Animal Names That Begin With R

There are numerous animals whose names start with the letter "R." There is the rhinoceros, one the largest terrestrial mammals on Earth; the rattlesnake, one of the world's longest snakes; the Raven, one of the most common birds in the world’s urban regions, and many, many more.

A List of Animals That Start With R

Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros is among the largest terrestrial mammals on earth. The largest species is the White Rhinoceros whose adult males weigh as much as 5,000 pounds and have a body length ranging between 11 feet and 15 feet. Nearly as large as the white rhinoceros is the black rhinoceros with adult males reaching over 2,000 pounds in weight. Rhinos are found in few concentrations in Sub-Saharan African and Asia. The illegal trade of rhino horn and rhino poaching has caused the global rhino population to plummet in recent years and has driven some species to the brink of extinction.

Rattlesnakes

Rattlesnakes refer to venomous snakes of the Sistrurus and Crotalus genus. The snake gets its name from the rattle on its tail which produces a rattling sound when shaken, which acts as a warning signal to any intruder. Despite their frightening demeanor, rattlesnakes rarely make unprovoked attacks on humans and will only strike when it is necessary. The rattlesnake is native to North and South America.

Rainbow Trout

The rainbow trout is a fish that gets its name from the elaborate colorations found on its body. However, the fish do not have a characteristic coloration but instead differs depending on the fish’s habitat and subspecies. The weight of adult rainbow trout ranges between 1 pound and 20 pounds. The fish is also commercially farmed all over the globe, with Chile being the rainbow trout’s largest producer. The global production of rainbow trout through artificial farming stood at over 0.6 million tons in 2007 and valued at an estimated $2.6 billion.

Raven

The raven is the term used to describe birds of the genus Corvus. The term is sometimes used to describe crows, despite ravens being considerably larger than crows. The largest species of the raven is the thick-billed raven, with adult males being 3.3 pounds in weight and females weighing approximately 2.5 pounds. While some species of ravens such as the common raven are found in large populations, some species are endangered and near extinction. Three species of the bird have already been established to be extinct, and these are the pied raven, the Chatham raven, and the New Zealand raven.

Threats To These Animals

Like all other animals, those whose names start with letter “R” face the threat of extinction. While natural causes are linked to the dwindling numbers of some of these animals, destructive human activities are the main cause behind the reduction in the population of the animals. These destructive activities include poaching which has pushed the rhino numbers to worrying levels and habitat destruction which is the primary cause behind the drop in the population of rattlesnakes.