgeon is a HUGE freshwater fish that can grow up to 20 feet long (longer than a pickup truck!) and live for over 100 years—that’s older than your great-grandparents! Female Beluga Sturgeons produce fancy fish eggs called caviar that rich people pay tons of money for. One fish can have 400 pounds of eggs inside her! Sadly, too many people caught these fish, and now there aren’t many left.
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
28. Basilisk Lizard – The Water-Walking Wonder
The Basilisk Lizard is also called the “Jesus Christ Lizard” because it can RUN ACROSS WATER! How cool is that? When scared, basilisks run super fast on their back legs, and special scales on their toes trap air bubbles that keep them from sinking. They can run about 20 feet across water before they have to start swimming. Young basilisks are better at this trick than adults. They live in rainforests in Central America.
Fun Fact: Basilisks can also hold their breath underwater for 30 minutes if they need to hide!
29. Bearded Dragon – The Spiky Pet Lizard
Bearded Dragons are popular pet lizards from Australia with “beards” made of spiky scales under their chins. When they get mad or want to look tough, they puff out their beard and it turns darker. Bearded Dragons eat both veggies and bugs—they’re not picky eaters! They talk to each other by bobbing their heads up and down or waving their arms in circles, kind of like doing funny dances.
Fun Fact: Bearded Dragons can change their color a little bit to help them warm up or cool down!
30. Bongo – The Striped Forest Antelope
Bongos are the biggest and most colorful antelopes that live in forests. They have beautiful reddish-brown fur with white vertical stripes down their sides, like they’re wearing stripey pajamas! Both boy and girl bongos have amazing twisted horns that spiral up. Even though bongos are big, they’re surprisingly sneaky and can tiptoe through thick jungle without making noise. They only come out at night to look for food.
Conservation Status: Near Threatened
B Animals You Can Only Find in Australia
Australia is like a real-life Pokémon island—lots of animals that start with B live nowhere else on Earth!
Bilby – the Rabbit-Eared Bandit
Scientific name:Macrotis lagotis
With silky silver fur and bunny-like ears, the Bilby is often called the “Easter Bunny of Australia.” It sleeps in deep spiral burrows to stay cool, and its pouch opens backwards so mum doesn’t kick sand on her babies while digging!
Brolga – the Dancing Crane
Scientific name:Grus rubicunda
Brolgas are tall grey birds that moon-walk! Pairs leap, flap, and bob their heads in fancy dance routines to say “I love you.” Some dances last so long that the sun goes down before they finish.
Blue-Tongued Skink – the Stick-Out-Tongue Lizard
Scientific name:Tiliqua scincoides
When scared, this chunky lizard opens its bright blue mouth and sticks out a blueberry-coloured tongue—predators think “yuck, that might be poison!” and run away.
Buff-Breasted Button-Quail – the World’s Rarest Quail
Scientific name:Turnix olivii
Only a handful of people have ever seen this little ground bird. It hides in Queensland’s tropical grass and “drums” with its wings to call friends, sounding like a tiny airplane starting up.
B Animals That Need Our Help – Endangered “B” Species
Some “B” animals are in BIG trouble. Meet the ones conservationists are working extra-hard to save.
| Animal | Why They’re Struggling | How We Can Help |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Whale | Hit by ships and tangled in fishing gear | Support ship-speed limits in whale highways |
| Beluga Sturgeon | Over-fished for fancy caviar | Choose “sturgeon-friendly” caviar or skip it |
| Bonobo | Forest chopped up by logging | Buy FSC-certified wood products |
| Basking Shark | Caught accidentally and fins taken | Report sightings to help scientists track them |
| Baw Baw Frog | Tiny frog that only lives on one cold mountain in Australia | Donate to “FrogID” apps that monitor calls |
| Bridled Nail-Tailed Wallaby | Once thought extinct; cats & foxes hunt them | Support “predator-proof” fenced sanctuaries |
Even kids can help—share their stories, draw posters, or hold a lemonade stand and donate to wildlife groups. Every bit buzzes like a busy BEE and really makes a difference!
Source: https://www.iucnredlist.org/, https://www.earthsendangered.com/list.asp
Other Notable B Animals
Blue-ringed Octopus A tiny but super dangerous octopus from Australia. Even though it’s only as big as a golf ball, its bite is deadly! Blue rings appear on its body when it’s angry.
Bearded Vulture A weird bird that eats bones! It drops bones from way up high to crack them open, then eats the yummy marrow inside.
Binturong Also called a bearcat, this animal smells exactly like buttered popcorn at the movies! How strange is that?
Blue Morpho Butterfly One of the biggest and most beautiful butterflies with shimmering blue wings as big as your hand!
Some Fun Facts About B Animals
- Fastest: Barracudas zoom through water at 36 mph!
- Largest: Blue Whales are bigger than any dinosaur ever was!
- Best Builder: Beavers make dams so big you can see them from space!
- Best Nose: Bears can smell 100 times better than humans!
- Most Types: There are 400,000+ different beetle species!
- Coolest Trick: Basilisk Lizards can run on water!
- Loudest: Blue Whales sing louder than jet engines!
FAQ
Q: What animals start with B? A: Lots of cool ones! Bears, Blue Whales, Butterflies, Bison, Beavers, Bengal Tigers, Bald Eagles, Baboons, and many more!
Q: Are any B animals mammals? A: Yes! Bears, Bison, Beavers, Blue Whales, Beluga Whales, Bonobos, Buffalo, Badgers, Bats, and Bandicoots are all mammals.
Q: Where do most B animals live? A: B animals live everywhere! Blue Whales swim in all oceans, Bison roam North America, Bengal Tigers prowl Asia, and Buffalo live in Africa.
Q: What’s the biggest animal that starts with B? A: The Blue Whale—it’s the biggest animal that has EVER lived on our planet, even bigger than the biggest dinosaurs!
Q: Which B animal is the most dangerous? A: African Buffalo is considered one of the most dangerous animals to humans in Africa, but Bull Sharks can also be scary!
Conclusion
Animals that start with B are some of the most amazing creatures on Earth! From the gigantic Blue Whale to the tiny Blue Poison Dart Frog, each one is special in its own way. Whether you’re doing homework, learning about nature, or just curious about animals, this list has tons of fun facts to share with your friends and family. Next time someone asks “Can you name an animal that starts with B?” you’ll have over 30 awesome answers!
Download and Print B Animal Coloring Pages
Learn more Animals A-Z from Here
B-Animal Fun Facts
| Animal | Type | Region | Fun Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baboon | Mammal | Africa & Arabia | Lives in troops of up to 200 |
| Bear | Mammal | Worldwide | Can run 40 mph |
| Blue Whale | Mammal | All oceans | Largest animal ever |
| Butterfly | Insect | Worldwide | Tastes with its feet |
| Bison | Mammal | North America | Jumps 6 ft from standstill |
| Beaver | Mammal | N-America & Europe | Dams visible from space |
| Bengal Tiger | Mammal | India & Bangladesh | Stripes unique like fingerprints |
| Bald Eagle | Bird | North America | Vision 4-8× sharper than ours |
| Barracuda | Fish | Tropical oceans | Swims 36 mph |
| Blue Jay | Bird | North America | Mimics hawks to scare birds |
| Beluga Whale | Mammal | Arctic | Known as “sea canaries” |
| Boa Constrictor | Snake | C-&S-America | Squeezes without crushing bones |
| Badger | Mammal | Worldwide | Digs huge tunnel systems |
| Bat | Mammal | Worldwide | Only true flying mammal |
| Bee | Insect | Worldwide | One hive 60-100 lb honey/year |
| Blackbird | Bird | Worldwide | Songs up to 100 notes |
| Blue Poison Dart Frog | Amphibian | S-America | Blue warns of poison |
| Blobfish | Fish | Deep ocean | Looks normal underwater |
| Bonobo | Mammal | Congo | Shares 98.7 % DNA with us |
| Buffalo | Mammal | Africa & Asia | Also called Cape Buffalo |
| Basking Shark | Fish | Temperate oceans | 2nd largest fish, filter-feeder |
| Barn Owl | Bird | Worldwide | Heart-shaped face = sound dish |
| Bull Shark | Fish | Coastal | Lives in salt & freshwater |
| Bullfrog | Amphibian | N-America | Call heard a mile away |
| Bandicoot | Mammal | Australia | Sleeps in nest, digs for insects |
| Beetle | Insect | Worldwide | 25 % of all known animals |
| Beluga Sturgeon | Fish | Caspian Sea | Source of priciest caviar |
| Basilisk Lizard | Lizard | C-America | Runs on water |
| Bearded Dragon | Lizard | Australia | Puffs throat to talk |
| Bongo | Mammal | Africa | Largest forest antelope |
