Natgeos Green and Vibrant
This is a fun blog post about animals that start with the letter M. I’m sure you know some of these, but hopefully, there are some out there that will surprise you!
This article is perfect for kids or adults who love animals and want to learn more about them.
Table of Contents
List of Animals That Start With The Letter M
1. Moose
This animal has a brown coat that is black on the shoulders and back, with white fur on its abdomen.
Moose is one of the largest animals in North America and can eat up to 50 pounds of vegetation each day.
Moose live mostly alone or in groups of two or three adults with their offspring.
The moose track is about four inches wide with a butte on either side that looks like “shoes.” These tracks are often found near water sources.
The moose is a herbivore and dines on grass, twigs, bark, and leaves from various trees in the forest.
A male moose can weigh up to 1500 pounds, while females are much smaller than males (generally weighing between 400-600 pounds). Their lifespan is 20 years or more in the wild.
2. Mouse
A mouse is a small rodent often used in labs for experiments.
Mice are most active at night and eat almost anything, including cereal grains, nuts, fruits, or vegetables; they can carry diseases such as fleas and ticks.
When a mouse is caught, it will squeal and drop the food that it had been carrying.
The best-known mouse is the common house mouse which can live in any area of a home such as walls, floor, or furniture.
Mice also have teeth that grow continuously throughout their lifetime and therefore need to chew on hard material to help keep them down at an appropriate length.
3. Millipede
The millipede is a name for worm-like creatures with more than two legs.
Millipedes are often found in moist habitats. They are a good example of an invertebrate, meaning they have no backbone (they do have a hard outer shell).
Millipedes can secrete toxic liquid when threatened or injured, which will make them less attractive to predators.
Some millipedes are harmful to humans, such as the giant African pillbug, which can cause irritation and infection to human skin due to their bristles on their legs – these millipedes should be treated with caution!
4. Monkey
Monkey is a name for a type of primate, a mammal with hands and feet with five fingers on each hand and foot.
Monkeys live in many different parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, North America – they are found mainly in tropical forests or arid deserts.
Some types of monkeys like to eat fruit while others like insects such as ants or termites! They have developed special adaptations so they can do this without getting stung by their prey!
5. Mayfly
Mayfly is an insect that spends most of its life as a larva or nymph in water.
They are found almost everywhere, where there is fresh water, such as ponds and lakes – but they usually only live for a few hours before dying!
Adult mayflies don’t have any wings and spend their time mating with other adults to produce eggs that will hatch into larvae later on!
Some species can fly up into the air if they need to escape from predators in the water!
6. Mosquito
Mosquito is a type of fly that bites humans to get their blood.
They are found worldwide, especially near water, as they need it for layering eggs and larvae! They can even be found in some deserts with standing water, such as a puddle or pond!
Adult mosquitoes use their proboscis (a long mouthpart) to bite animals like monkeys, who make more than 20% of the mosquito’s diet.
Female mosquitoes will bite birds and bats, too, if they have an opportunity! Some species prefer larger mammals because these hosts provide more blood when biting them, including rodents, deer, sheep, and horses.
7. Mantella Frog
Frogs of the genus Mantella are amphibians found in Madagascar.
They have a life expectancy of up to 15 years and can grow as big as 12 cm! The Mantellas live on land but spend their days hunting for food in the water because they don’t catch insects as other frogs do.
They mainly eat invertebrates, such as snails, slugs, ants, or termites that live near swampy areas by night-time when it’s dark out – so they’re not seen by predators, which may include mongoose or snakes.
Montelena also use their long tongue (which you can see through their mouth) to reach prey hiding under rocks!
8. Monarch Butterfly
The monarch butterfly is one of the most recognizable butterflies. They can be found in North America and are known for their long migratory patterns that span multiple generations to find a warm winter climate!
The monarch butterfly is also considered an iconic species, which means it has a special status and public support.
It’s easy to spot because of its distinctive orange wing-tips and black veins – plus they’re so large you’ll often see them from across a field or garden!
Monarch larvae feed on milkweed plants, but adults drink nectar from flowers such as dandelions and clover.
The female Monarch lays eggs near milkweeds (she needs these plants herself!), then when her offspring hatch, they will eat the leaves before flying off into trees to spend the winter.
9. Manta Ray
Manta ray is one of the largest rays in the ocean, and it can grow up to 25 feet across! It swims by flapping its wings, which are shaped like a triangle.
Manta Rays mainly eat plankton (tiny sea plants) and use their mouths as filters to catch small animals such as krill or shrimp.
They live close to shorelines and have been seen in many places worldwide, including Mexico, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Sri Lanka.
10. Mandrill
Mandrill is one of the largest primates in the world. It has a very large, brightly colored nose called a “snot-spouter,” which it uses to convey its mood! The mandrill’s face and head are blue, with black ear tufts on either side of their heads.
Mandrills live in rainforests or dry forests where there is plenty of fruit to eat (although they will also feed off insects).
They mostly travel by walking on all four limbs but have been known to climb trees too. Mandrils usually have one male who leads them and defends them from predators such as leopards.
11. Mantis
Mantis is one of the most feared animals in Africa and is often spoken of as a “friend” by locals. It can grow up to 14 inches long, with a wingspan of about 17-21 inches, and it can live for up to 20 years!
Mantises are predatory insects that eat other smaller creepy crawlies such as flies, mosquitoes, spiders, and even another mantis.
Mantises are mostly green or brown colored with white spots down its head and back, which act as camouflage when it’s resting on bushes.
12. Mongoose
A mongoose is a type of animal that lives in the African and Asian jungles. It is a little bit smaller than your average house cat, but it has much more speed.
Mongooses are most famous for killing snakes, mainly cobras, because they can protect themselves from snake venom by producing antibodies called mongoose-specific antivenom.
Mongooses may look cute, but they are not to be messed with!
13. Mallard
The mallard is a type of duck that is mostly found in North America and Europe.
They are also known as green-headed ducks because they have bright green heads, which help them hide from predators by camouflaging their heads into leaves on trees.
Sometimes mallards come in other colors such as brown, black, and white, but usually, you can find them all looking like camouflage when they’re resting.
14. Marbled Salamander
The marbled salamander is the only type of salamander that lives in California.
The creature has two different colors on its back: green or brown and black, like an earthy camouflage for them to hide from predators.
It is dangerous because it can be poisonous but also these creatures will get scared easily if you do something sudden around them, so they’re not easy to find either!
15. Meerkat
Meerkat or suricate is a small type of mongoose that lives in Africa.
It can be found living near water, usually because they like to eat frogs and sometimes fish!
They have long ears, which are used for heat regulation since it’s too hot outside but also so they could hear potential predators coming their way.
16. Macaroni Penguin
The macaroni penguin is an African penguin that lives in the cold waters of the Antarctic.
They are named so because they have a white chest and dark black back feathers, resembling pasta!
The macaroni penguins mate for life, and their offspring stay with them until they can mate themselves.
17. Malayan Tiger
The Malayan tiger is the smallest of all tigers and is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia.
Malayan Tigers are endangered because they have been hunted by humans for their beautiful fur used to make clothes or blankets!
The Malayan tiger also likes to eat monkeys, deer as well as other animals. They usually hide near rivers because it’s a good place for fishing too!
18. Moth
The Moth is like the butterfly, but it doesn’t have any wings and can only fly for a short distance.
Most moths are not harmful to humans because they don’t bite or sting; other than that, their wingspan is as big as an adult’s hand!
The Moth has very long antennae, which helps them find food in the dark of night when there isn’t much light. They also feed on plants during daylight hours.
19. Manatee
Manatee is a big eater. They eat seagrasses, leaves, and aquatic plants, but they enjoy eating fresh vegetables like carrots or lettuce once in a while.
Manatees are sensitive to cold water, so when it’s wintertime, there can’t be any ice on the water’s surface!
If you want to see them close up, visit places where they’re protected, such as Virginia Aquarium or Zoo Miami, because manatees don’t have gills for breathing underwater, so if their heads get out of the water, then they’ll die within minutes.
These gentle giants could grow up to 13 feet long and weigh over 500 pounds!
Read also:
- Types of Goldfish from A-Z with Photos
- Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cabbage?
- What Are Some Animals That Have 4 Letters in Their Name?
20. Muskox
Muskoxen are native to Greenland and Arctic areas of Canada, Alaska, Russia, and Siberia. They can be found in arctic tundra or taiga habitat.
Muskoxen have large horns that curve upward outwards then twist back over the head like an ox’s horn.
