Animals That Start With I

Animals around us come in many different sizes, shapes, habits, and characteristics. Wildlife is full of wonders, and we still do not know much about them. Since you came across this article, you must be wondering about animals that start with I. 

It turns out that the list is not as long as for other letters, but it contains some of the most exciting creatures that are significant parts of our ecosystem.

Animal Names That Start With I

1. Impalas
2. Indian Elephants
3. Iguanas
4. Indian Star Tortoise
5. Immortal Jellyfish
6. Indri

Most Popular Animals That Start With I

The most popular animals that start with I include Impalas, one of the fastest running mammals and can pick up speeds of 50 mph. Indian elephants are domesticated elephant species that have actively been used in battles. Finally, among the animals that start with I, we will discuss Iguanas, which have the unique trait of communicating via visual signals.

1. Impalas

Impalas are the first in the list of animals that start with I. Those creatures are native to the eastern and southern parts of Africa. Those mammals prefer to live in the savannas and woodland areas. When the rainy season comes, the impalas move in herds, which include hundreds of individuals. However, during the dry season, the group works together, looking for food. This activity is called “browsing.” 

Depending on the environment, climate, and other factors, impalas can be both nocturnal and diurnal. Typically, herds of between 15 and 100 impalas are made up of females and their young form during mating season. Female Impalas are called ewes and do not have horns. Yet, males come with horns that are curved and twisted. 

Typically, females weigh up to 99 pounds, whereas males can get as heavy as 143 pounds. Those interesting mammals are folivore eaters, meaning they enjoy eating grass, seedpods, shoots, fruit, vegetation, and leaves.

2. Indian Elephants

Indian elephants, also scientifically known as Maximus indicus, are characterized by their entirely boneless trunk. The trunk includes 40 000 muscles divided into 150,000 different sections. Those sections and muscles are essential for the correct functioning of the trunk. It gives the possibility of splashing the water and cooling down in the hot weather. Also, with their strong trunks, Indian elephants tear the food into pieces and even express happiness and anger. 

Those particular creatures are a subspecies of Asian elephants that are grayish-black in color. They range in height from 6.6 to 11.5 feet and weigh between 1000 and 4,000 pounds. These animals are renowned for their intelligence and ability to express a wide range of emotions, including joy and sorrow. They release low and high-pitched noises and communicate this way.  

These Asian elephants may be found in a range of settings, although they particularly like the grasslands, forests, and scrublands of India. In addition, they can be found in cultivated woods. Also known as megaherbivores in general, these elephants are reported to consume roughly 330 pounds of food per day. The primary components of their food are leaves, stems, grass, bark, and roots. In addition, these enormous beasts eat grains, bananas, and sugarcane.

3. Iguanas

Care for the fun facts about iguanas? Those lizards in South America are called “chickens of the tree.” Iguanas are very large-sized reptiles native to the Southern and Central American rainforests. However, in recent times, people have shown an interest in them, and those creatures have become one of the most popular domestic pets. 

Different body sections of these animals that start with I are covered in various scales. Some have a mix of tiny, overlapping scales and huge, spherical scales all over their necks. Due to their color, which frequently enables them to be invisible in the surroundings and aids in their evasion of predators, these reptiles can be challenging to spot. Iguanas have very good eyesight and can even see movement and colors from a long distance. 

Typically, Iguanas are omnivore animals. However, some species prefer to eat plants. The foods that are most loved by them include figs, ripe fruit, buds, flowers, and leaves. However, they also enjoy invertebrates and even carrion.

Least Popular Animals That Start With I

Our list of least famous animals that start with I is the Indian Star Tortoise. This creature is named so because of its beautiful visual patterns that resemble stars. Also, we will explore an amazing water creature – the Immortal Jellyfish, which is famous for its hitchhiking trips on cargo trips. Have you ever heard of an animal called Indri? Those are considered to be the largest lemur species on earth.

4. Indian Star Tortoise

One of the most remarkable tortoises on the globe, this particular one stands out thanks to its distinctive star-shaped markings and small stature. Those creatures prefer to live in the grasslands, shrublands, and forests. They are native to India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Those animals are pretty adaptable and can withstand being too wet or too dry in an environment. 

The Indian Star Tortoise truly deserves to be on the list of animals that start with I. Unfortunately, because of human influences, today those creatures are listed on the IUCN red list as the vulnerable ones.

Typically, Indian star tortoises have a length of 12 inches. Females are larger in size than males. The limbs and tails of those tortoises come in yellowish-tan colors and are covered in dark blotches. They are primarily notable for their upper shell or carapace. Its form is highly convex or rounded, and its sides are nearly vertical. A much more striking impression is produced when scutes create humps.

They usually live alone and in seclusion outside of the breeding season. They are primarily diurnal, which means they are most active during the day. Some, though, may be categorized as crepuscular, indicating that twilight is when they are most active. The diet of the Indian Star Tortoise mainly consists of flowers, grass, succulents, fruits, and other types of vegetation. If they get the opportunity, they will also eat carrion.

5. Immortal Jellyfish

Even from its name, we can guess that those are some of the very unique water animals that start with I. Those creatures have the ability to regenerate and, therefore, are considered to be immortal. This jellyfish was first found in 1883 in the Mediterranean waters. Their unique ability to transform was not known until the 1990s. 

Immortal jellyfish typically reproduce themselves when they are injured, dying, or starving. Yet, they can still die, and this can happen if they get eaten or taken out of the water. They resemble little ice cubes and are nearly undetectable.  It features a large, brightly colored stomach with a cruciform cross-section. Like other jellyfish, it contains a hydrostatic skeleton, which is thin and only the apex is covered in a jelly-like material. 

Those jellyfish species typically consume the smaller prey either through passive hunting or active hunting. Passive hunting means that they slowly move around on the sand on the ocean floor and consume it when the small prey passes by. On the other hand, active hunting means that they use their tentacles to sting the victim and then consume it. Immortal Jellyfish enjoy eating larvae, brine shrimp, fish eggs, and plankton.

6. Indri

Indri is the last one on the list of animals that start with I. Those creatures are the species of lemurs. The only place where they reside today in Madagascar Island. It is believed that similarly to other lemurs, the Idris came from the continent of Africa approximately 50 million years ago. Local people refer to this animal by various names, including the Babakoto. This translates as the “ancestor”. The symbolic meaning of this animal is that locals consider them to resemble their ancestors and people who have passed. 

Idris has a very dense coat that has fur with a silky texture. The black fur also has some white patches here and there. Typically, the color is dependent on the location. The fingers and toes have developed to grasp the trees. As a result, they can even leap up to 10 meters in length. Their good vision and the yellow color of their eyes make it absolutely easy to predict the approximate distance before jumping.

Those animals are herbivores, in contrast to many other primates who will eat nearly everything they come upon. Indris are diurnal, which means they are most active during the daytime.

During this time, they go on hunting expeditions on both the ground and the trees. First pickers, females are frequently seen hunting for brand-new leaves.

Most of Indri’s food consists of young leaves, coupled with fruits, seeds, and flowers that can be readily picked up with their dexterous fingers. Although it is believed that Indris eat a range of plant materials and foliage, they are most likely to consume flora that grows only on the trees.

Bottom Line – Animals That Start With I

In this article, we discussed mammals, water creatures, and reptiles. The list includes Immortal Jellyfish, Indian Star Tortoise, and Indri, the less-known animals that start with I. Additionally, among the list of well-known animals that start with I, we explored Iguanas, Indian elephants, and Impalas.