Mammals That Start With A: Complete A-to-Z List

A is one of the busiest letters for mammals. The wild list spans aardvarks, addax antelopes, armadillos and Arctic wolves; the breed list includes Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Australian Shepherds and the slender Azawakh. Here’s the complete A-to-Z guide to mammals beginning with A.

Quick facts about mammals starting with A

Total entries: 41 mammals whose names start with A.
Wild mammal species: 8.
Dog breeds: 23.
Cat breeds: 6.
Rabbit breeds: 4.

Wild mammals starting with A

A-to-Z list of wild mammal species whose common names begin with this letter.

Aardvark

African nocturnal mammal; eats ants and termites with its long sticky tongue.

Aardwolf: The Shy Night-Time Forager of Africa

A wild mammal species; see the full Aardwolf: The Shy Night-Time Forager of Africa guide for details.

Addax

Critically endangered Saharan antelope with spiral horns; superbly desert-adapted.

African Buffalo

Large powerful African bovid; one of the most dangerous mammals on hunting safaris.

African Wild Dog

Painted wolf; the most endangered large carnivore in Africa.

Arctic Wolf

White wolf adapted to the High Arctic; smaller subspecies of the grey wolf.

Armadillo

Armoured small mammal; the only mammal with true bony external armour.

Asian Elephant

Smaller, smaller-eared elephant species; native to South and Southeast Asia.

Dog breeds starting with A

Domestic dog breeds whose names begin with this letter.

Affenpinscher

Small monkey-faced German toy breed; bold, mischievous and curious.

Afghan Hound

Tall silken-coated sighthound; one of the oldest dog breeds in the world.

Airedale Terrier

King of Terriers; largest of the terrier breeds, originally a Yorkshire ratter.

Akbash Dog

Turkish livestock guardian breed; large, white, calm and protective.

Akita Dog

Japanese national dog; powerful, dignified spitz breed bred to hunt bear.

Alabai

Central Asian Shepherd Dog; ancient livestock-guarding breed of the steppe.

Alaskan Husky

Working sled-dog hybrid (not a kennel-club breed) bred for racing performance.

Alaskan Klee Kai

Miniature Alaskan Husky look-alike; energetic small breed developed in the 1970s.

Alaskan Malamute

Powerful Arctic sled dog; Alaska’s official state dog (designated 2010).

American Alsatian

Modern American breed designed to resemble the dire wolf; calm companion temperament.

American Bully

Stocky muscular Pitbull-derived companion breed developed in the 1990s.

American Foxhound

Virginia’s state dog; refined by George Washington at Mount Vernon.

American Water Spaniel

Wisconsin’s state dog; compact retriever bred for canoe-based duck hunting.

Anatolian Shepherd

Turkish livestock-guardian breed; massive, calm, fiercely protective of flocks.

Apple Head Chihuahua

Chihuahua variant with the round ‘apple-shaped’ skull (the breed standard).

Aussiedoodle

Australian Shepherd and Poodle mix; intelligent, energetic, low-shedding.

Australian Shepherd

Surprisingly American breed; energetic herder with merle coat patterns.

Australian Shepherd Husky Mix

Energetic Aussie-Husky mix combining two top working breeds.

Australian Shepherd Lab Mix

Aussiedor; medium-large family dog with herding tendencies.

Australian Shepherd Mix Breeds

Roundup of popular Australian Shepherd hybrid breeds.

Australian Terrier

Small hardy Australian-developed terrier; one of the few earthdogs from Down Under.

Austrian Pinscher

Rare Austrian farm dog; medium-sized, alert and independent.

Azawakh

Slender West African sighthound; one of the oldest dog breeds anywhere.

Cat breeds starting with A

Domestic cat breeds whose names begin with this letter.

Abyssinian

Slender ticked-coat domestic cat; one of the oldest known cat breeds.

American Bobtail

Short-tailed domestic cat resembling a wild bobcat; muscular and dog-like.

American Curl

Domestic cat with backward-curling ears; born straight, ears curl by 16 weeks.

American Shorthair

Quintessential American cat breed; descended from cats brought on the Mayflower.

American Wirehair

American cat breed defined by a spontaneous wirehair coat mutation.

Australian Mist

Spotted short-haired domestic cat developed in Australia in the 1970s.

Rabbit breeds starting with A

Domestic rabbit breeds whose names begin with this letter.

American Chinchilla Rabbit

Large rabbit breed with chinchilla-style banded grey fur.

American Fuzzy Lop Rabbit

Compact lop-eared rabbit with a woolly Angora-style fleece.

American Rabbit

Heritage American rabbit breed; originally bred for both meat and fur.

American Sable Rabbit

Mid-sized rabbit with a sable-shaded brown coat from light to dark.

Frequently asked questions

How many mammals start with the letter A?

Animal Corner covers 41 mammals whose names begin with the letter A, including 8 wild mammal species, 23 dog breeds, 6 cat breeds and 4 rabbit breeds. Use the lists above to browse each category.

What is the most famous mammal that starts with A?

The standout wild mammal name starting with A is the aardvark, armadillo and Asian elephant. Among domestic breeds, popular A-starting names include the Akita and Alaskan Malamute.

Are dogs, cats and rabbits considered mammals?

Yes. All dogs, cats and rabbits are mammals, alongside wild species like deer, elephants and whales. Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that nurse their young; this includes both wild species and the domesticated breeds derived from them.

What’s the smallest mammal whose name starts with A?

That depends on the letter, but on this page some of the smaller A-starting mammals include rabbit breeds and toy dog breeds. For wild species, see the species guides linked above.

How can I find more mammals on Animal Corner?

Browse the Animal Corner mammals hub at /mammal/ for the complete A-to-Z list, or use our individual breed pages: /dog-breeds/, /cat-breeds/ and /rabbit-breeds/.

Browse more: mammals hub, dog breeds, cat breeds, rabbit breeds.

Mammals That Start With A