The Complete List of Common Animals That Start With J

This list includes 35 Common Animals that start with J, from “Jabiru” to “Junglefowl”. Many are birds or tropical species, and you can use this list for classrooms and nature walks.

[Common Animals that start with J] are common English names for animals whose names begin with the letter J. For example, jaguars feature prominently in many Indigenous American myths.

Below you’ll find the table with common name, scientific name, order, and habitat/distribution.

Common name: The everyday name you will recognize, useful for labels, classroom teaching, and quick field identification.

Scientific name: The Latin binomial gives precise species identity, helping you find authoritative information and avoid confusion.

Order: Shows the higher-level group, so you can see broad relationships and compare similar animals quickly.

Habitat/distribution: Brief notes on where each animal lives, helping you match species to regions or common field habitats.

Methodology note: Entries use widely accepted common names and concise taxonomic details to keep the list practical and reliable.

Use the A–Z index to jump between letters and find other lists quickly.

Common Animals that start with J

Common Name	Scientific Name	Order	Habitat/Distribution	Description
Jaguar	Panthera onca	Carnivora	Central & South American forests and wetlands	Large spotted big cat with powerful bite and stocky build; strong swimmer and top Neotropical predator.
Jaguarundi	Herpailurus yagouaroundi	Carnivora	Central & South America forests and scrub	Small, weasel-like wild cat with uniform coat and long body; diurnal and tree-climbing.
Jackal	Various (Canidae)	Carnivora	Africa & Eurasia open habitats	General name for medium wild dog-like canids; opportunistic predators and scavengers common in plains and scrub.
Jackdaw	Corvus monedula	Passeriformes	Europe & western Asia	Small glossy black corvid with pale eyes and grey nape; social and often nests in cliffs or buildings.
Jackrabbit	Lepus (various)	Lagomorpha	North American grasslands & deserts	Large hare with very long ears and powerful hind legs; fast runner adapted to open habitats.
Jack snipe	Lymnocryptes minimus	Charadriiformes	Eurasian marshes & wetlands	Tiny, stocky snipe with cryptic brown plumage; secretive and favors damp grassy wetlands.
Jacana	Jacanidae (various)	Charadriiformes	Tropical freshwater wetlands worldwide	Tropical waders with extremely long toes that walk on floating vegetation; often brightly patterned.
Jabiru	Jabiru mycteria	Ciconiiformes	Neotropical wetlands from Mexico to Argentina	Very tall stork with white body and black head; distinctive huge bill for catching fish and reptiles.
Javelina	Tayassu tajacu	Artiodactyla	Southwestern USA to South America deserts	Pig-like peccary living in social herds, coarse bristles, stout body and tough snout.
Jay	Corvidae (various)	Passeriformes	Woodlands worldwide	Colorful, noisy corvids often with crests; bold feeders and smart problem-solvers in forests and gardens.
Japanese macaque	Macaca fuscata	Primates	Japanese islands, temperate forests	“Snow monkey” with dense fur, bathes in hot springs, lives in troops and tolerates cold climates.
Japanese giant salamander	Andrias japonicus	Caudata	Mountain streams in Japan	One of the world’s largest salamanders, flat head and wrinkled skin, can exceed 1.5 meters.
Japanese beetle	Popillia japonica	Coleoptera	Native Japan; invasive in North America	Metallic green and copper scarab that skeletonizes leaves; common garden pest attracted to lights.
John Dory	Zeus faber	Zeiformes	Coastal Atlantic & Indo-Pacific waters	Flattened, laterally compressed fish with a dark “thumbprint” spot; ambush predator of small fish.
Jellyfish	Various (Cnidaria)	Scyphozoa/Cubozoa/Hydrozoa	Coastal oceans worldwide	Gelatinous, umbrella-shaped medusae with tentacles and stinging cells; size ranges from tiny to over a meter.
Junebug	Phyllophaga (various)	Coleoptera	North America	Nocturnal scarab beetle often seen in summer lights; larvae feed on roots, adults on foliage.
Junco	Junco (genus)	Passeriformes	North America to Central America	Small sparrow-like bird, plain gray or brown with pink bill; common winter visitor in gardens and woods.
Jumping spider	Salticidae (various)	Araneae	Worldwide, especially tropics	Small, compact spiders with excellent vision and agile jumping hunting behavior; often colorful patterns.
Junglefowl	Gallus (various)	Galliformes	Forests of South & Southeast Asia	Wild relatives of domestic chickens; colorful males and ground-dwelling, omnivorous birds.
Jerboa	Dipodidae (various)	Rodentia	Arid regions of Africa & Asia	Tiny nocturnal hopping rodent with long hind legs and tufted tail, adapted to desert life.
Jewel beetle	Buprestidae (various)	Coleoptera	Worldwide, especially forests	Shiny, metallic beetles whose larvae bore into wood; prized by collectors for iridescent elytra.
Jackass penguin	Spheniscus demersus	Sphenisciformes	Southern African coasts	Also called African penguin; stout seabird with donkey-like bray and black-and-white plumage.
Jaeger	Stercorarius (various)	Charadriiformes	Oceans worldwide	Agile seabird that chases and often steals food from other birds (kleptoparasite); dark, pointed wings.
Japanese crane	Grus japonensis	Gruiformes	East Asian wetlands & marshes	Majestic white crane with a red crown; large, long-legged, symbol of longevity and conservation priority.
Japanese eel	Anguilla japonica	Anguilliformes	Western Pacific coastal and freshwater	Catadromous eel that matures in freshwater and migrates to the ocean to spawn.
Jawfish	Opistognathidae (various)	Perciformes	Tropical reefs, burrows in sand	Small burrowing fish, many species mouthbrood eggs and live in sand burrows near reefs.
Jungle cat	Felis chaus	Carnivora	Asia and parts of Africa wetlands & reedbeds	Medium-sized wild cat with long legs and sandy coat; favors dense cover near water.
Japanese serow	Capricornis crispus	Artiodactyla	Mountain forests of Japan	Goat-antelope with shaggy coat and short horns; solitary browser on steep slopes.
Japanese spider crab	Macrocheira kaempferi	Decapoda	Northwestern Pacific near Japan	Largest known crab by leg span, long spindly legs, lives on deep rocky sea floors.
Japanese quail	Coturnix japonica	Galliformes	East Asia grasslands & farmlands	Small ground-dwelling gamebird, brown-streaked plumage; commonly raised for eggs and meat.
Jumping mouse	Zapus (various)	Rodentia	North American grasslands & forests	Small nocturnal rodent with long hind legs for hopping; often nests in grasses.
Jack mackerel	Trachurus (various)	Carangiformes	Temperate coastal oceans worldwide	Schooling pelagic fish, important commercial species; streamlined body with silvery sides.
Jonah crab	Cancer borealis	Decapoda	Northwest Atlantic coastal waters	Hardy edible crab with robust claws; found in rocky bottoms and often harvested commercially.
Japanese waxwing	Bombycilla japonica	Passeriformes	East Asia forests and gardens	Small crested bird with pale gray plumage and waxy wing tips; feeds on berries.
Joro spider	Nephila clavata	Araneae	East Asia; invasive in eastern North America	Large orb-weaver with bright markings; females much larger and build strong webs.