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Animals that start with M – All words are not enough to describe how unique and magical nature is. One of them can be clearly seen through the animals. There are thousands and even millions of the species with their own characteristic features and weird behaviors.
Of course, it is necessary for us the human to know and learn more about them. In this page, you will see a list of animals with the M initial.
Sure, the descriptions and further explanations of them are also discussed. Here they are:
1. Moose
Moose is one of the species of the deer that live in the Boreal forest. Compared to the other types of deer, this one is indeed the biggest. Besides, it has a unique characteristic feature, it is the horns. The moose’ horns are similar to the large leaves. Meanwhile, the horns of the other deer tend to look like the twigs.
Although slightly this animal looks very slow, it has some skills that the other deer may not have. The legs are strong enough to fight against the wolves. Meanwhile, it is able to swim in miles as well as diving to look for the water plants.
2. Mouse
Although slightly this animal looks small and cute, in fact, the mouse is one of the animals that can distribute the germs and bacteria. Being included in the family of Muroidea, the truemouse is the member of the genus Rattus. Besides, it is also known as one of the most successful animals in the world. It is due to their survival in facing the predators including the eagles, fox, cats, reptiles, and many more animals.
There are many sub-species of the mouse. They are distinguished from body sizes. For the big Muroidea, they are called as the rat. Meanwhile, the term mouse is for the smaller ones.
3. Millipede
Millipede is an arthropod from that has 2 pairs of legs per segment for the exception of the first segment right behind the head. The body is a cylinder with the number of segments around 25-100. The way this animal breed is by laying the eggs.
Millipede survives by eating the rotten plant materials. However, there are some of them that are classified into the carnivores. The digestive system of the millipede is quite complex. They swallow the foods, extract the nutrition, and take out the remains particularly those that cannot be easily digested.
4. Monkey
Monkey is a term to mention all the primate members that are not included in the Prosimia. It is no matter whether the monkey is classified into the old world or the new world animals. Until now, there are around 264 types of monkey recognized all around the world. Compared to the other primates, the monkey also tends to have a smaller body size.
The classifications of the monkey are based on the Paraletic characters. The biggest monkey species is mandrill. It can be trained to use tools to help them in finding foods and doing any other activities.
5. Mayfly
Mayfly is known as the animal with the shortest lifespan; it is only around 3-5 hours. There are indeed some mayflies that are found to survive for 24 hours. However, they are really rare and those long-aged mayflies are considered the luckiest ones.
However, their time in the world seems effective enough. Only around 30 minutes to an hour after the birth, they are mating, laying the eggs, and then died. For the intensive births and mating, this species is still far from being endangered.
6. Mosquito
Mosquito is a type of insects categorized in the order of Diphtera. There are around 35 genus f mosquitoes with more than 2,700 species under them. In other words, “mosquito” is actually a general term to mention all of those subspecies.
This tiny animal has a pair of scaled wings and the relatively slim body. The legs are six in long shapes. There are some characteristic features that make all of those species tend to be different from one to another. There is a proboscis on the mouth functioned to penetrate to the mammals’ skin and suck the blood.
7. Mantella Frog
Just like the name, mantella frog has a red or orange color on all over the body surface. On the belly area, the color tends to be paler; it is around the yellowish white or beige. The body’s size is really small with a length of only around 2.5 cm or an inch. Then, the eyes are black so that they are just in contrast with the body.
The animal is endemic of Madagascar. It is widely found in the tropical and subtropical forests, mainly in the places with a high level of humidity.
8. Monarch Butterfly
The monarch butterfly is one of the butterfly species classified into the sub-family of Danainae. This butterfly is often said as the most popular butterfly in the area of North America. Well, the main characteristic features are the patterns of the orange and black. Meanwhile, the spreading wings are quite wide; it is around 10 cm.
This butterfly is undeniably an explorer. It was once staying in the Canary Islands, Azores, and Madeira. But sometimes, it migrates also to the areas of Western Europe.
9. Manta Ray
Manta ray is one of the biggest species of stingray in the world. The width of the body from the fins to the chest is up to 7 meters. Meanwhile, the weight of the animal itself is more than 2 tons.
Manta ray can be found in the tropical oceans all around the world. Due to the wide spreading as well as the unique appearance, there are many other names given to the animals including the Atlantic and Pacific Manta. The population of the manta ray is continuously decreasing for the fishing activities and the polluted oceans.
10. Mandrill
Mandrill is one of the primates from the family of Cercopithecidea. It is one of the old-world animals and physically, it is closer to the drill and baboon. Even mandrill and baboon are initially classified in the same genus; Papio. But later, there is a new genus for this primate; Mandrillus.
This animal is known as the biggest monkey species in the world. Even Charles Darwin mentions this animal on its book, said that there is no other member of mammals in the world that is as amazing as the male adult mandrill.
11. Mantis (Praying Mantis)
Mantis is one of the insects included in the order Mantodea. It is also called as the Praying Mantis for its behavior that is just like the people praying. The mantis along with the related insects in the Mantodea order mostly lives in the tropical and subtropical areas. However, some sub-species are also found in the temperate climate areas like in the US and Central Europe.
This type of grasshopper also has a unique ability; it is to turn around the head up to 180 degrees. The entire body is green and it tends to be bigger than most of the grasshoppers.
12. Mongoose
Mongoose is a mammal included in the family of Mustelidae. The size of the animal is quite small but it is considered one of the most active predators. The lengths are various actually starting from 173 to 217 mm. Meanwhile, the female mongoose is smaller than the female.
The outer layer of the body is usually covered by the brown or brunette fur. Then, the belly is white. However, mongoose may change the fur entirely to white during the winter.
13. Mallard
The mallard duck is a wild non-flying bird that lives and breeds in the humid forest areas. They can be found in the lakes, ponds, rivers, and swamps. Just like the other ducks, they lay the eggs. Interestingly, based on some research, it is known that mallard is the ancestor for many other kinds of domestic ducks.
They make their own nests on the stems around the water areas. The nests are made from the twigs, grasses, and leaves. The other fun fact of this animal that start with s is that they were born while opening their eyes.
14. Marbled Salamander
Marbled salamander is a type of the mole salamander with the habitats mostly in the areas of the eastern United States. There are visible distinctions between the male and female marbled salamander. The males are whiter with the length of about 11 cm. Meanwhile, the female is greyer and it is shorter than the male.
Although the color gradients tend to be different, both the male and female have a unique feature; it is some big dots or marks on their body surface.
15. Meerkat
Meerkat or suricate is a kind of mammals which has any closeness to the mongoose. The habitat is in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and South Africa. A group of meerkats is known as Mob or Clan. Each of the mobs always consists of 20 meerkats in a moment. However, the number can be up to 50 meerkats in a big mob.
As a small mammal, the lifespan of this animal is quite long in which it can survive up to 14 years in nature.
16. Macaroni Penguin
From some sub-species of the penguin, there is one of them that can only be found in the areas of Sub-Antarctic. The name is also unique; macaroni penguin. In term of the physical appearance, this sub-species is considered very closely related to the royal penguin. Even some scientists agree that both are actually in the same species.
The penguin indeed has a particular characteristic. It is the yellow crest of hair on the head. Meanwhile, the other characteristics are actually not different from the other penguins. They have the medium size with black and white colors on the back and front body respectively.
17. Malayan Tiger
The Malayan Tiger is one of the sub-species of the tiger that can be found in the eastern coastal areas of the Malayan Peninsula. Until the end of 2004, the number of this animal is around 250. Then, after it is being placed in the conservative areas, the number is increased significantly up to 340 in 2013.
Although the Malayan tiger is quite big in term of the body size, it is still a little bit smaller than the Bengal tiger. The average length of the male tiger is around 2.5 meters while the female is approximately 2.3 meters.
18. Moth
The moth is a kind of insects that are closely related to the butterfly. Both are even classified in the same order; it is Lepidoptera. But although both of them are slightly very similar, there are some significant differences. Based on many research, it is proven that the butterfly is a small group of the moth.
Most of the moth species are more active at night. However, there are some of them that do the activities in the twilight and dawn. This animal passes through the metamorphosis cycle. When it is still in the form of the caterpillar, it is considered one of the pests of farming.
19. Mountain Gorilla
Mountain Gorilla is one of the sub-species of the eastern gorilla. In general, the mountain gorillas are classified into 2 based on their areas. One of the populations is found in the Virunga Mountain, Central Africa. Then, the other population is kept in the Bwindi National Park.
Between the two populations, many scientists claim that both are actually just the same. There are some characteristic features of the mountain gorilla including the black hair all over the body except on the face and the chest areas.
20. Manatee
Manatee is a big mammal from the family of Trichechidae. This animal is indeed quite similar to dugong. However, they are actually different by seeing the skull and the tail shapes. Manatee’s tail is like the paddle. This animal is also classified as herbivores for its habit to eat the grasses within the shallow waters.
The groups of manatee can be more easily found in some areas in the world. They are including the coastal areas of the America continent and the Caribbean Sea. A group of the manatee’s subspecies is also seen in Florida.
21. Muskox
Muskox or Ovibus moschatus lives in the cold areas even up to minus 40 the degree of Celcius. That’s why; the animal is featured by a very thick fur to protect the body from the coldness as well as the snow. Uniquely, with that fur or hair, an adult muskox can also protect the children together with them.
They live in colonies and they are classified as the herbivores. It is known from the habits to eat the grass, some types of grass, moss, and willow woods. The sharp claws they have are functioned to dig the snow so that the grass and any other plants can just be found and eaten.
22. Monk Seal
Monk seal, known also as the Hawaiian monk seal is one of the endangered species classified into the family of Phocidae. It is one from the two monk seal species and the only one that still survives nowadays. Its relative, the Mediterranean monk seal has been extinct.
The remaining species is only around 1,400 and it is currently protected in the conservation reliant endangered species. As the native animal of Hawaii, this monk seal has around 2, 4 meters of length with the body which is dominated by the grey color.
23. Markhor
Markhor is one of the mountain goat species with some unique characteristics. One of the uniqueness is clearly seen; it is a pair of the spiral horns. That’s why; this animal tends to be more recognizable than the other mountain goats in its class.
Despite the unique horns that are up to 1.5 meters, makhor has some other characteristics. For the male makhors, the hair tends to be thick with a paler color than the females. The level of the hair thickness also depends on the seasons and weathers. In the winter, the hair grows to be longer and much thicker.
24. Mantis Shrimp
The mantis here doesn’t refer to the grasshopper but it is more about the shrimp living in the ocean. It is called as mantis for the characteristics that are indeed similar to the mantis grasshopper. It is a part of the ocean crustacean with the body length up to 30 cm.
The main characteristic feature of this animal is placed on the eyes. The eyes are able to see the polarized light. This way, any light seen by the mantis shrimp is always in the form of the straight line of the spiral. This way, the shrimp vision is super good. It is something unique that is not owned by any other creatures in the world.
25. Animals That Start with M – Martial Eagle
Just like the name, it looks like a martial eagle is indeed good in term of “martial arts”. The bird is very active and aggressive particularly in term of hunting.
It is also known as one of the biggest eagles to find in the areas of Sahara desert, Africa. The length of the eagle is up to 96 cm. Meanwhile, the body’s weight is around 6 kg. When the wings are spread, the width is starting from 180 to 260 cm. However, the tail is relatively short anyway.
