We’ve all explored countless “traditional” animals and could most likely regurgitate a few fascinating facts, but what about the lesser-known animals? With our help, you can now explore 30 animals that begin with “Q” and uncover all the weird and wonderful facts about them! Expose your learners to all the fantastic creatures in the world and hold a fun class quiz to test their knowledge afterward.
1. Quail
There are a total of 6 quail species living in the United States. They live in small flocks called coveys and break into pairs in late Spring for mating season. You can find them foraging for berries, insects, seeds, and leaves in the early morning and late afternoon.
Learn More: Quail Forever
2. Quoll
Quolls are marsupials that can only be found in Australia and New Guinea. Thanks to ridges on the bottom of their feet, they are excellent climbers, and you’ll often be able to spot them nestled in trees. They are about the size of a small cat and feed on frogs, lizards, insects, worms, and small mammals.
Learn More: Active Wild
3. Quetzal
Quetzals enjoy a tropical lifestyle and can be found in rainforests throughout Central America. These brightly-colored beauties can be seen soaring through the sky as early as weeks old! During mating season, males grow 2 long tail feathers that can reach 1m in length and use them to attract a mate.
Learn More: One Kind Planet
4. Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterfly
Like the quoll, these stunning butterflies also find theirs in New Guinea. Their diet primarily consists of pipevine and nectar from hibiscus flowers. Queen Alexandra’s birdwing butterflies are named after the queen herself and are the largest butterflies on the planet.
Learn More: Vanderbilt Museum
5. Queen Angelfish
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Queen Angelfish average a lifespan of 15 years in the wild. They reach a whopping 18 inches in length and are very opportunistic eaters- chomping their way through just about anything from jellyfish to sea fans and soft corals on the reef.
Learn More: National Geographic
6. Quokka
Quokkas are often referred to as the happiest animals on earth due to their cheery-looking expressions. They can only be found in Australia and are surprisingly part of the kangaroo family. They, too, carry their young in pouches and hop about.
Learn More: The Real World
7. Quagga
The quagga is said to be a relative of the zebra. It went extinct for a period of time, but a group of scientists in South Africa has fought to bring it back. 90% of their diet consists of grass, and they can be spotted munching throughout the day. They have a striped upper body that tapers off towards their rear end.
Learn More: CNN
8. Queen Tiger Fish
The queen tiger fish can be found swimming in the waters from the Northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil in the Western Atlantic. They are carnivorous fish that prey on sea urchins, macroalgae, and benthic invertebrates. Queen tiger fish range in color and may be an assortment of bright blue, purple, turquoise, green, and yellow.
Learn More: Kidadl
9. Quahog
Quahogs are best described as mollusks and are among the longest-living marine organisms for nearly 200 years! They feed on minute portions of algae and are prey to crabs, sea stars, and fish such as cod and haddock.
Learn More: NOAA Fisheries
10. Qinling Panda
The qinling panda is a subspecies of the giant panda. They are far rarer than their black and white counterparts, with an estimated 200-300 still in existence. They are aptly named as they live at altitudes of between 4000- 10000 feet in the Qinling mountains in China.
Learn More: Bear Conservation
11. Quelea
These red-billed birds can be located in Africa. They are the most populous bird in the world and have litters of between 1 and 5. They are omnivores and primarily prey on insects. Quelea’s range in color and may be red, purple, or, more commonly, brown.
Learn More: A-Z Animals
12. Queen of Sheba’s Gazelle
This beautiful gazelle has been extinct since 1951. It lived in the mountainous regions of Yemen and was the darkest species of gazelle to exist to this day. Not much is known about them because only a few skins and skulls are available for study.
Learn More: Coffee And Creatures
13. Queen Snapper
You’ll find these brightly colored fish between the waters of Northern Carolina and the Northern tip of Brazil. They are commonly caught for their tender and moist flesh, which has a mild sweet taste. Queen snapper’s generally weighed between 3-5 pounds.
Learn More: Fortune Fish
14. Quiara Spiny Rat
A bizarre fact about the quiara spiny rat is that their tale breaks off easily when pulled- hence, you’ll often see that many of these creatures have short stubby tails. They grow to around 48 cm in length and survive on a diet of leaves, fungi, nuts, and fruit.
Learn More: Britannica
15. Queensland Grouper
These large groupers enjoy the lifestyle reefs provide- something very uncommon for fish their size. Their bodies are mottled charcoal and grey in color, and they can often be seen hovering or resting motionlessly on the substrate. You’ll find them throughout the Indo-Pacific ocean, from Hawaii and Japan all the way to Australia and South Africa.
Learn More: Aquarium Of The Pacific
16. Quechuan Hocicudo
The quechuan hocicudo is a speices of rodent. It occupies a small region known as Cloud Forest in Central Bolivia. Their coloring is often pale brown with tinges of red. They are sadly regarded as endangered due to their habitat being destroyed.
Learn More: Earth’s Endangered Creatures
17. Queen Snake
The queen snake has a life span of up to 19 years. They are nonvenomous, semi-aquatic snakes and can be found in temperate climates in North America. Queen snakes are primarily diurnal but have been known to hunt at night if the need arises. They hunt not by use of sight or heat detection but by using scent receptors to track their prey.
Learn More: Animalia
18. Queretaran Rattlesnake
Queretaran rattlesnakes can be located in Mexico. Adults range between 50- 67.8 cm in length, and although not large, they sure can pack a punch if threatened. Their diverse diet includes an assortment of lizards, mammals, and even snakes!
Learn More: Save The Buzztails
19. Queretaran Desert Lizard
The queretaran desert lizard is uniquely hued; its scales can be purple, yellow, blue, orange, and red. These striking omnivores are active between the months of March and October- hunting for lizards, small birds, beetles, and other insects, as well as plant matter like leaves, berries, and flowers.
Learn More: Pets On Mom
20. Quinoa Checkerspot Butterfly
The Quinoa checkerspot butterfly was listed as an engendered species in 1997. These stunning butterflies tend to live in the rainforests of Southern California and have been noted to avoid flying over objects that are taller than 6-8 feet.
Learn More: Center For Biological Diversity
21. Queen Charlotte Goshawk
The queen charlotte goshawk has evolved to live in the coastal forests of Alaska and Vancouver. They are phenomenal flyers and reach speeds of between 30-40 mph! They have the ability to kill prey on the ground or even whilst in pursuit in the air.
Learn More: Center For Biological Diversity
22. Quaker Parrot
Quaker parrots are highly intelligent, energetic birds. They are also known as hooded parrots or monk parakeets. They incubate their eggs for an average of 24 days and have a lifespan of between 20 and 30 years! Quaker parrots are native to neotropical regions and have been known to be rather territorial.
Learn More: Facts.net
23. Queensland Lungfish
These odd-looking fish inhabit reservoirs or slow-flowing rivers. Shockingly, they can live up to 100 years but have been placed on the endangered list. They prey on other fish, amphibians, and aquatic crustaceans.
Learn More: Kidadl
24. Queensland Tube-nosed Bat
This solitary species is located in subtropical areas and tropical forests along the coast of Queensland. They tend to forage no further than 1km away from their roost and are prey to feral cats, snakes, and owls.
Learn More: All About Bats
25. Quarrion
Quarrions, also known as cockatiels or weiros, live for 10-36 years. Their 50cm wingspan allows them to reach incredible speeds of up to 71 kmph! Their dark grey plumage is adorned by a yellow face, bright orange cheeks, and white patches along their wings. They are mainly spotted in Australia and the Caribbean Islands.
Learn More: Animalia
26. Quarter Horse
The quarter horse is one of the most successful breeds in the world of horse racing. They are level-headed breeds that make for wonderful competitors. They are bred in America and, apart from racing, are commonly used on ranches and small holdings to assist with groundwork.
Learn More: Helpful Horse Hints
27. Queensland Heeler
Blue heeler dogs are extremely intelligent, protective, and active. They make wonderful family companions and can live as long as 15 years. Although they enjoy the activity at a young age, care should be taken as they grow older because they have been known to develop hip and eye problems.
Learn More: Dogster
28. Queensland Rat Kangaroos
These strange creatures are about the size of a rabbit and weigh up to 2.8kg. Queensland rat kangaroos are nocturnal and constantly compete for food with feral pigs, goats, and rabbits. These marsupials are endemic to Australia and have suffered a severe populous decline in recent years.
Learn More: Bush Heritage
29. Queretaro Pocket Gopher
The Queretaro pocket gopher is a solitary animal that lives in self-dug burrow systems. They sleep for most of the day but are active early in the morning- feeding on roots, stems, and wood.
Learn More: Animal Diversity
30. Queensland Ring-tale Possum
These cute fellas are recognizable by their large ears and huge brown eyes. They live in thick vegetation near parks, creating basketball-sized nests made of an assortment of bark, palm and mango tree twigs, and bottlebrush ferns.
Learn More: Animal Hype
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