Animals That Start With A: Facts & Picture Books for Kids

For our animal classification project, we are starting off with animals that start with A. Adding to our daily animal research journal, we will be organizing lists of animals based on their starting letter of the alphabet, then generating a short list of picture books for extended learning.

In this series, we’re going beyond simply naming an animal for each letter. Instead, we’ll take a closer look at the animals themselves, learning interesting, kid-friendly facts while discovering a few picture books that help to bring each animal to life.

First, I’m going to give you the animals that start with A as a quick reference, then give basic facts for each animal, and lastly, give a list of picture book suggestions you can add to your learning.

Quick List of Animals that start with A

Aardvark
Abalone
Addax
Adder
Agama
Agouti
Albatross
Albacore
Alligator
Alligator gar
Alpaca
Anaconda
Anchovy
Angelfish
Anglerfish
Anemone
Anemonefish
Ant
Anteater
Antelope
Antbird
Antlion
Anole
American Bison
Ape
Aphid
Asian Elephant
Archerfish
Arapaima
Arctic fox
Arctic hare
Armadillo
Assassin bug
Auklet
Axolotl
Aye-aye

Animals That Start With A: Quick Facts and Descriptions

Now for some quick facts for each animal that starts with A. We’re keeping the facts short and sweet, making these perfect for an animal-a-day study, morning basket, and kid-led research and learning.

Mammals that Start with A:

Aardvark: A nocturnal African mammal with a long snout, sticky tongue, and large ears. It uses its powerful claws to dig for ants and termites.
Addax: A large antelope adapted to life in the Sahara Desert. Its pale coat helps reflect heat, and it can survive for long periods with very little water. (This animal is endangered.)
Agouti: A small rodent native to Central and South America with dense oily, water-repellent fur and powerful hind legs for jumping. It also has strong front teeth and helps spread seeds by burying and eating fruit.
Alpaca: A domesticated South American relative of the camel (sometimes confused with llamas). People raise alpacas mainly for their soft, warm wool.
Anteater: A mammal specialized for eating ants and termites. It has a long snout and a sticky tongue, and the giant anteater is the largest species.
Antelope: A general name for many hoofed mammals native mainly to Africa and parts of Asia. They range from small species to large animals such as the eland.
American Bison: A massive, hoofed mammal native to North America (also called American buffalo). They are herbivores and graze in grasslands and can form large herds. They also have a distinct shoulder hump.
Ape: A group of primates that includes gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans. Apes generally lack tails and are known for relatively large brains and flexible behavior.
Asian Elephant: The smaller of the two living elephant species. It is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia and is distinguished from the African elephant by features including its smaller ears.
Arctic Fox: A small fox adapted to extremely cold Arctic environments. Its thick coat changes color seasonally in many populations, helping it blend into snow and tundra.
Arctic Hare: A large hare found in the Arctic regions of North America. Ithas thick fur and short ears that help it conserve body heat.
Armadillo: A mammal covered by bony plates that form a protective shell. Several species can curl up or use their armor to defend themselves from predators. They are mostly nocturnal.
Aye-aye: A large and unique-looking nocturnal lemur native to Madagascar. It has large, bat-like ears for hearing and an unusually long middle finger used to tap on wood and extract insects and other food.

Birds That Start with A:

Albatross: A large seabird famous for its enormous wingspan and ability toglide over the ocean for hours. Some species can travel thousands of miles during their lives.
Antbird: A family of mostly insect-eating birds found in Central and South America. Many species follow army ants to catch insects fleeing from the ants.
Auklet: A small seabird related to puffins and other auks. Auklets live around the North Pacific and often nest in large colonies on rocky islands.

Reptiles That Start with A:

Adder: A venomous snake found across parts of Europe and Asia. The common European adder has a distinctive dark zigzag pattern along its back.
Agama: A group of lizards found mainly in Africa, Asia, and southern Europe. Many species have brightly colored males during breeding season.
Alligator: A large semiaquatic reptile with a broad, rounded snout (unlike the crocodile which is more V-shaped). They have many teeth and a very powerful bite. The two living species are the American alligator and the Chinese alligator.
Alligator Gar: A huge freshwater fish native to parts of North America that can grow several feet long. They get their name from their long, alligator-like snout filled with sharp teeth.
Anaconda: A group of large snakes native to South America. Green anacondas are among the heaviest snakes in the world and spend much of their time in water.
Anole: A group of small to medium-sized lizards found mainly in the Americas. Many males have colorful throat fans called dewlaps that they use for communication.

Amphibians That Start with A:

Axolotl: A Mexican salamander famous for retaining its larval features into adulthood, as well as regenerating certain body parts. They are also considered critically endangered.

Fish That Start with A:

Albacore: A species of tuna found in temperate and tropical oceans. It isan important food fish and is often sold as canned tuna.
Anchovy: A small, silvery schooling fish found in oceans around the world. Anchovies are important both as food for humans and as prey for larger marine animals.
Angelfish: A name used for several groups of colorful fish, especially tropical marine fish. Many species have bright patterns and flattened, disk-shaped bodies.
Anglerfish: A group of deep-sea fish known for the glowing lure that hangs from a structure on their heads. They use the lure to attract prey in the darkness.
Anemonefish: Small, brightly colored fish that live among sea anemones. Clownfish are the best-known example and receive protection from the anemone’sstinging tentacles.
Arapaima: One of the world’s largest freshwater fish, native to the Amazon Basin. It can breathe air and occasionally surfaces to gulp it. They also have colorful markings.
Archerfish: A fish famous for shooting jets of water at insects above the surface. It can knock prey from branches and leaves into the water.

Invertebrates That Start with A:

Abalone: A marine snail with a flat, ear-shaped shell. It clings to rocks and grazes on algae.
Anemone: A stationary marine animal related to corals and jellyfish. It has tentacles that capture small animals and other food.
Ant: A highly social insect that lives in colonies. Ants communicate using chemicals and can work together to find food, build nests, and protect their colony.
Antlion: The larva of an insect in the antlion family. It often digs a cone-shaped pit in sand and waits at the bottom for ants and other insects to fall in.
Aphid: A tiny plant-feeding insect that often lives in large groups on stems and leaves. Some species produce a sugary substance called honeydew that attracts ants.
Assassin Bug: A group of predatory insects that use a sharp, straw-like mouthpart to pierce and feed on other insects. Some species can deliver a painful bite to humans if handled.

Picture Books About Animals That Start With A

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If you’re doing an animal-a-day study like we are, adding a picture book to your morning basket is such an easy way to make the lesson more meaningful. After learning a few facts about your animal of the day, pull out a picture book and spend a few minutes reading together.

Some of these books are more factual, while others are simply fun stories featuring our A animals. Note: Many of these mention or highlight the more common animals that start with A.

Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett (Armadillos)
The Nature Kid’s Guide to Aardvarks by David Anderson (Aardvarks)
The Nature Kid’s Guide to Alpacas by David Anderson (Alpacas)
Armadillo Antics by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson (Armadillos)
An Armadillo from Amarillo by Lynne Cherry (Armadillos)
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry (Anteaters)
An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni (Allegators)
There’s an Alligator under My Bed by Mercer Maycer (Allegators)
Over and Under the Wetlands by Kate Messner (Allegators)
Over and Under the Coral Reef by Kate Messner (Anemones)
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner (Ants)
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg (Ants)
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle (Aphids)
Little Albatross by Michael Morpurgo (Albatross)
An Animal a Day by Miranda Smith (Timber Rattlesnake, Thorny Devil, Topor)

Help kids learn animal classification through engaging printables and a new animal every day. Animal research journal. www.inspirethemom.com

Get the Daily Animal Research Journal Printable

Our printable Daily Animal Research Journal is a fun and simple way for students to practice animal classification every day using books, library resources, documentaries, or kid-friendly websites.

The Daily Animal Research Journal includes:

Three different Animal-a-Day templates.
Terms and definitions: (basic terms that are used in the research journal and can be used as a reference when needed.)
Other Animal Research Organizers (Compare and contrast, habitat research, life cycles, predator or prey, animal vocab, and personal reflections.)
Featured Animals Coloring Pages

If you’re looking for a ready-to-use resource, the Daily Animal Research Journal Printable is available in my Etsy shop and is designed for grades 3–5, homeschool families, and elementary classrooms.