From the Tasmanian devil to the Christmas turtle dove, here are 11 animals starting with the letter'T'.
11 animals beginning with T
Titan beetle
The titan beetle battles with the Hercules beetle for the title of the largest beetle in the world, with the latter taking it for total length thanks to the male’s long horns. However, in terms of body length, the winner is the titan beetle which measures up to 16.7cm in body length.
Tuatara
Endemic to New Zealand, the tuatara is an unusual reptile. It is the only surviving species of the Sphenodontia order, which thrived during the times of the dinosaurs but mostly – with the exception of the tuatara – became extinct 60 million years ago.
Tree bumblebee
The tree bumblebee is an easily identifiable bumblebee species, thanks to its distinctive patterning – orange thorax, black abdomen and white tail. It isn’t actually native to the UK, having been first recorded here in Wiltshire in 2001.
Tibetan fox
Also known as the Tibetan sand fox, the Tibetan fox is a widespread species found on the Tibetan and Ladakh plateaus, as well as in Bhutan, China, India and Nepal. It preys on small mammals (particularly pikas) and lizards, and scavengers on the carcasses of large mammals.
Takahē
Usually shortened to takahē, the South Island takahē is a flightless bird endemic to New Zealand. It was thought to be extinct in the early 1900s, but was rediscovered in 1948 in the Murchison Mountains, and conservationists have worked to increase populations and to reintroduce the species elsewhere.
Tiger
A famous big cat species, the tiger is distinctive with its orange coat and black stripes – with each tiger’s pattern being unique. Along with the lion, jaguar, leopard and snow leopard, it is a member of the Panthera genus.
Thresher shark
The thresher sharks are a family of three species within the mackerel shark group – which also contains the great white shark, basking shark and megamouth shark. In the UK, the common thresher shark (usually just ‘thresher shark’) is a summer visitor.
Turtle dove
A pretty but endangered dove species, the European turtle dove is described as the UK’s fastest declining bird species. It migrates to the UK for summer, travelling here to breed from its wintering grounds in West Africa. Its song, a gentle purring noise, is distinctive.
Tawny owl
Famous for the ‘tu-wit, tu-who’ call, the tawny owl is one of the UK’s four native owl species. It lives in woodlands, and preys on small vertebrates, as well as insects and worms.
Tasmanian devil
The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous mammal belonging to the marsupial group. It is now restricted to the island of Tasmania, but was once found across mainland Australia. It has been badly impacted by devil facial tumour disease, an aggressive and usually fatal cancer.
Tarantulas
Tarantulas – more accurately called theraphosids – are large spiders with a fearsome reputation. This reputation is totally undeserved as while some species can produce medical symptoms in humans, no evidence of fatalities from bites has ever been recorded.
Tarantulas are found on all continents except Antarctica, though the most diverse range of species lives in the Americas, Africa and Asia. There are a handful of species in Europe, restricted to hot areas in the south of the Mediterranean.
Checkout the rest of the animal alphabet and find animals starting with every letter from A-Z
