Animals that start with c: list with pictures and facts. Find the animal beginning with c that you’re interested in and follow the links for further information.
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Animals That Start With C
On this page you’ll find a list of amazing animals beginning with c, together with pictures and interesting facts about each animal.
You can find out more about many of the animals (and see pictures and videos) by following the links.
Discover more animals!
- Main list page: Animals A to Z
- Animals That Start With B
- Animals That Start With D
List of Animals Beginning With C
- In this list we’ve included both individual species whose names begin with c, e.g. cheetah and well-known groups of animals that begin with c, e.g. caimans.
- The scientific name and conservation status of individual species are provided.
If you need to find out about terms such as ‘species’, ‘family’ and ‘order’, etc., then check out our guide to animal classification.
Caiman
Caimans are carnivorous reptiles that live in Central and South America. There are six different species of caiman. The largest is the black caiman, Melanosuchus niger, which can grow up to 6 m (20 ft.) in length. The spectacled caiman, Caiman crocodilus, is the most common crocodilian.
Caimans are members of the alligatoridae family, along with the 2 species of alligator.
You can find out more about caimans here: Caiman Facts
Cane Toad
- Scientific name: Rhinella marina
- Conservation status: Least Concern
The cane toad was originally found in Central and South America. It was introduced in several other parts of the world because it eats insects that are harmful to crops. Unfortunately the cane toad’s introduction proved to be very harmful to native animals. It is now seen as an invasive species.
You can find out more about cane toads here: Cane Toad Facts
Capybara
- Scientific name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
- Conservation status: Least Concern
The capybara is the world’s largest rodent. It is found in every country in South America apart from Chile. It is also found in Central America, and has even been spotted in Florida! The capybara is semiaquatic, and never found far from water.
You can find out more about capybaras here: Capybara Facts
Caribou
- Scientific name: Rangifer tarandus caribou
- Conservation status: Vulnerable
Caribou are the North American subspecies of reindeer. Reindeer are large mammals that live in Arctic and subarctic regions all around the world. Reindeer are members of the deer family, Cervidae.
You can find out more about caribou here: Caribou Facts
Caracal
- Scientific name: Caracal caracal
- Conservation status: Least Concern
The caracal is a mid-sized felid (member of the cat family, Felidae) that is found in Africa and parts of Asia. It is known for its amazing jumping ability.
Find out more about the caracal here: Caracal Facts
Cassowary
Southern Cassowary
There are three species of cassowary: the northern cassowary, southern cassowary and dwarf cassowary. The southern cassowary is the world’s third largest species of bird, after the two ostrich species.
All three species of cassowary are found in New Guinea, but only the southern cassowary is found in Australia.
You can find out more about cassowaries here: Cassowary Facts
Cat (domestic)
- Scientific name: Felis silvestris catus
- Conservation status: Domestic
Leo (Office Manager at Active Wild)
The domestic cat is a subspecies of wildcat. It is thought that cats became domesticated around 9,500 years ago. Domestic cats are able to breed with wildcats, which is a threat to wildcat populations.
Cheetah
- Scientific name: Acinonyx jubatus
- Conservation status: Vulnerable
The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. It can reach speeds of up to 75 mph (121km/h) in pursuit of its fast-moving antelope prey.
You can find out more about cheetahs here: Cheetah Facts
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small rodents with distinctive striped markings. Of the 25 currently recognized species of chipmunk, only one, the Siberian chipmunk (Eutamias sibiricus) is found outside of North America.
Chital (Spotted deer)
- Scientific name: Axis axis
- Conservation status: Least Concern
The chital is a deer found in the Indian subcontinent. It is a mid-sized deer with a golden coat that is covered with white spots. It is a herbivore, and has a number of predators, including the tiger and the leopard. The chital is also known as the spotted deer and the axis deer.
Clouded Leopard
- Scientific name: Neofelis nebulosa
- Conservation status: Vulnerable
The clouded leopard is a secretive jungle cat found in forests in Southeast Asia and China. Its canine teeth are the longest, in proportion to body size, of any cat, and match those of the tiger in length.
You can find out more about clouded leopards here: Clouded Leopard Facts
Cockroach
Cockroaches are hardy and adaptable insects. Together with termites, they make up the insect order Blattodea. True survivors, some cockroaches can live for up to a month without food, and can survive radiation doses up to 15x larger than the lethal dose for a human.
Common Chimpanzee
- Scientific name: Pan troglodytes
- Conservation status: Endangered
Common chimpanzees, along with bonobos, are members of the genus pan. They are our closest living relations in the animal kingdom. Common chimpanzees are found in rainforests and savannas in West and Central Africa.
You can find out more about chimpanzees here: Chimpanzee Facts
Common Octopus
- Scientific name: Octopus vulgaris
- Conservation status: Unassessed
The common octopus is a mollusk (spelt mollusc in British English). Mollusks are members of Mollusca, a group of invertebrates that also includes snails and slugs. The common octopus is able to change color to conceal itself from predators and prey. An intelligent animal, the common octopus has demonstrated problem-solving abilities.
You can find out more about common octopuses here: Common Octopus Facts
Common Ostrich
- Scientific name: Struthio camelus
- Conservation status: Least Concern
There are two species of ostrich: the common ostrich and the Somali ostrich. Both are large, flightless birds. The common ostrich is the world’s tallest and heaviest bird.
You can find out more about ostriches here: Ostrich Facts
Coyote
- Scientific name: Canis latrans
- Conservation status: Least Concern
The coyote is a member of the dog family. It lives in North and Central America. Its howls and barks give the coyote its scientific name Canis latrans, which means ‘barking dog’. It is closely related to the wolf, and is more likely to be found living in proximity to humans than its larger cousin.
You can find out more about coyotes here: Coyote Facts
Coypu
- Scientific name: Myocastor coypus
- Conservation status: Least Concern
The coypu is a large rodent that is native to South America, but which is now also found in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa after having been introduced by fur farmers. The coypu lives near rivers, and feeds on river plants.
Crab
Crabs are crustaceans with armored exoskeletons, eight legs and an additional pair of claws. Crabs are found in all of the world’s oceans, and are also found in freshwater and even on land. The world’s largest crab is the Japanese spider crab, whose leg span can be up to 4 meters (13 ft.)
Crabeater Seal
- Scientific name: Lobodon carcinophaga
- Conservation status: Least Concern
The crabeater seal belongs to the Phocidae family, whose members are also known as ‘earless seals‘ or ‘true seals’. The crabeater seal lives on the pack ice that surrounds Antarctica. It is the world’s most common seal.
You can find out about all of Antarctica’s seals here: Seals of Antarctica
Crab-Eating Fox
- Scientific name: Cerdocyon thous
- Conservation status: Least Concern
The crab-eating fox is a mid-sized canid (member of the dog family, Canidae) that is found in South America. Despite its name, it is not closely related to the true foxes. It hunts for crabs in muddy areas alongside rivers.
Crocodile
Nile Crocodile
Crocodiles are large predatory reptiles with long tails, tough scaly skin, short legs, and powerful jaws. They live in and alongside rivers, and some species are also found in estuaries and saltwater habitats.
There are 14 species of crocodile. The largest is the saltwater crocodile, which is the world’s largest living reptile.
You can find out more about the saltwater crocodile here: Saltwater Crocodile Facts
Discover the crocodiles of Africa: Crocodiles In Africa
Animals That Start With C: Conclusion
We hope that this page has helped you find out about some amazing animals beginning with c. Continue your exploration of the animal kingdom by checking out the following pages:
- A to Z Animals List
- Animals That Start With B
- Animals That Start With D
- Animals: The Ultimate Guide To The Animal Kingdom