Extraordinary Animals That Start With U

Dive into a captivating world of extraordinary animals as we uncover the uniqueness of animals that start with U. From underwater marvels like the majestic urchins to the enigmatic umbrella bird of the skies, join us on a journey of discovery and fascination.

Commonly Known Animals That Start with U

Uinta ground squirrel

The Uinta Ground Squirrel is native to the Western region of the United States. In Utah, they are called Potguts. The Uinta Ground Squirrel has an exciting coat of mixed cinnamon and grey coloring. The Uinta Ground Squirrel lives in groups, but the males prefer to live alone. The male Ground Squirrel marks their territory using a scent gland in their cheek, so they are often seen rubbing its face on the ground.

Ulysses Butterfly

The Ulysses Butterfly is named after the hero of the epic poem The Odyssey. These beautiful blue butterflies are native to Australia. There is a way to tell the male and female Ulysses Butterflies apart. On the top of the upper wing, if there is a crescent shape, then it is a female. If the wing is all black, then it is a male. When the Ulysses Butterfly has their wings closed, the underside is brown and black.

Love butterflies? Try making our Butterfly Handprint Craft!

Umboi tube-nosed Fruit Bat

The Umboi Tube-nose Fruit Bat is native to an island off the Australian mainland. The Umboi Tube-nosed Fruit Bat gets its name from the shape of their nostrils, which protrude out from its face as tubes. These bats are mainly fruit eaters and actually eat upside down! They will occasionally eat insects but prefer fruit to anything else.

Undulate Painted Ray

The Undulated Painted Ray is native to the oceans of England and Ireland. It prefers to dwell in the sand of the ocean floor and can be found at depths of 600 feet. The body of the Undulated Painted Ray looks as if someone drew beautiful patterns on their grey body. Due to their low population growth rate, they are dangered of being extinct.

Unicornfish

The Unicornfish got its name because of the bony finger-like growth on its forehead. The Unicornfish is an algae eater and cleans the coral reef. Their horn is not used in self-defense, but their back tail fin spikes are! One amazing thing about the Unicornfish is that it can change its color depending on its mood.

Urchin

Urchins can be found in every ocean in the world! There are around 900 different species of Urchins, and they come in all colors. Mostly, Urchins are around 4 inches in diameter, but the giant sea urchin can reach a diameter of 14 inches. Urchins have no bones but are protected by hard plate segments. A wild Urchin can live for 200 years in the wild!

Utah prairie dog

The Utah Prairie Dog is the smallest of the prairie dog family, reaching only 14 inches tall. The Utah Prairie Dog has fur that is brown, but they have a dark “mask” coloring over their eyes and cheeks. They live in large colonies that create burrows underground, so they prefer to live in the dryer climates of Utah. Due to human encroachment on their native territory, they are on the endangered species list.

Zoo Animals That Start with U

Uganda clawed frog

The Uganda Clawed Frog is a frog native to Africa. Their nonwebbed front feet look like claws, hence their name. To avoid predators, they can change their skin coloring to blend in with their surroundings. The Uganda Clawed Frog is not very big and only weighs around 2 ounces.

Umbrellabird

The Umbrellabird is a large bird found in the rainforests of Central and South America. They have a distinct look with a large umbrella-shaped crest on their head. The Umbrellabird prefers to stay high in the tree tops of the rainforest canopy. They are not the most graceful birds and prefer to hop from branch to branch.

Ungava collared lemming

The Ungava Collared Lemming is one of twenty species of Lemming. They have short, round bodies with black stripes along their back and head, hence their name. Ungava Collared Lemmings are herbivores and enjoy eating grass and berries, and love willow leaves. Depending on the season, the Ungava Collared Lemming’s fur changes color, grey in the summer and white in the winter.

Upsidedown catfish

The Upsidedown Catfish can be found in the waters of the Congo River Basin in Africa. Their unique name comes from their ability to swim upside down for long periods. They are a smaller version of the regular Catfish and only grow to be around 4 inches long. Usually fish have a lighter underbelly, but not so with the Upside Down; their underbelly is dark to camouflage when they surface to eat.