The Complete List of Mammals That Start With R

This list includes 80 Mammals that start with R, from “Eastern Red Bat” to “Southern Right Whale Dolphin”. It covers bats, rodents, carnivores, and whales across many habitats. Use it for school projects, species lists, or quick reference.

Mammals that start with R are English-named species in Class Mammalia whose common names begin with R. For example, the red fox appears widely in folklore, and right whales feature prominently in conservation history.

Below you’ll find the table with the columns: “Common name”, “Scientific name”, “Order”, “Habitat”, “Distribution”, and “Conservation status”.

Common name: The everyday English name helps you quickly recognize species and match them to local or popular usage.

Scientific name: The accepted Latin binomial gives precise identification and links you to authoritative species records.

Order: The taxonomic order shows broader relationships and helps you group species by evolutionary traits.

Habitat: A concise habitat label tells you the typical environments where the species lives or forages.

Distribution: Brief geographic notes indicate where the species occurs globally, useful for region-specific research.

Conservation status: A short status cue shows relative risk and helps you prioritize species for study or outreach.

Mammals that start with R

Descriptions

Raccoon

A highly adaptable omnivore from North America, recognized by its black facial mask and ringed tail. Thrives in urban environments.

Red Fox

The largest of the true foxes, widespread across the Northern Hemisphere. Known for its reddish-brown coat, bushy tail, and cunning nature.

Reindeer

Also known as Caribou in North America. A species of deer adapted to Arctic and Subarctic regions where both sexes grow antlers.

Red Kangaroo

Australia’s largest terrestrial mammal. Males are a characteristic reddish-brown and can leap over 9 meters (30 ft) in a single bound.

Ring-tailed Lemur

A well-known primate from Madagascar, easily identified by its long, black-and-white ringed tail. Very social, living in large groups.

Red Panda

A small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas. Despite its name and bamboo diet, it’s not a bear but belongs to its own unique family. (EN)

Risso’s Dolphin

A large dolphin found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters. Known for the extensive white scarring that covers its body as it ages.

Rock Hyrax

A small, thickset mammal from Africa. Despite its rodent-like appearance, its closest living relatives are elephants and manatees.

Roe Deer

A small, graceful deer native to Europe and Asia. Known for its short, erect antlers in males and its distinctive barking call.

Red Deer

One of the largest deer species, found across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Males (stags) are famous for their large, branching antlers.

Raccoon Dog

Native to East Asia, it resembles a raccoon but is a member of the canid (dog) family. It is the only canid known to hibernate.

Ringtail

A raccoon relative from North America, also called the ring-tailed cat. It is nocturnal with an exceptionally long, ringed tail.

Roan Antelope

A large antelope from sub-Saharan Africa. It has a roan (reddish-brown) coat and long, backward-curving horns.

Red-necked Wallaby

A medium-sized macropod from eastern Australia. It has greyish fur with a distinctive reddish wash on its shoulders and neck.

Rhesus Macaque

A well-known monkey from Asia. Widely used in medical research, its name was used to discover the Rh blood factor in humans.

Riverine Rabbit

One of the world’s rarest mammals, native to South Africa’s Karoo Desert. It lives in dense riverine bush and is critically endangered. (CR)

Rusty-spotted Cat

One of the world’s smallest wild cats, found in India and Sri Lanka. It is roughly half the size of a domestic cat. (NT)

Red Squirrel

The native squirrel of Eurasia, recognized by its reddish coat and prominent ear tufts. Its populations are threatened by the larger gray squirrel.

Richardson’s Ground Squirrel

A North American prairie rodent often nicknamed a “flickertail.” Known for its complex burrow systems and chirping alarm calls.

Rufous Bettong

A small, kangaroo-like marsupial from eastern Australia. It is the largest of the bettongs and is known for building grassy nests.

Ringed Seal

The most common seal in the Arctic. Named for the dark spots on its coat which are surrounded by light grey rings.

Ross Seal

The rarest and least-known of the Antarctic seals. It has a unique vocal ability, producing complex, siren-like sounds.

Red Howler Monkey

A South American primate renowned for its incredibly loud howling calls, used to mark territory. The sound can travel for kilometers.

Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

A squirrel of the American Southwest and Mexico. It is well-adapted to hot, arid environments and hibernates during winter.

Southern Reedbuck

A medium-sized antelope from southern Africa that lives near rivers and reed beds. Males have short, forward-curving horns.

Red-fronted Gazelle

A widely distributed but declining gazelle found across the Sahel region of Africa. It has a distinctive reddish-brown band on its face. (VU)

Royal Antelope

The world’s smallest antelope, standing only 25 cm (10 inches) tall. This tiny, shy creature is native to the rainforests of West Africa.

Russian Desman

A semi-aquatic, mole-like mammal from Russia. It has a long, flexible snout, webbed feet for swimming, and a flattened tail. (EN)

Rough-toothed Dolphin

A species of dolphin found in deep, warm waters worldwide. Named for the fine vertical ridges or wrinkles on its teeth.

Red-tailed Monkey

A monkey from Central Africa known for its heart-shaped white nose patch and its long, reddish-brown tail.

Red-bellied Lemur

A medium-sized lemur from eastern Madagascar. Males are distinguished from females by white patches of fur under their eyes. (VU)

Red-ruffed Lemur

A critically endangered lemur from Madagascar. Known for its rich red and black fur, loud calls, and being an important forest pollinator. (CR)

Red-shanked Douc

A strikingly colorful monkey from Southeast Asia, often called the “queen of primates.” Threatened by habitat loss and hunting. (EN)

Ryukyu Rabbit

A primitive, dark-furred rabbit found only on two small Japanese islands. Often called a “living fossil” due to its ancient lineage. (EN)

Rafinesque’s Big-eared Bat

A bat from the southeastern US with enormous ears, nearly an inch long, which it can curl back like a ram’s horns when resting.

Eastern Red Bat

A common North American bat with brick-red fur. It cleverly camouflages itself by roosting among dead leaves in trees.

Rock Cavy

A guinea pig relative from eastern Brazil. It is an agile climber, well-adapted to rocky, arid landscapes.

Southern Red-backed Vole

A small vole with a prominent rusty-brown stripe down its back. Common in forests across Canada and the northern United States.

Rock Squirrel

A large ground squirrel of Mexico and the Southwestern US. Often found in rocky areas, it is one of the most social ground squirrels.

Red Hartebeest

A large, reddish-fawn antelope subspecies from southern Africa. Known for its long face, high shoulders, and V-shaped horns.

Rodrigues Flying Fox

A critically endangered fruit bat found only on Rodrigues island in the Indian Ocean. Vital for pollinating local plants. (CR)

Rufous Hare-wallaby

A small wallaby once widespread in Australia, now restricted to a few islands. Also known as the Mala, it is a significant figure in Aboriginal culture. (VU)

Red-tailed Phascogale

A small, carnivorous marsupial from Western Australia. It has a distinctive black, brushy tail with a reddish base. (NT)

Round-eared Sengi

A small, insect-eating mammal from southern Africa. Also known as an elephant shrew, it has a long, flexible snout used to find insects.

Rothschild’s Rock-wallaby

A species of rock-wallaby from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It has greyish-brown fur that can sometimes have a purplish hue.

North Atlantic Right Whale

A large baleen whale found in the Atlantic Ocean. Hunted to near extinction, it is now critically endangered with only a few hundred remaining. (CR)

Southern Right Whale

A large baleen whale of the Southern Hemisphere. Known for the callosities on its head and its acrobatic breaching behavior.

North Pacific Right Whale

A very large baleen whale found in the North Pacific. It is one of the rarest and most endangered of all large whale species. (EN)

North American River Otter

A playful, semi-aquatic member of the weasel family found throughout North America. Known for its sleek, streamlined body and social nature.

Red Wolf

A critically endangered canid native to the southeastern US. It has a reddish coat and is intermediate in size between a coyote and gray wolf. (CR)

Red-handed Tamarin

A small New World monkey from the Amazon basin. Known for its contrasting golden-orange hands and feet, which stand out against its black body.

Red-faced Spider Monkey

A large monkey from the Amazon rainforest. It has a hairless red or pink face and a long, prehensile tail used as a fifth limb. (VU)

Rufous Mouse-lemur

One of the world’s smallest primates, found in eastern Madagascar. This nocturnal lemur is reddish-brown and weighs only around 40 grams.

Ring-tailed Vontsira

A cat-like carnivore endemic to Madagascar. It has a reddish-brown body and a bushy tail with distinctive black and red rings.

Ryukyu Flying Fox

A species of fruit bat found in Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. It is an important seed disperser and pollinator in its forest habitat. (VU)

Rakali

Also known as the Australian water-rat. A semi-aquatic rodent native to Australia, with webbed hind feet and waterproof fur.

Ruddy Mongoose

A species of mongoose found in the forests of India and Sri Lanka. It has a brownish-grey coat with a distinct reddish tinge.

Red-cheeked Ground Squirrel

A species of ground squirrel found in Central Asia, from Kazakhstan to China. It is named for the distinct reddish patches on its cheeks.

Rufous Sengi

A species of elephant shrew found in East Africa. It forages for insects on the savanna floor using its long, mobile snout.

Red Forest Duiker

A small antelope found in central and southern Africa. It has a rich, reddish-brown coat that provides excellent camouflage in forest undergrowth.

Rüppell’s Fox

A small fox found in North Africa and the Middle East. It is well-adapted to desert life with large ears to dissipate heat and fur on its paw pads.

Rufous Horseshoe Bat

A species of horseshoe bat found in South and Southeast Asia. It roosts in caves and forages for insects in dense forests.

Red-bellied Titi

A species of titi monkey from South America. Known for being socially monogamous, with pairs often sitting with their tails entwined.

Red-backed Squirrel Monkey

A small squirrel monkey found only in Costa Rica and Panama. It has a distinctive reddish-orange back and a black cap. (EN)

Red-crowned Mangabey

An Old World monkey native to West-Central Africa. It is recognized by its prominent white eyelids and a patch of reddish-brown fur on its head. (EN)

Royle’s Pika

A small, hamster-like mammal found in the Himalayas. Unlike rabbits, it has short, rounded ears and no visible tail.

Smith’s Red Rock Hare

A rabbit species from southern Africa. It is nocturnal and lives in rocky habitats, where its reddish coat provides good camouflage.

Reeves’s Muntjac

A small deer native to China, now widely introduced in Europe. Males have short antlers and tusk-like canine teeth and are known for their barking call.

Red-flanked Duiker

A small antelope from West and Central Africa. It has a grizzled grey body with a broad, bright reddish-orange stripe along its flanks.

Rothschild’s Giraffe

A giraffe subspecies with large, dark patches separated by cream-colored channels. One of the most endangered giraffe subspecies. (NT)

Russet Rice Rat

A species of rice rat found in South America’s Atlantic Forest. It is a medium-sized rodent with reddish-brown fur.

Rwenzori Duiker

A stocky duiker found only in the Rwenzori Mountains of Africa. It has a reddish, shaggy coat to protect it from the cold, high-altitude climate. (EN)

Ruwenzori Shrew

A large, dark-furred shrew endemic to the Ruwenzori Mountains. It lives in high-altitude moist habitats near streams. (VU)

Red-tailed Chipmunk

A species of chipmunk found in the Rocky Mountains. It is distinguished from other chipmunks by the distinctly reddish underside of its tail.

Red-tailed Squirrel

A versatile squirrel from Central and South America. Its coloration is highly variable across its range, but many individuals have a reddish tail.

Ring-tailed Ground Squirrel

A ground squirrel native to western Mexico. It is named for its long, bushy tail which has faint, but visible, rings.

Ribbon Seal

A seal from the Arctic Pacific. Adults have a striking pattern of white ribbons on a dark brown coat, making them one of the most unique-looking seals.

Northern Right Whale Dolphin

A slender, streamlined dolphin of the North Pacific. It is unique among northern dolphins for completely lacking a dorsal fin.

Southern Right Whale Dolphin

A sleek dolphin of the Southern Hemisphere. It is strikingly black and white and, like its northern counterpart, has no dorsal fin.

Red River Hog

A wild pig from Africa, considered one of the most colorful mammals. It has bright reddish-orange fur, black legs, and long white ear tufts.