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Frankly speaking, baby names that begin with X aren’t as common as those starting in other letters of the alphabet. So, it’s intuitive to imagine that animals beginning with the same letter are uncommon too.
However, there are hundreds of animal species whose names start with X. This post looks at 20 such animals and where you’re most likely to find them.
1. Xavier’s Greenbul (Phyllastrephus xavieri)
Xavier’s Greenbul is a bird species in the family Pycnonotidae, which is native to central African tropical forests. The bird is distinguishable by its olive-green body and brown wings.
2. Xanthic Sargo (Anisotremus davidsonii)
Xanthic Sargo, also known as the California Sargo, is an omnivorous fish that rules the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The fish is prey for both humans and larger marine animals.
3. Xeme (Xema sabini)
Xeme, more commonly known as Sabine’s gull, is a migratory gull species endemic to North America, Eurasia, and Africa. Sabine’s gull belongs in the family Laridae, which also includes skimmers and terns.
4. Xingu Corydoras (Corydoras xinguensis)
The Xingu corydoras is a tropical freshwater fish found in the Xingu River in Brazil, which explains its name. Xingu corydoras are omnivores and feed on both plankton and worms. Like most tiny fish, they’re commonly preyed upon by larger marine animals, including other fish and snakes.
5. Xingu River Ray (Potamotrygon leopoldi)
The Xingu River Ray is another animal freshwater fish on this list that’s native to the Xingu River in Brazil. This stingray also goes by many other names based on its physical appearance, including the white-blotched river stingray and the polka-dot stingray.
6. Xami Hairstreak (Callophrys xami)
Hairstreaks are some of the cutest butterfly varieties, and the Xami hairstreak is probably the most beautiful member of its kind. Like other species in the hairstreak group, the Xami hairstreak sports hair-like markings on the undersides of its hindwings.
7. Xanclomys (Xanclomys mcgrewi)
Most animals on this list are still in existence. But some, such as xanclomys, have since gone extinct. According to archaeological findings, this small mammal lived in the Paleocene of North America more than 66 million years ago.
8. Xucaneb Robber Frog (Craugastor xucanebi)
Xucaneb robber frogs are a frog species that inhabit the mountainous forests of Guatemala and the larger Central America. They belong in the family Craugastoridae. Members of this family experience direct-developing whereby the frogs do not undergo the tadpole developmental phase. Instead, they emerge directly from the eggs as small frogs.
9. X-Ray Tetra (Pristella maxillaris)
X-Ray tetra is one of the most fascinating fish species that begin with X. Native to South America, the fish gets its name from its translucent body that reveals its bones and most vital organs.
10. Xerus (Xerus)
Xerus isn’t an individual species but a genus of about five terrestrial squirrel species from Africa. Xerus are highly adaptable to different habitats. You can find them in grasslands, woodlands, rocky landscapes, and even swamps.
11. Xenops (Xenops)
Just like Xerus, xenops isn’t a distinct species but a genus. The xenops genus consists of three bird species in the ovenbird family Furnariidae, namely the slender-billed xenops, the streaked xenops, and the plain xenops. All three members of the xenops genus are native to Mexico, Central America, and South America.
12. Xenopus (Xenopus)
Despite the near-similarity in the names ‘xenopus’ and ‘xenops,’ these genera are entirely different. Xenopus is a genus of 29 flat-bodied frog species mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa.
13. Xantus’s Hummingbird (Basilinna xantusii)
Xantus’s hummingbird is a rare hummingbird species exclusive to the Baja California Peninsula. Most xantus’s hummingbirds have green wings and black cheeks, with their defining features being the white stripes behind their eyes.
14. Xantus’s Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus xanti)
Xantus’s leaf-toed geckos share the same habitat as the xantus’s hummingbirds. However, these geckos prefer shrublands where they can easily hunt down their prey while camouflaging from potential predators.
15. Xenartha (Xenartha)
The Xenartha is a rare mammal closely related to the sloths. It’s native to the rainforests of Latin America.
16. Xanthippe’s Shrew (Crocidura xantippe)
The Xanthippe’s Shrew is a mole in the family Soricidae, which inhabits the dry savannas of Kenya and Tanzania. These omnivorous rodents are some of the most independent species, with their young ready to strike it out on their own by three weeks.
17. Xantus’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi and Synthliboramphus hypoleucus)
Xantus’s murrelet was originally an individual organism before being split into two distinct species – the Guadalupe murrelet (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus) and the Scripps’s murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi). Both species primarily inhabit the Baja California Peninsula but can also be found as far as British Columbia in Canada.
18. Xantus’ Swimming Crab (Portunus xantusii)
Xantus’s swimming crab is a crustacean in the family Portunidae. The crab is noted for its flattened hind legs, a feature common among other members of the Portunidae family.
19. Xuthus Swallowtail (Papilio xuthus)
The Xuthus swallowtail, popularly known as the Asian swallowtail or the Chinese yellow swallowtail, is a medium-to-large swallowtail butterfly found in southeastern Asia. This butterfly sports a yellow body and black wings.
20. Xestochilus (Xestochilus nebulosus)
The last species on our list of animals that start with X is also one of the rarest. Also known as the nebulosus snake eel, the xestochilus is an eel only found in the Indo-Pacific oceans. It prefers the sandy or weed-enshrouded ocean floors where it can stalk its prey stealthily while also maintaining perfect camouflage from potential predators.
Summary
There goes our collection of 20 animals starting with X. Feel free to save this list for your upcoming word game.