The Complete List of Mammals That Start With G

This list includes 63 Mammals that start with G, from “Gambian Pouched Rat” to “Gunther’s Dik-dik”. These mammals range from small rodents and bats to ungulates and marine species, showing broad diversity. Use this list for school projects, lesson planning, field reference, or writing species profiles.

Mammals that start with G are species in Class Mammalia whose common English name begins with the letter G. Notable examples include the Gambian Pouched Rat, known for mine-detection work, and Gunther’s Dik-dik.

Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Order, and Habitat.

Common name: Shows the widely used English name so you can quickly identify and reference each species.

Scientific name: Gives the accepted Latin binomial so you can confirm exact species and avoid common-name confusion.

Order: Lists the taxonomic order to show broader relationships and help you compare ecological or evolutionary groups.

Habitat: Provides a concise habitat label — forest, grassland, marine, desert, urban, or freshwater — for quick context.

Taxonomy changes over time, so names and order can be updated as new research appears. Extinct or possibly extinct species are noted with a dagger (†) in the table when applicable.

Last updated: 29 October 2025.

Mammals that start with G

Descriptions

Giraffe

The world’s tallest mammal and largest ruminant native to Africa. Famous for its extremely long neck and distinctive coat patterns. Currently listed as Vulnerable.

Gorilla, Western

A great ape found in central Africa including two subspecies the Cross River gorilla and the western lowland gorilla. It is Critically Endangered due to poaching and disease.

Gorilla, Eastern

The largest living primate found in the montane and lowland forests of Rwanda Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Also Critically Endangered.

Grizzly Bear

A large North American population of the brown bear known for the distinctive hump on its shoulders. An apex predator with an omnivorous diet.

Gray Whale

A baleen whale known for its epic annual migration along the Pacific coast of North America and Asia. It was once hunted to near extinction but has since recovered.

Gray Wolf

The largest wild member of the dog family. A highly social animal living in packs with complex hierarchies. Found across the Northern Hemisphere.

Giant Panda

A bear native to the bamboo forests of central China. Famous for its black-and-white coat and diet consisting almost entirely of bamboo. Conservation status is Vulnerable.

Guanaco

A wild camelid native to the arid mountainous regions of South America. It is the wild ancestor of the domesticated llama.

Giant Anteater

A large insectivorous mammal from Central and South America. It has a long snout a bushy tail and powerful claws for tearing open ant and termite mounds.

Gaur

The largest species of wild cattle native to South and Southeast Asia. It is a massive bovine with a powerful build and impressive horns. Listed as Vulnerable.

Gemsbok

A large antelope from the arid regions of Southern Africa. It is known for its long straight horns and striking black-and-white facial markings.

Gerenuk

A long-necked antelope found in the Horn of Africa and the African Great Lakes region. It often stands on its hind legs to browse from tall bushes.

Gazelle, Grant’s

A large graceful gazelle found in East Africa. It is known for its lyre-shaped horns and ability to survive in dry conditions without drinking water.

Gazelle, Thomson’s

One of the best-known gazelles named after the explorer Joseph Thomson. It is a common sight on the savannas of Kenya and Tanzania.

Gelada

A primate found only in the Ethiopian Highlands. Known for the bright red patch of skin on its chest and its diet consisting mainly of grass.

Gibbon, Lar

Also known as the white-handed gibbon this primate is found in Southeast Asia. It is an agile ape that travels by swinging through trees a method called brachiation.

Golden Lion Tamarin

A small monkey native to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil. Once on the brink of extinction intensive conservation efforts have helped its population recover.

Groundhog

Also known as a woodchuck this is a large rodent of the squirrel family found in North America. Famous for its burrowing habits and its role in folklore.

Gray Fox

A canid ranging throughout North and Central America. Unlike other foxes it has the unique ability to climb trees to escape predators or find food.

Gray Seal

A large seal found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a top predator in its coastal habitat feeding on a wide variety of fish.

Giant Otter

The world’s longest weasel found in the rivers and wetlands of South America. A social and highly vocal animal it is an apex predator in its freshwater ecosystem.

Giant Armadillo

The largest living species of armadillo native to South America. It is a nocturnal burrowing animal with enormous front claws. Listed as Vulnerable.

Genet, Large-spotted

A cat-like carnivore found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a nocturnal and arboreal hunter with a spotted coat and a long ringed tail.

Goeldi’s Marmoset

A small monkey from the upper Amazon Basin. It is unique for forming mixed-species groups with tamarins and is the only species in its genus.

Goral, Himalayan

A small goat-antelope native to the Himalayas. It is a nimble climber well-adapted to steep rocky terrain and is known for its brownish-gray coat.

Gopher, Plains Pocket

A burrowing rodent from the grasslands of North America. It gets its name from its large fur-lined cheek pouches which it uses to carry food.

Greater Kudu

A large woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Males are known for their magnificent long spiral horns.

Ghost Bat

A large carnivorous bat from Australia also known as the false vampire bat. It is the continent’s only carnivorous bat preying on insects reptiles and small mammals.

Greater Glider

A large gliding marsupial found in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. It is a nocturnal herbivore that can glide up to 100 meters between trees.

Gundi, Common

A small stocky rodent found in the rocky desert regions of northern Africa. They are known for sunbathing on rocks to regulate their body temperature.

Guenon, De Brazza’s

An Old World monkey from the wetlands of central Africa. It is known for its distinctive white beard and orange crescent-shaped browband.

Gambian Pouched Rat

A very large nocturnal rat native to Africa. Famous for its keen sense of smell it has been trained to detect landmines and tuberculosis.

Gray Kangaroo, Eastern

A large marsupial common in eastern Australia. Despite its name its fur is typically a silvery-gray to brownish color. They are social and live in groups called mobs.

Golden Jackal

A wolf-like canid found in Southeast Europe the Middle East and South Asia. An adaptable omnivore it thrives in a variety of habitats from savannas to semi-deserts.

Greater Horseshoe Bat

A species of bat found across Europe North Africa and Asia. It gets its name from the complex horseshoe-shaped noseleaf it uses for echolocation.

Giant Forest Hog

The largest wild member of the pig family native to the forests of Africa. They are mostly nocturnal and live in small family groups called sounders.

Green Monkey

An Old World monkey from West Africa known for its golden-green fur and pale hands and feet. It has been introduced to several Caribbean islands.

Greater Bulldog Bat

A large fishing bat found in Latin America. It uses echolocation to detect ripples on the water’s surface then swoops in to catch fish with its long claws.

Greater Galago

Also known as the thick-tailed bushbaby it is a nocturnal primate from southern and eastern Africa. It is the largest of the galago species.

Guereza, Mantled

A species of colobus monkey from Africa known for its black fur and long white mantle of hair. It primarily feeds on leaves and unripe fruit.

Golden-bellied Mangabey

A monkey found only in the Congo Basin. It is a forest-dwelling primate with a golden-yellow belly and is threatened by habitat loss and hunting.

Grivet

A common monkey of the savanna woodlands in eastern Africa. It is a highly social and adaptable primate often seen near rivers and lakes.

Gunther’s Dik-dik

A small antelope from East Africa. One of its most distinctive features is its elongated prehensile snout which helps it stay cool in arid environments.

Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox

One of the largest bats in the world found only in the Philippines. This fruit-eating megabat has a massive wingspan and is a crucial forest pollinator. It is Endangered.

Greater Grison

A weasel-like mammal from Central and South America. It has a distinctive appearance with a silver-gray back and a black face and underbelly.

Gray Mouse Lemur

A tiny nocturnal primate found only in Madagascar. It is one of the smallest primates in the world and can enter a state of torpor to conserve energy.

Gazelle, Dama

A large and elegant gazelle from the Sahara Desert and the Sahel. It is Critically Endangered and one of the rarest antelopes in the world.

Gobi Jerboa

A small hopping rodent from the Gobi Desert. Like other jerboas it has long hind legs for bipedal locomotion and a long tail for balance.

Greater Cane Rat

A large rodent found in the grasslands and wetlands of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a popular source of bushmeat in some regions and is sometimes farmed.

Gibbon, Silvery

An endangered primate found only on the Indonesian island of Java. Known for its beautiful silver-gray fur and its loud haunting calls used to defend territory.

Giant Jumping Rat

A large nocturnal rodent found only in a small coastal forest area in western Madagascar. It is a monogamous species and is highly endangered.

Guianan Squirrel Monkey

A small New World monkey found in the Amazon Basin. They are highly social and live in large troops sometimes numbering over 100 individuals.

Gray Four-eyed Opossum

A species of opossum from the Americas. It gets its name from the two prominent white spots above its eyes which resemble a second pair of eyes.

Gray-bellied Night Monkey

A small nocturnal monkey from Central and South America. It is one of the few truly monogamous primates and has exceptionally large eyes to see at night.

Giant Pangolin

The largest of all pangolin species found in the forests and savannas of Africa. It is a nocturnal insectivore covered in large protective scales.

Greater Long-nosed Armadillo

A species of armadillo from northern South America. It is larger than most other long-nosed armadillos and is an excellent swimmer and burrower.

Greater Spear-nosed Bat

A large omnivorous bat from the Americas. It roosts in caves and hollow trees in large colonies and eats a varied diet of fruit nectar insects and small vertebrates.

Guinea Baboon

The smallest of the baboon species found in a small area of West Africa. It has reddish-brown fur and a hairless black face. Its status is Near Threatened.

Golden-headed Lion Tamarin

A small monkey endemic to the lowland rainforests of Brazil. It is named for its striking black body and contrasting golden-orange mane head and tail.

Gray Langur, Southern Plains

A species of langur monkey found in western and southern India. They are considered sacred by many Hindus and often live in close proximity to humans.

Golden Mole, Grant’s

A small blind insectivorous mammal from the Namib Desert. It ‘swims’ through loose sand to hunt for insects and has an iridescent golden coat.

Giant Clam-eating Rat

A large species of rodent from the mountains of New Guinea. As its name suggests it has powerful incisors capable of breaking into hard-shelled nuts and possibly snails.

Giant Eland

The world’s largest antelope found in the savannas and woodlands of Central and West Africa. It has a majestic appearance with V-shaped spiraled horns.