Animals That Start With S

Plenty of animals, especially domesticated ones, have names for identification purposes. Most of these names are contained in the book known as The Book of Saint Albans, which was written by Juliana Berners back in 1486. Most of the names in the book are common enough names that can be found on most websites and dictionaries. In total, there are at least 30 animals whose names begin with the letter “s.” These animals include the likes of storks, salmons, snakes, spiders, sea dragons, sea lions, sea urchins, the saber-toothed tiger, and many more.

Animals That Start With S

Sand Dollar

The sand dollar is a type of flattened burrowing sea urchin that belongs to the order Clypeasteroida. The creatures have a rigid skeleton, which is covered by small hairs known as cilia. The cilia, which come in colors such as green, violet, blue, and purple, help the creature during movement. The creature likes to live in zones ranging from intertidal zones or deeper in the Northern Hemisphere.

Sea-dragon

The sea dragon is a marine creature with relations to the seahorse. Adults are usually predominantly yellow with purple marks on their bodies, which also have appendages for camouflage and protection. Typically, males are narrower and darker than females. On average, they have a length of about 18 inches. The habitat of this creature is at waters with a depth of around 160 feet in places where things like rocky reefs and seagrass meadows are present.

Skunk

Skunks are mammals that mostly live in North and South America. With close relations to the stink badger, the skunk has a fearsome reputation of spraying would-be threats with a foul-smelling liquid. Depending on the species, the appearance of the animals may range from black and white to even cream, brown, and ginger. The animals have an average weight of 1.1 pounds and a length of between 15.6 and 37 inches.

Starling

This small bird is native to Asia, Africa, and Europe. The bird prefers an open country habitat with plenty of fruits and insects. Many of their species also live around human settlements and their diets have evolved to become omnivorous. The plumage is usually dark with a sheen that appears metallic. One interesting feature about them is their ability to mimic common sounds from their surroundings such as alarms.

Swan

This bird belongs to the family Anatidae and is related to ducks and geese. Swans are one of the biggest flying birds with a size of about 33 pounds, a length of 59 inches, and a wingspan of around 10 feet. Interestingly, these birds choose a mating partner for life although splits can happen, especially if a mate dies or there is a failure in nesting.

Extinct Animals

Some of these animals, such as the saber-toothed tiger, have been extinct for years now. The cats roamed the earth between Eocene and Pleistocene eras. Today, some of the surviving relatives include members of the subfamilies Felinae (such as cheetahs and cougars) and Pantherinae (such as jaguars and leopards). The animals were carnivores who prey on animals like herbivores.