Insect
Ants can carry things much heavier than their own bodies. They live together in big families called colonies.
Lives in: Everywhere Read ant facts
HomeAnimals A–Z3 letter animals
3 Letter Animals: Names With Three Letters
Need animals with three letters? Here are 18 real 3 letter animals, from ant to yak. Each one has a short true fact, so the list works for spelling practice, word puzzles and curious kids.
18animals
3letters each
12first letters
By first letter
3 Letter Animals Sorted A to Z
Tap any word to hear it. Count the letters together on your fingers.
3
Count to 3
Every animal on this page is spelled with exactly three letters. Point to each letter as you count.
A
A: 1 animal
3 letter animals that start with A.
B
B: 2 animals
3 letter animals that start with B.
C
C: 2 animals
3 letter animals that start with C.
D
D: 1 animal
3 letter animals that start with D.
E
E: 3 animals
3 letter animals that start with E.
F
F: 2 animals
3 letter animals that start with F.
J
J: 1 animal
3 letter animals that start with J.
K
K: 1 animal
3 letter animals that start with K.
O
O: 1 animal
3 letter animals that start with O.
P
P: 1 animal
3 letter animals that start with P.
R
R: 2 animals
3 letter animals that start with R.
Y
Y: 1 animal
3 letter animals that start with Y.
Animal list
18 Animals With 3 Letters
Every animal here is spelled with three letters. Read the fact, then open the full fact page.
Insect
Honeybees make honey from the nectar they collect from flowers. They do a little wiggle dance to tell other bees where to find food.
Lives in: Gardens Read bee factsMammal
Bats are the only mammals that can really fly. Many bats sleep upside down during the day.
Lives in: Forests Read bat factsMammal
Cats sleep a lot, often 12 hours a day or more. Their whiskers help them feel their way in the dark.
Lives in: Everywhere Read cat factsMammal
Cows have a stomach with four parts to help them break down grass. A baby cow is called a calf.
Lives in: Farms Read cow factsMammal
Dogs have a super strong sense of smell, much better than ours. Every dog’s nose print is different, just like a fingerprint.
Lives in: Everywhere Read dog factsFish
Eels have long, slippery bodies like snakes, but they are fish. Some eels live in rivers and travel all the way to the sea to lay eggs.
Lives in: Rivers & swamps Read eel factsBird
The emu is a very tall bird from Australia that cannot fly. It runs fast on its long, strong legs.
Lives in: Grasslands Read emu factsMammal
Male elk grow big antlers every year. In the fall they make a loud, high call called a bugle.
Lives in: Mountains Read elk factsMammal
Red foxes have great hearing and can hear a mouse moving under the snow. They wrap their bushy tail around themselves to keep warm.
Lives in: Forests Read fox factsInsect
A housefly’s big eyes are made of thousands of tiny lenses. It can walk upside down on the ceiling.
Lives in: Everywhere Read fly factsBird
Jays are clever birds in the crow family. Many of them bury acorns in the fall to eat later.
Lives in: Forests Read jay factsFish
Koi are colorful fish that people keep in ponds. With good care, they can live for more than 25 years.
Lives in: Lakes Read koi factsBird
Owls can turn their heads much farther than we can, about three-quarters of the way around. Their soft feathers let them fly almost silently.
Lives in: Forests Read owl factsMammal
Pigs are very smart and can learn their own names. They roll in mud to cool off because they cannot sweat much.
Lives in: Farms Read pig factsFish
Rays are fish with flat bodies that glide through the water by flapping their fins like wings. Many of them rest on the sandy sea floor.
Lives in: Ocean Read ray factsMammal
Rats are smart and can learn tricks as pets. They use their long whiskers to feel their way in the dark.
Lives in: Everywhere Read rat factsMammal
Yaks live high in the cold mountains of Asia, like the Himalayas. Their long, shaggy hair hangs down almost to the ground like a skirt.
Lives in: Mountains Read yak facts
Quick quiz
3 Letter Animals Quiz
A tiny game to check what stuck. Read the question out loud and let your little one tap the answer.
Question 1
Score: 0
Questions
All FAQs
3 Letter Animals: FAQ
Some 3 letter animals are ant, bee, bat, cat, cow, dog, eel, emu. This page lists 18 of them.
There are 18 animals with exactly 3 letters, starting with 12 different letters.
The letter E starts the most, with 3: eel, elk, emu.
Yes. They are real animal names with exactly 3 letters, so they work for spelling practice, crosswords and guessing games.
The cow is one of the biggest: about 1.5 m (5 ft) tall.
Say each animal out loud, count the letters on your fingers, then write the word and circle the first letter.