So recently I was discussing animals with my brother and he suggested I should write about animals that start with the letter L. This seemingly simple task prompted a short monologue about how many animals start with the letter L. I don’t know where it came from, but once I got going, I just could not stop.
Lion, Leopards, Lizards. Your daughter(s) aren’t too fond of going to bed at night… But did you know there are many more creatures in the animal kingdom that start with the letter L? You did? I’m sure you’re curious to find out what other animals start with L?
Here is a list of animals that start with the letter L. In this list, you’ll see an image and a description of the animal. Enjoy!
A famous delicacy in many cuisines, Lobsters, are crustaceans who live on the ocean floor. Lobsters are scavengers but will sometimes eat small fish, seaweed, and tiny bottom-dwelling invertebrates.
Not many know, but lobsters continue to grow all their lives. They melt their shells to form new ones as they get bigger. Lobsters are also biologically immortal. They can live for more than 100 years!
Ready for some strange body facts about lobsters? They pee out of their faces and taste with their legs. What’s stranger is that their way of communicating is peeing in each other’s faces…
Also, lobsters can’t actually feel pain. That’s because they lack brains, so they don’t have any pain receptors. So don’t go feeling guilty about cooking them next time.
Ling is an eel-like fish of the Ophidiidae family. This is a very long fish with two dorsal fins, one longer than the other. It can grow up to 80 to 120 cm and weigh anywhere between 4 and 20 kilograms.
Lings are mostly found in Europe, the northern Atlantic, and the Mediterranean Basin. It’s a quite common catch among European fisheries. Ling fish roe is a top delicacy in Spain.
Ling is a middle and deep-water fish living in strong water currents. Surface water isn’t suitable for these fish and can damage their bladder.
The Lamprey is quite unique. With no actual bone structure, the lamprey skeleton is made of 100% cartilage! They’re also parasitic fish. They’ve evolved to develop a jaw-less circular mouth with 12 rows of tiny teeth, to suck on the blood of their prey. This rare aspect has earned them the name ‘vampires of the sea.’
To add to their creepiness, Lampreys have four eyes. In fact, they’re the only vertebrates to have four eyes. That doesn’t stop people from eating them. Fun fact: King Henry I died from eating too much Lamprey.
There are 38 known species of Lampreys. While most are carnivorous, some are not. Adult non-carnivorous lampreys do not feed at all! They instead feed on stored energy.
The Leafy Sea Dragon is a rare and fragile sea creature found only along the Southern Australian coastal line that some may find cool and some weird. Nonetheless, it’s a fascinating creature.
Just as the name suggests, this is a leaf-like creature that is actually classified as a fish. They come from the same family as pipefish and seahorses.
They have long pipe-like mouths with a small opening to suck and slurp on their food. Mostly feeding on sea plankton, leafy sea dragons also feed on sea lice and mysid shrimp.
Leafy Sea dragons have no real predators. With their deceiving looks and excellent camouflaging skills, they are able to stay clear of any threat. I mean, I could pass it as some sort of sea vegetation at first glance.
The lionfish is a predatory fish with beautiful visuals. They have elongated, fan-like frontal and dorsal fins and zebra-like orange stripes all over their bodies.
Lionfish are middle to deep water fish species and can’t survive in freshwater. They have been spotted some 1000 feet below the surface.
Did you know Lionfish have venomous spines? Although they’re not exactly fatal, they can cause some extreme pain. Lionfish are also very aggressive and territorial. So, if you ever encounter one during a dive, appreciate it from a distance.
Lionfish like to eat a lot. They can easily eat 30 times more than their body weight. But they can surprisingly survive without eating at all for up to 3 months and still lose only 10% of their body mass.
The Longhorn Cowfish is an unusual fish. For starters, it has two pointy horns like a cow. Hence, the name. These horns are its most distinct and recognizable feature. They’re also regrow-able. The second is its round, pouty mouth. Third, this species doesn’t have gills.
Longhorn cowfish are extremely poisonous and can kill anything within a 10-meter radius in an instant. But humans are good; it doesn’t affect us. They release this deadly poison when they’re stressed out, alarmed, or feel threatened.
Longhorn cowfish can be found in the reefs along with the Indonesian, Southern South Korean, southern Japan, southern African, and Australian coastlines.
Loggerheads get their name from their large and heavy heads. They have powerful jaws that help break down their strictly carnivorous diet. They rarely feed on ocean vegetation, mainly eating crabs, squids, mollusks, and whelks.
Loggerhead sea turtles can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Islands, Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. Like other turtle species, loggerheads also visit the shores from time to time during the breeding season or just to chill. But did you know, baby loggerhead sea turtles spend the first 7-15 years of their lives entirely in the open ocean?
Sadly, loggerheads are an endangered species. Their biggest threats are climate change, loss of habitat, marine pollution, and even bycatch.
Our very well-known Malagasy friend! Lemurs are primates only found in Madagascar. Lemurs are critically endangered. There are a total of 107 lemur species spread across Madagascar island. The rarest and most threatened among them is the Verreaux’s Sifaka, also called the Northern Sportive lemur.
Not many know, but these fairly small creatures were once as big as gorillas some 2,000 years ago. Some even larger!
Did you know, lemurs are a sporadic case among mammals to have a female-dominant social behavior. Another fun fact: lemurs have two tongues. They use the extra one to filter out the dirt from their food and even for grooming.
This is a sibling of the golden retriever. If you thought golden retrievers were hyper, wait till you get a Labrador. They’re on the whole another level. Nonetheless, Labradors are a much-loved pet choice. In fact, they’ve been the most popular pet dog in the States for 26 years straight!
Labradors are the perfect family dogs. Hella social and affectionate, they are great with kids too. But despite their goofy personality, they make excellent hunting and police dogs.
Labradors come in three basic colors: yellow, brown, and black. All three are notorious for shedding. Excessive shedding might be the only downside to getting a Labrador.
A mix-breed between Labradors and Poodles, Labradoodles are a popular pet choice. Trust me, they’re all over Instagram.
They’re quite easy to train. But do expect some high energy to spare. These can be quite extroverted and full of excitement.
Labradoodles make great house pets if you’re looking for an easy-to-maintain and cuddly partner. A plus point: they’re highly intelligent and can pick up on behavioral cues quite fast. But know that even though very common, they come with a big price tag.
Golden Labradoodles are the most common, while red is the rarest. As for the breed, the Australian labradoodle is the rarest among them. A random fun fact, Labradoodles have their own association in the UK!
Ladybugs are probably the only bugs you’re not fighting with your life to get off of your body. These cute little things are known to everyone.
Well then, let me begin with a lesser-known ladybug fact. Ladybugs aren’t really bugs. They’re beetles. Ladybugs are completely harmless to humans. They can actually be friendly sometimes. Many keep ladybugs around because they’re great for pest control.
See also What Animals Eat Apples?
But a lesser-known species of ladybugs called the Asian ladybugs are aggressive and can bite. They’re like a bad version of ladybugs, which have more cons than pros.
Did you know Ladybugs can get STDs too? An STD called Laboulbeniales fungal disease is very common among ladybugs more than in other bugs.
A famous cat that isn’t exactly ‘pet-able.’ Lions are the second largest cats in the world after tigers. They’re also the only cats to live in groups. True to its name as the jungle king, a lion is a vicious and excellent predator.
As you already know, they are purely carnivorous. Once fed, lions don’t need to eat for 4-5 days. They’re pretty fast, too, topping at 80 kph.
Female lions are quite powerful. It’s lionesses that lead hunting parties. They can also kill older lions if they find them too dominating.
Almost all lions live on the African continent. But evidence shows that they once existed in Europe, some even in Asia!
Loris, also known as slow loris, are primates belonging to the Lorisidae family. Lorises are really small animals. They can only grow up to 25 cm and weigh an average of 1.2 kgs. Their babies weigh less than a paperclip at birth!
They have evolved to develop super long tongues to help suck nectar off of flowers and trees. In fact, they have the longest tongues among all primates.
They’re found in the tropical forests of south-east and south Asia, including India and Sri Lanka. They’re an endangered species. The slow loris is among the top 25 most endangered primates today.
Leopards are among the most known large cat species. They may not be the fastest but are definitely the strongest large cats. Yes, stronger than lions.
Leopards are solitary animals. There are 7 species of them in total. Snow leopards have spots that are unique to each one of them. Oh, and they cannot roar!
All leopard species are classified as endangered. Amur leopards are the most critically endangered amongst the lot. The primary reasons are poaching and habitat loss to human intervention. 50% of the leopard population in Asia is gone. They are extinct in Hong Kong, Tunisia, Singapore, Kuwait, and Libya.
They are the third-largest seal species. They’re also one of the top predators up north. They’re pure carnivores and mainly feed on fish, squids, and penguins. Leopard seals also eat other seals’ babies. As for predators, they only have Orca as their one true predator.
Leopard seals can be quite scary as they’re very territorial and aggressive. In fact, they’re the most aggressive of all seals. It’s very rare for leopard seals to attack humans, but they will stalk you for a long time if they ever spot you. That’s quite terrifying.
Random fun fact, seals are notorious for having the worst farts. Zookeepers and caretakers describe it as rotten fish.
Loons are beautiful black and white aquatic birds with patterns all over their bodies. There are 5 existing species of Loons. They are believed to have existed since 3 million years ago and haven’t changed much.
Loons are genetically related to penguins. No wonder they are master divers. Their unique body structure makes great swimmers, which allows them to catch fish left and right. Also, because this species is an aquatic bird, they aren’t as apt out of water.
Loons are generally temperamental and social birds but will turn very aggressive towards other loons during mating season. This bird is monogamous but will eventually find a new partner after several years.
Another big cat on the list. Lynxes’ most prominent and also identifying feature is their point ears. Without them, they look identical to cheetahs.
Unlike other big cats, Lynxes only hunt small prey like birds, rabbits, and foxes. The only they’ll hunt larger animals is when they’re starving.
This is a solitary animal that usually steers clear of humans. Their natural habitat is a high altitude cold, snowy forests up north. Siberia is where Lynxes are most commonly found. The colder regions of Romania, Bulgaria, Northern America, Asia, Sweden, Croatia, and Italy are some other areas in which the Lynx lives. Sadly, they’re an endangered species.Ah, and did you know baby Lynxes are called kittens?
Leeches are parasite worms that are most closely related to earthworms. But not all leech species suck blood. Some feed on decaying plant matter and other worms.
This little parasite has been around 500 million years. However, since their bodies are basically a flab of flesh, they don’t fossilize well. But evidence collected so far suggests the estimate is somewhat right.
You should also know that leeches aren’t just long parasitical blobs. You’d be surprised to know that leeches have hundreds of teeth, rows, 10 eyes, 10 stomachs, 6 hearts, 18 testicles, and 32 brains! Their sizes vary across species. While some can grow up to 3 inches or so, some can measure 16 inches! I just got goosebumps.
You must’ve heard about leech therapy, where they use leeches to cleanse your circulatory system. Well, leeches are FDA-approved for stuff like this.
Lizards are one of the most common reptiles on the planet. There are more than 4,675 known lizard species in the world. Though several of them are endangered. The rarest lizard species is the Guatemalan beaded lizard. There are less than 200 of them existing as of today.
Let me give you some common lizard facts. Lizards are cold-blooded animals. They’re also camouflage experts and can cut off and regrow their tails. But I bet you didn’t know some lizard species can go without drinking water all their lives.
Not many know, but Geckos too are lizards and not salamanders. The Virgin Island dwarf gecko is the world’s smallest gecko lizard, growing only 18 mm and weighing 0.15 grams! The smallest lizard, though, is the Jaragua lizard. And the biggest is the Komodo dragon.
Let’s keep this PG-13, shall we? The Long-tailed tit is a small bird found all over the UK. They’re tiny and stout, with long tails measuring up to 14 centimeters, weighing just 8 grams.
Their diet consists of insects, moth larvae, arthropods, butterflies, and other birds’ eggs.
They’re widespread garden birds. So, if you’re native to the UK, you’re very likely to find at least a couple on your next garden picnic.
The long-wattled umbrella bird is one of the three umbrella bird species. This is one unique bird. These are completely black, head to toe. Their umbrella-like forward mohawk crest makes them stand out. But what they got their names from is the inflatable wattle on their necks.
These are native to low and high-altitude rainforests of Central and South America. This umbrella bird’s mating ritual is quite interesting. The female will watch as males gather around and compete. She’ll then pick the most aggressive and strong male to be her mate for the season. Males perform a dance of sorts, inflating their long throat pouch and make a loud booming sound.
Lilac-breasted rollers are a Sub-Saharan bird species spread across eastern and southern African drylands. Fun fact, it’s Kenya’s national bird and is called ‘Kambu’ in Swahili.
This bird is quite small and weighs just about a hundred grams. These are colorful birds that are relatively easy to identify. They have 8 colors on their bodies. Lilac-breasted rollers are one of the 12 roller bird species.
Carnivorous by nature, this bird is known for its unique hunting style. They stay very still until their prey is close enough to pounce on – a behavior highly unusual in birds in general.
These little parasites have been around for centuries. Even mummies were found with dead lice accompanying them in their coffins.
Contrary to popular belief, lice don’t jump person A’s hair to B’s. They can’t fly or jump, only crawl their way with direct contact.
See also 8 Types of Habitats and The Animals That Call Them Home
There are quite some natural remedies to get rid of lice. Lemongrass, rosemary, peppermint, lavender, and tree tea oil are some you can try. Once off of scalps, dogs, or humans, lice cannot survive for more than 24 hours.
The Longhorn cattle are most commonly known as the Texas Longhorn. They’re known for their long majestic horns. The longest horn of a Texas longhorn recorded is 3.29 meters. That’s still 1.2 meters longer than LeBron James…
These bighorns can make these bulls look scary, but they’re actually quite temperament and friendly. They’re actually one of the most common domesticated cattle.
Crossbred longhorns outnumber pure breed traditional Texas longhorns by a long shot today. That’s why the Texas longhorn is considered critically endangered.
They are the world’s largest turtle species. The average leatherback turtle can be between 4.5 to 5.5 feet and easily weigh close to a thousand kilos!
Besides being the largest among the species, they’re also one of the oldest sea turtles. Leatherbacks have roamed the earth for the last 100 million years! They’re that old!
Leatherback turtles are highly migratory. They travel more than 10,000 miles every year, moving across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Like other sea turtles, leatherbacks gather around on Western and Southern American shores in thousands during mating seasons.
As for their diet, leatherback turtles feed on medium to small-sized marine animals. They especially love eating squids.
Llamas are high plateau animals that are now primarily found in South America and across North America, Europe, Australia.
Llamas no longer exist in the wilderness. They’ve been domesticated since some 6,000 to 7,000 years ago as hoarding animals. They’re quite social and friendly. Llamas are a curious bunch and will gather around you the first time they see you.
Spitting is a big sport among llamas. This spit contains bile acid, which is extremely rancid. They’ll spit at you as a warning to tell you that they don’t like you. And female llamas will spit at males to let them know she’s not interested.
Bonus fact: a baby llama is called a Cria. They can get up and running after a mere half-hour of being born.
Lovebirds are one of the few bird species that mate for life. That’s what they’re actually famously known for. Like the name suggests, a lovebird pair is extremely affectionate, feeding each other and sleeping with wings wrapped around each other. *sweetness overload*
Lovebirds are originally from Africa, and there are 9 species in total. Lovebirds are a popular pet choice because of how easy they are to train and maintain. If you provide your lovebird with a big enough cage, tasty treats, and a mate, it will love you with everything.
Mind you, lovebirds are an active bunch. They like to play around and talk a lot, especially early in the morning and during late afternoons.
Locusts are the annoying cousins of grasshoppers. A locust outbreak is every farmer’s worst nightmare. The average locust swarm is some 600 square miles big – that’s 100 to 140 million locusts all together that eat their body weight!
Not just farms, a locust attack will destroy everything in its path. Remember the Bible? This also tells us they’ve been around for a long, long time now. They’ve hardly evolved since the Triassic era.
Once formed, a locust swarm is almost impossible to break. No wonder desert locusts are one of the worst pests in the world.
This is primate species native to South Asia, particularly India. They’re a ubiquitous sight in the North, visiting temples and chilling with the locals. Langurs are not particularly aggressive but more mischievous. However, there have been cases of them biting and scratching people.
The langur species has lean chests and very long tails, which gives them a bigger appearance. These are herbivores and mainly eat leaves along with fruits and flowers.
The Gray langur species is often called hanuman langurs referring to the Hindu mythological monkey God Hanuman.
The Lyrebird is a native Australian bird that spends most of its life on the ground rather than flying and living in high canopies. Because they are ground-dwelling, Lyrebirds have developed strong, powerful legs with long claws to navigate through the uneven, rough terrain.
Their diet is largely insectivorous. Beetles, moths, cockroaches, earthworms, spiders, and centipedes are some common food choices, sometimes dining on frogs, lizards, and seeds.
Their most distinctive feature is their squirrel-like long feathery tails. Did you know peacocks and lyrebirds are distantly related?
When a lion and a tigress mate, you get a liger – a crossbreed. As you guessed, this isn’t a natural species and doesn’t exist in the wild. This rare crossbreeding came to be just as a gimmick to sell tickets by zoos. There are about 100 ligers in the world living in sanctuaries, wildlife centers, and wild animal parks.
Ligers are bigger and stronger than their other counterpart, tigon, weighing over 1,200 pounds on average. In fact, ligers are the biggest large cats in the world, followed by lions. They often suffer from obesity because of how heavy both their parents are.
The LaMancha goat is a popular dairy goat breed because of its capacity to give milk with high butterfat. Ask any cattle farmer, and they’ll tell you to pick LaMancha goats over other breeds without hesitation. They are sturdy animals that don’t get worn out easily. This goat is especially very human-loving and will often try to cuddle up with its owners. They also get along with other animals just fine.
What sets the LaMancha goat from other goats is its very tiny, elfish ears that are almost non-existent. They grow like 2 inches, max.
Like the name says, little brown bats are brown and little. They’re the world’s smallest bats, with a wingspan of just 11 inches. Little brown bats are most common in North America.
These little bats have an unending appetite and will feed on small insects like beetles, moths, and wasps every day.
They are an endangered species that has been mostly wiped by a fungal disease called the white-nose syndrome. And interestingly enough, these bats are now evolving to fight this widespread disease responsible for killing off 90% of their population.
Like other bats, little brown bats, too, hibernate. And when they do, their body temperature drops down to the freezing temperature of the caves they’re in. This is also why they catch the fungal disease in the first place.
Loach is a wide species of fish with over 200 sub-species scattered all over the world. Though they all differ in color, patterns, and sizes, all loach fish have identical body shapes. Loaches have an elongated, eel-like body with little whiskers around their mouths. They can grow up to measure 12 inches.
Loaches are said to be extremely intelligent and social. This fish exists in all kinds of aquatic habitats like streams, lakes, ponds, and rivers. Their diet includes clams, shrimp, bloodworms, and algae floating on the water surface.
Loaches are bottom-dwelling creatures. They particularly prefer living in waters with low oxygen as a way to avoid predators. This is one of the fish species that hasn’t been largely domesticated. Some sub-species, not at all.
This longnose species has been around for over 100 million years now. Longnose gars have drawn out bodies with their unique elongated noses. They’re often called needle-nose gar too.
The largest long nose gar recorded is 6.5 feet long from head (or shall I say nose) to tail and weighs close to 23 kilos. Females typically have longer bodies than males.
The Longnose gar is edible, but its eggs are highly toxic. Not enough to be fatal, but enough to hospitalize you a couple of weeks.
These are regular-sized owls with no so regular-sized ears and strikingly yellow eyes. Their feathers are a mixture of brown and black. The closest relative they have is the short-Eared owl. Long-Eared owls have a wingspan ranging between 90 and 100 centimeters. Females are bigger and heavier than males, standing at 15 inches and weighing 400 grams.
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A quirk of this owl is that it doesn’t actually build its own nests. Instead, it looks for abandoned nests of other medium-sized birds and moves right in.
Lungfish are long fish that resemble snakes and eels. They’re the largest among their genus. And there are a total of 6 species of Lungfish – Australian, West African, Marbled, South American, and spotted Lungfish.
The unique feature and also one that gives Lungfish its name is its ability to survive out of water. In addition to having lungs, they’re able to form a thin cocoon around their bodies that helps them live out of water for at least a year! Have you heard of a fish living for more than 2 minutes outside water?
Lungfish are edible. But the locals who do consume them either love them or absolutely hate them.
Not exactly a real animal – at least confirmed to be real – the Loch Ness monster is an age-old celebrity among legendary sea monsters. This creature is described as a pre-historic marine creature resembling a dinosaur. It’s still debated whether ‘Nessie’ has fins or a set of limbs.
Not many know where exactly this legend gets its name from. Loch Ness Lake is a real place that sits on the Great Fault Line in Scotland. The water flowing in the Loch Ness dates back to the last Ice age! What adds to this myth’s mystery is that there are several hundred pre-historic caves and tunnels existing below the water.
The iconic photograph we’ve all seen was taken in 1934 by an English physician called Robert Kenneth Wilson. This photo caused an uproar as it was the first documented “evidence” to suggest the creature’s existence.
There have been several claims to evidence, but the scientific community has rejected all. So today, the Loch Ness monster is nothing more than a myth. What do you think? Could the Loch Ness monster be real?
These are exactly as their names describe them to be. Leaf-tailed geckos are rusty brownish geckos with a flat leaf-shaped tail. On top of their color and pattern, these geckos use their bodies to reflect and refract light, making them completely camouflage when on trees and dry leaves.
There are 10 species of leaf-tailed geckos that are only found in Madagascar. They’re usually found in dense forests.
The Satanic leaf-tailed gecko is a subspecies that lives up to its name. These are aggressive who do not like to be handled. They have relatively larger eyes than others in their genus. Satanic leaf-tailed geckos are solitary and shy animals who love it best when left alone
These are tropical tortoise species native to Africa. They are one of the tortoise species that does not hibern
