HomeAnimals A–ZLetter Y

Animals That Start With Y: List, Facts & Free Coloring Pages

From shaggy yaks to bright yellow fish, the letter Y has lots of surprises. Say the Y sound together, read a fun fact, then print the free coloring page. Here is our list of animals that start with the letter Y, perfect when a little one asks what animal starts with Y.

Download Coloring Page Meet the animals
12animals
1sounds
3free pages
Smiling cartoon yak standing next to a big yellow letter Y
Free coloring pageLetter Y, PDF
Letter sound

What Sound Does the Letter Y Make?

At the start of a word, the letter Y makes a quick “yuh” sound, like in yak and yes. It can also act like a vowel at the end of words like happy, but kids usually learn “yuh” first. Tap any word to hear it.

Yy

Say it together

Smile wide and say “yuh, yuh, yak” together. It sounds like a happy little yell.

/y/

Y sound

Smile a little, press the middle of your tongue up and say a quick “yuh”.

Say yesNod and say “yes” to practice /y/.
Yo-yo gamePretend to bounce a yo-yo on each Y word.
Spot yellowFind yellow things at home and say “yellow”.
Animal list

12 Animals That Start With the Letter Y

Lots of Y animals have “yellow” in their name, plus a few with really funny names. Say them slowly and listen for the “yuh”. Every one of these animals with Y has a short fact you can read aloud.

Mammal

Yak

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
Fish

Yellow Tang

Yellow tangs are bright yellow fish that live on coral reefs, mostly around Hawaii. They nibble on algae, which helps keep the reef clean.

Lives in: Coral reefs
Fish

Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin tuna are fast swimmers with bright yellow fins. They swim in big groups in warm oceans around the world.

Lives in: Ocean
Bird

Yellow-eyed Penguin

Yellow-eyed penguins live in New Zealand and have a band of yellow around their eyes. They are one of the rarest penguins in the world.

Lives in: Ocean
Insect

Yellow Jacket

Yellow jackets are wasps with yellow and black stripes. They build paper nests by chewing up bits of wood.

Lives in: Gardens
Crustacean

Yabby

A yabby is a freshwater crayfish from Australia. It has two big claws and can dig deep burrows when its pond dries up.

Lives in: Rivers & swamps
Mammal

Yapok

The yapok, also called the water opossum, is a strong swimmer with webbed back feet. A mother yapok can close her pouch to keep her babies dry underwater.

Lives in: Rivers & swamps
Mammal

Yellow Mongoose

Yellow mongooses live in southern Africa and dig burrows to live in. They sometimes share their homes with meerkats and ground squirrels.

Lives in: Grasslands
Mammal

Yellow-bellied Marmot

These chubby marmots live in the mountains of western North America. They sleep through the long, cold winter inside their burrows.

Lives in: Mountains
Bird

Yellowhammer

The yellowhammer is a small yellow bird that lives in Europe. People say its song sounds like “a little bit of bread and no cheese”.

Lives in: Farms
Mammal

Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire terriers are tiny dogs with long, silky hair. They were first bred in England to catch rats.

Lives in: Everywhere
Crustacean

Yeti Crab

Yeti crabs live deep in the ocean near warm cracks in the sea floor. Their arms are covered in fuzzy hairs, which is how they got their name.

Lives in: Ocean

Animal names that start with Y (Y animals list): Yak, Yellow Tang, Yellowfin Tuna, Yellow-eyed Penguin, Yellow Jacket, Yabby, Yapok, Yellow Mongoose, Yellow-bellied Marmot, Yellowhammer, Yorkshire Terrier, Yeti Crab.

Facts checked with National Geographic Kids and Wikipedia.

Quick quiz

What Animal Starts With Y? Quick 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

Free download
Y is for Yak Color the letters, then trace them below. Y y Y y Y y Y y Y y Y y Y y
Free printable

Letter Y Worksheets: Free Coloring Page

Three easy black and white pages: color a big letter Y and a yak, trace the letter Y, then find and circle the Y animals. Print a few and keep them ready for morning work.

1
Download the PDFOne click, no sign-up or email
2
Print at home or schoolFits US Letter and A4 paper
3
Color and traceBig letters and dotted tracing lines
Uppercase YLowercase yTracing practiceFind the Y animals
Download Free PDF 3 pages, black & white
Questions

Animals Beginning With Y: FAQ

All FAQs

Some easy ones for kids are yak, yellow tang, yellow jacket and Yorkshire terrier. Fun extras include yabby, yapok and yeti crab.

Yak is the best first word. It is short, fun to say and starts with a clear “yuh” sound.

Yes. Press the download button to get the PDF, then print as many copies as you need for home or class.

Say “yuh” with a big smile and nod like you are saying yes. Then practice with easy words like yak, yes, yum and yellow.

The yak is the biggest on our list. A big wild yak can weigh about as much as a small car.

The yellow jacket is one of the smallest, only about half an inch long. It is a kind of wasp.

Yellowfin tuna, yeti crabs and yellow tangs all live in the sea. Yellow-eyed penguins hunt for fish in the ocean too.

The Yorkshire terrier, or Yorkie, is a popular little pet dog. Yellow tangs are sometimes kept in big saltwater tanks too.

The yeti crab! Its fuzzy, hairy arms reminded scientists of the furry yeti from old stories.

Move on to the letter Z page, or print the alphabet flashcards to review Y with a quick matching game.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ