The Complete List of Common Animals That Start With Q

Here you’ll find 18 Common Animals that start with Q that begin with Q, organized from “Quagga” to “Quoll”. They include mammals, birds, fish, and invertebrates with global or regional distributions. Use this list for classroom activities, quick reference, homework help, and casual nature exploration.

Common Animals that start with Q are species whose common names begin with the letter Q. The quagga, once a distinct zebra subspecies, is a notable historical example because of its 19th-century extinction.

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

Common name: The everyday name you’ll recognize, useful for quick identification and classroom or field references.

Scientific name: The Latin binomial gives precise identification so you can find consistent information across sources.

Order: The taxonomic order groups related species and helps you understand broader biological relationships.

Habitat/Distribution: A short note on where the species lives or ranges, useful for fieldwork and lesson planning.

Methodology note: Entries prioritize widely used common names and verified scientific names, avoiding obscure or rarely used terms.

A–Z index: Visit the A–Z index page to explore lists for other letters and complete alphabetical animal collections.

Common Animals that start with Q

Common name	Scientific name	Order	Habitat/Distribution	Description
Quokka	Setonix brachyurus	Diprotodontia	Rottnest Island and southwestern Australia, woodland and heath	Small, friendly-looking marsupial known for its “smile”; nocturnal herbivore endemic to Western Australia.
Quoll	Dasyurus	Dasyuromorphia	Australia and New Guinea, forests and grasslands	Carnivorous marsupial group with spotted fur; several species range in size and habits across Australia and New Guinea.
Quagga	Equus quagga quagga	Perissodactyla	Formerly southern Africa grasslands (extinct)	Extinct zebra subspecies with reduced striping; driven to extinction in the 19th century by hunting and habitat loss.
Quail	Coturnix (genus)	Galliformes	Grasslands, farmlands worldwide (mainly Old World)	Small, ground-dwelling game birds with short wings; many species are farmed and hunted for meat and eggs.
Quailfinch	Ortygospiza atricollis	Passeriformes	Sub-Saharan Africa, grassland and scrub	Tiny finch with quail-like markings; a seed-eating passerine commonly found in African savannas and edges.
Quail-dove	Geotrygon (genus)	Columbiformes	Neotropics, forest understory	Ground-dwelling doves of the Americas, shy birds that forage on leaf litter for seeds and insects.
Quail-thrush	Cinclosoma (genus)	Passeriformes	Australia, scrub and open woodland	Ground-dwelling songbirds with cryptic plumage, named for their quail-like build and thrush-like behavior.
Quahog	Mercenaria mercenaria	Venerida	Western Atlantic coasts, shallow bays and estuaries	Large edible hard clam common in eastern North America, widely used in chowders and fisheries.
Quagga mussel	Dreissena bugensis	Venerida	Native Ponto-Caspian region; invasive in Europe and North America, freshwater	Small freshwater mussel invasive in many lakes and rivers, notorious for clogging intake pipes and altering ecosystems.
Queen conch	Aliger gigas	Littorinimorpha	Caribbean, shallow seagrass beds and sandy flats	Large marine snail with a pink interior shell; important food source and cultural species in the Caribbean.
Queen angelfish	Holacanthus ciliaris	Perciformes	Western Atlantic coral reefs, Caribbean	Colorful reef fish with bright blue and yellow; a common and charismatic sight on Caribbean reefs.
Queen triggerfish	Balistes vetula	Tetraodontiformes	Western Atlantic coral reefs and rocky areas	Bold reef fish with a blunt snout and strong teeth, feeds on hard-shelled invertebrates.
Queen snapper	Etelis oculatus	Perciformes	Western Atlantic, deep reef slopes (100–400 m)	Deep-water snapper prized for its firm flesh; typically caught on steep reef drops and slopes.
Queensland lungfish	Neoceratodus forsteri	Ceratodontiformes	Rivers and billabongs of southeastern Queensland, Australia	Primitive freshwater fish with a functional lung, can breathe air and survive drought-prone conditions.
Queen scallop	Aequipecten opercularis	Pectinida	Northeast Atlantic seabeds, shallow coastal waters	Small edible scallop valued in European cuisine; swims by clapping its shells to escape predators.
Queen Alexandra’s birdwing	Ornithoptera alexandrae	Lepidoptera	Lowland rainforest, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea	The world’s largest butterfly species, spectacularly colored and endemic to a small area of PNG rainforest.
Quenda	Isoodon obesulus	Peramelemorphia	Southern and southwestern Australia, scrub and woodland	Small bandicoot (marsupial) called quenda in Australia; a digging omnivore that feeds on invertebrates and roots.
Quillback	Carpiodes cyprinus	Cypriniformes	Freshwater rivers and lakes across North America	Large suckermouth fish with a tall, spiny dorsal fin; common in rivers and reservoirs and often caught by anglers.