At one point or another, we’ve heard the familiar phrase C is for C-A-T! And although that is 100% true, there are dozens of more animals that start with letter C, not to mention there are so many different species of cats alone.
So let’s search this list and fill our brains with even more excellent information! And along the way, you’ll even find a variety of neat and fun animal coloring sheets, be on the lookout for highlighted animal names!
If you’re ever pondering on a word’s meaning, like Genus (1) and Species (2), check out the Scientific Glossary towards the bottom for easy learn definitions.
Amphibians that Start with the letter C
We’re all pretty familiar with the cute little green frog that we’ve seen hopping around from time to time or depicted in an animated movie for the big screen. We’ll always have a soft spot for the common frog, and you may feel your funny bone tingle when you learn about this new frog.
On this list of amphibians that start with the letter C there’s an itty bitty silly frog called the Clown Frog. Perhaps it doesn’t do well with balloon animals, but they are spectacular at climbing trees!
This tropical fella, the Clown Frog, gets its name from its distinct patterns that may remind one of a clown’s makeup. And even though they are super cute and tiny, up to 1-2 inches, their skin contains oils and toxins that would not make for a funny punchline. They mainly feast on insects such as flies, moths, grasshoppers, and crickets. (3)
- Caecilian
- California Newt
- California Red Legged Frog
- California Slender Salamander
- California Tiger Salamander
- California Tree Frog
- Canadian Toad
- Cane Toad
- Canyon Tree Frog
- Cape Rain Frog
- Chinese Fire Belly Newt
- Chinese Giant Salamander
- Chinese Gliding Frog
- Chinese Warty Newt
- Chiricahua Leopard Frog
- Clown Frog
- Coastal Giant Salamander
- Common Frog
- Common Newt
- Common Toad
- Copes Tree Frog
- Coqui
- Cuban Tree Frog
Birds that Start with the letter C
There are quite a few iconic birds that start with the letter C grazing and flying around this list! We’ve got the life of the party, the Cockatoo, then make way for the classics such as the Cardinal, the Crow, and the Chickadee. There are even silly-sounding birds like the Cowbird and the Cackling Goose!
Let us not forget the champion of them all, the punchline to so many jokes who could even count. Let’s give it up for the Chicken! But we shouldn’t always laugh at them, Chickens have dreams too! No, seriously, did you know Chickens also go through REM(5) sleep? This means they experience having dreams just as we do! (4) I wonder how many times they’ve dreamt about partying in the farmer’s house while he’s away…
(P.S. if you need a few laughs, check out these funny chicken jokes!)
- Caatinga Antwren
- Caatinga Puffbird
- Cabanis’s Greenbul
- Cabanis’s Wren
- Cabot’s Tern
- Cabot’s Tragopan
- Cachar Bulbul
- Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler
- Cacique
- Cackling Goose
- Cactus Canastero
- Cactus Wren
- Caica Parrot
- Calandra Lark
- Calayan Rail
- California Condor
- California Gnatcatcher
- California Gull
- Californian Quail
- Canada Goose
- Canada Jay
- Canada Warbler
- Canary
- Cape Barren Goose
- Cape Pigeon
- Cape Sparrow
- Capercaillie
- Capuchin
- Cardinal
- Cardinal Woodpecker
- Carrion Crow
- Cassowary
- Catbird
- Cattle Tyrant
- Chaco eagle
- Chaffinch
- Chalk-browed Mockingbird
- Changeable Hawk-eagle
- Chat
- Chickadee
- Chicken
- Chihuahuan Raven
- Chiffchaff
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Chough
- Chick-will’s-widow
- Chukar
- Cinereous Owl
- Cliff Swallow
- Coal Tit
- Cockatiel
- Cockatoo
- Cock-of-the-rock
- Collared Dove
- Coly
- Conure
- Coppersmith
- Coquette
- Corella
- Corn Bunting
- Corncrake
- Cotinga
- Coucal
- Cowbird
- Crake
- Crane
- Crested Tit
- Croaking Ground Dove
- Crocodile Bird
- Crombec
- Crossbill
- Crow
- Crowned Eagle
- Crow Honeyeater
- Cuckoo
- Cuckoo Shrike
- Cumulet
- Curassow
- Curlew
- Currawong
- Curve-billed Reedhaunter
- Cut-throat Finch
- Cuzco Brushfinch
- Cyprus Scops Owl
Dogs that Start with the letter C
Who can resist an adorable pup? Especially the dogs that start with the letter C! The Cardigan Welsh Corgi, just to name one of the many cute dogs below, is a cutie.
You may consider calling the Cardigan Welsh Corgi a bit of a black sheep in its breed. Corgis are known for their cutesy-funny figures, but this type of corgi is actually known for being the corgi with a tail! Not only that, but typically Corgis were bred to herd livestock but the Cardigan Welsh Corgi was bred to drive those cows away. (6)
- Ca Mè Mallorquí
- Cairn Terrier
- Campeiro Bulldog
- Can de Chira
- Can de Palleiro
- Canaan Dog
- Canadian Eskimo Dog
- Cane Corso
- Cane di Oropa
- Cane Paratore
- Cantabrian Water Dog
- Cão da Serra de Aires
- Cão de Castro Laboreiro
- Cão de Gado Transmontano
- Cão Fila de São Miguel
- Cardigan Welsh Corgi
- Carea Castellano Manchego
- Carea Leonés
- Carolina Dog
- Carpathian Shepherd Dog
- Catahoula Leopard Dog
- Catalan Sheepdog
- Caucasian Shepherd Dog
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Central Asian Shepherd Dog
- Cesky Fousek
- Cesky Terrier
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Chien Français Blanc et Noir
- Chien Français Blanc et Orange
- Chien Français Tricolore
- Chihuahua
- Chilean Terrier
- Chinese Crested Dog
- Chinook
- Chippiparai
- Chongqing dog
- Chortai
- Chow Chow
- Chukotka sled dog
- Cimarrón Uruguayo
- Cirneco dell’Etna
- Clumber Spaniel
- Colombian fino hound
- Continental bulldog
- Coton de Tulear
- Cretan Hound
- Croatian Sheepdog
- Curly-Coated Retriever
- Cursinu
- Czechoslovakian Wolfdog
Fish that Start with the letter C
There’s plenty of fish in the sea, and especially fish that start with the letter C! There’s a swimming fishie here on this list that you’ve definitely heard of before. Why, there’s even a hit MTV show with the very same name, it’s Catfish!
Catfish get their particular name from their long whisker-like features, but that’s not the only wild thing about this interesting fish. Not only is a Catfish covered in taste buds, used to sense chemicals and touch close to them, but they have close to 100,000 of them! (7)
Could you imagine the foodie-trip you’d go on if you had 100,000 taste buds? Holy catfish!
- California Flyingfish
- California Halibut
- Canary Rockfish
- Candiru
- Candlefish
- Capelin
- Cardinalfish
- Cardinal Tetra
- Carp
- Carpetshark
- Carpsucker
- Catalufa
- Catfish
- Catla
- Cat shark
- Cavefish
- Celebes Rainbowfish
- Central Mudminnow
- Chain Pickerel
- Channel Bass
- Channel Catfish
- Char
- Cherry Salmon
- Chimaera
- Chinook Salmon
- Cherubfish
- Chub
- Chubsucker
- Chum Salmon
- Cichlid
- Cisco
- Climbing Catfish
- Climbing Gourami
- Climbing Perch
- Clingfish
- Clownfish
- Clown Loach
- Clown Triggerfish
- Cobbler
- Cobia
- Cod
- Codlet
- Codling
- Coelacanth
- Coffinfish
- Coho salmon
- Coley
- Collared Carpetshark
- Collared Dogfish
- Colorado Squawfish
- Combfish
- Combtail Gourami
- Combtooth Blenny
- Common Carp
- Common Tunny
- Conger Eel
- Convict Blenny
- Convict Cichlid
- Cookie-cutter Shark
- Coolie Loach
- Cornetfish
- Cowfish
- Cownose Ray
- Cow Shark
- Crappie
- Creek chub
- Crestfish
- Crevice Kelpfish
- Croaker
- Crocodile Icefish
- Crocodile Shark
- Crucian Carp
- Cuckoo Wrasse
- Cusk
- Cusk-eel
- Cutlassfish
- Cutthroat Eel
- Cutthroat Trout
Insects that Start with the letter C (and Spiders, too)
Creepy crawlies can certainly make one shudder, and these insects that start with the letter C (don’t forget the spiders!) are no exception. For instance, prepare yourselves for some heebee jeebies, let’s talk about the Cross Spider.
This arachnid, the Cross Spider, originated in Western Europe and eventually set sail and landed in the United States as well. The Cross Spider is fairly common amongst gardens and gets its interesting name due to the pattern of white that forms on their back in the shape of a cross. But have no fear! Although you won’t enjoy being bit by a spider, the Cross Spider is not deadly to humans. (8)
- Canna Leaf Roller
- Cantharoid Beetles
- Cardinal Beetle
- Centipedes
- Cell Spiders
- Clothes Moth
- Cluboinidae
- Cockchafer
- Cockroach
- Cobweb Weavers
- Cuckoo Bee
- Comb-footed Spider
- Crab Spiders
- Cribellate Spiders
- Cross Spider
- Cucumber Beetle
- Cutworm
Mammals that Start with the letter C
From our lovable and sassy cats at home to the big and fast cats of the wild, there’s much to explore in the world of mammals that start with the letter C.
Just as the kitty-cats that cozy up in our homes like to climb on top of couches and cat trees, there’s a large cat in the forests of Asia, Nepali Himalayas, and Indonesia who likes to play around too. The Clouded Leopard, a beautifully spotted large cat, is an excellent tree climber and has enough strength to hang upside down from a branch. (9) What a fun-loving creature, could you imagine the sight of that?!
- Cachalot
- Cactus Mouse
- Camel
- Canada Lynx
- Canadian Horse
- Canine
- Cape Lion
- Capybara
- Carabao
- Caracal
- Carcajou
- Cashmere Goat
- Catamount
- Cat
- Cavy
- Chamois
- Cheetah
- Chimpanzee
- Chinchilla
- Chipmunk
- Chital
- Cinnamon Ferret
- Civet
- Clouded Leopard
- Coati
- Collared Peccary
- Colugo
- Common Octopus
- Common Ostrich
- Cougar
- Cow
- Coyote
- Coypu
- Crab-eating Fox
- Crab-eating Macaque
- Crabeater Seal
- Cross Fox
- Cross River Gorilla
- Cuscus
Reptiles that Start with the letter C
Okay Google, play the song “Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club. Alright, now that we’ve got the mood set, let’s talk about this interesting reptile that starts with the letter C, the Crocodile! Just kidding, you already know, we’re going to take a peek at the wondrous Chameleon.
There’s a bit of a myth lurking about surrounding the Chameleon community, and it’s time we clear the tropical air about it. We’ve seen it in movies, jokes, anything really that brings up a Chameleon that they change colors. This still rings true! Alas, not for the reasons we thought.
We’ve all thought that Chameleons change color so that way they can blend into their surroundings, but their colors actually change based on their mood! (10) When a Chameleon is feeling aggressive or affectionate, it is likely to show colors of orange, red, and yellow. And when a Chameleon is trying to present itself as non-threatening it’s colors will turn darker. Lastly, when a Chameleon is just chilling out it is typical to see it in browns, greens, and blues. (11)
- Caiman Lizard
- Cape Monitor
- Central American Banded Gecko
- Chameleon
- Chinese Water Dragon
- Chuckwalla
- Cobra
- Collared Lizard
- Common Tegu
- Coral Snake
- Corn Snake
- Crested Gecko
- Crocodile
- Crocodile Monitor
- Cuban Rock Iguana
What a beautiful wild-life rich world we live in! Full of creatures big and small, critters adorable and stunning, and animals that start with letter C are only a mere little piece of what’s out there in the big green Earth.
Checkout the other letters of the alphabet and add in some extra fun with animal coloring sheets, there’s much to learn and enjoyment to be had!
Scientific Glossary
Here is your very own easy-peasy scientific glossary that you can refer to in case a word looks peculiar to you. No one likes to have strange words thrown at them, especially if they’re left to scratch their heads and wonder what they just read. Not on our watch!
Genus: The usual major subdivision of a family or subfamily in the classification of organisms, usually consisting of more than one species. (1)
Species: The major subdivision of a genus or subgenus, regarded as the basic category of biological classification, composed of related individuals that resemble one another, are able to breed among themselves, but are not able to breed with members of another species. (2)
REM: REM stands for rapid eye movement. During REM sleep, your eyes move around rapidly in a range of directions, but don’t send any visual information to your brain. (5)
Footnotes
1) “Genus”, Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/genus (accessed 2022-06-28)
2) “Species”, Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/species (accessed 2022-06-28)
3) “Clown Tree Frog (Dendropsophus leucophyllatus).” Branson’s Wild World. Accessed July 1, 2022. http://bransonswildworld.com/clown-tree-frog-2/.
4) “10 Surprising Facts About Chickens.” PETA. Accessed July 1, 2022. https://www.peta.org/action/10-surprising-facts-chickens/.
5) Felson MD, Sabrina. “What Are REM and Non-REM Sleep?.” WebMD. Last modified October 16, 2020. Accessed July 1, 2022. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-101.
6) Kriss, Randa. “A Tail… and More! 8 Things You Didn’t Know About the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.” American Kennel Club. Last modified August 29, 2016. Accessed July 1, 2022. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/things-you-didnt-know-about-the-cardigan-welsh-corgi/.
7) Editorial, PetMD. “Facts About Catfish.” Pet MD. Last modified February 11, 2016. Accessed July 1, 2022. https://www.petmd.com/fish/care/evr_fi_facts-about-catfish#:~:text=Here%20are%20a%20few%20additional,of%20getting%20rid%20of%20waste.
8) “NatureMapping Animal Facts Cross Spider.” Washington Nature Mapping Program. Accessed July 1, 2022. http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/cross_spider_712.html.
9) “Clouded Leopard.” National Geographic. Accessed July 1, 2022. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/clouded-leopard.
10) “50 Cool Chameleon Facts.” Chameleon School. Accessed July 1, 2022. https://www.chameleonschool.com/chameleon-facts/.
11) Edmonds, Patricia. “Chameleon Colors Reflect Their Emotions.” National Geographic. Last modified August 7, 2015. Accessed July 1, 2022. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/chameleon-colors-reflect-their-emotions#:~:text=When%20the%20light%20hits%20its,the%20chameleons%20color%20to%20yellow.