Names are an important part of identity. Some names carry origin, cultural and environmental meaning. If you are interested in learning about animals with J in their name, this article has covered 16 animals you should know.
1. Jackal
Jackal is a rare and enigmatic predator, primarily found in the dry savannahs of Africa. It is a canine family member closely related to dogs, wolves, coyotes, and foxes. A jackal’s appearance is similar to that of other canines, but it has a longer neck than others and a conspicuous black-and-white face mask.
Jackals have long tails used for balance while running or chasing prey. The tail also plays an important role in social behavior: when two jackals meet, they will bow to each other by bowing their tails back and forth rapidly. This gesture shows respect between members of the same social group or pack.
2. Jellyfish
Jellyfish are not technically animals, but they are classified as invertebrates. They have no backbone or brains and are made up of a gelatinous substance divided into many distinct parts called zooids.
Jellyfish can move by pulsing their bell or umbrella-like bodies back and forth or adjusting their density to match the water flow around them. The jellyfish’s body comprises a stinging net of long tentacles that can reach up to 2 meters (6 ft) in length. The tentacles contain nematocysts, which capture food and defend against attackers.
3. Jackrabbit
The jackrabbit is a hare-like mammal native to the Americas. Jackrabbits are long-legged animals with long ears and short, soft fur. They typically have short, stumpy legs with large paws, which give them excellent traction on rough terrain. Their tail is often lithe and may be used to balance when running or hopping. The tail also acts as a rudder when running on one side of a slope, allowing the rabbit to maintain its balance without turning its head.
4. Jerboa
Jerboa is a small rodent with a long, slender body that can reach lengths up to 30 cm. It has long legs and small feet with five toes, each with an undivided pad. The tail is long and thin and has no tuft. The coat is silky, dense, and soft to the touch, but it can be hard to spot against the desert floor due to its coloration.
The natural habitat of the jerboa is arid regions in deserts, grasslands, semi-deserts, and rocky areas between mountain ranges. It lives in burrows dug into the ground or among rocks or other objects such as bushes or stumps, and it prefers rocky slopes where it can easily climb up or descend from one location to another.
5. Jaguar
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a medium-sized feline of the Panthera genus. With the largest of all living cat species, it is an apex predator in parts of its range and has the strongest bite of any land mammal. Jaguars have a distinctive spotted coat. Their ears are small and rounded, and they have powerful hind legs that propel the animal through the trees. Jaguar kittens are born with spots but lose them as they mature.
Jaguars live in tropical forests of Central and South America, including parts of Mexico and Belize. In some areas, they are rare but still abundant in others.
6. Jaguarundi
The Jaguarundi is a medium-sized wild cat with a compact body and an elongated head, which is shorter than the body length. It has small eyes and a rounded nose. The Jaguarundi has a long tail, which may be used for balance when moving in trees. Its paws are also adapted for climbing.
The Jaguarundi has short fur that does not protect it from the cold at night. The fur is gray to brown on its back and white on its belly, paws, and throat. The tail is black with white markings around it and has a white tip at the end. The ears are large and rounded with black spots around them.
7. Japanese Macaque
The Japanese Macaque is a small monkey that can be found in the wild in Asia. The species’ brown coat is often described as a “dirty blonde,” but this is an oversimplification; it varies from black to white or tan depending on the subspecies. A typical Japanese macaque weighs between 20 and 40 pounds and stands about 1 foot tall.
Japanese macaques live in groups of up to 30 individuals. Each group ranges from 2 to 6 miles (3-9 km) across, but some groups may be larger than others due to different population densities and territorial boundaries.
8. Jabiru
The Jabiru is a large black and white bird with a long neck, large head, and throat pouch. Jabiru is a ground bird that feeds on grasses and sedges, among other things. They are mostly black with white or yellowish markings on their necks, chests, flanks, and underwings. They have a long beak with a blunt tip and walk on their toes as birds do rather than their feet like mammals do (called digitigrade locomotion).
9. Japanese Squirrel
The Japanese Squirrel is a small rodent of the squirrel family. It is native to Japan, Korea, and China and has been introduced to other parts of Asia, including Taiwan and Bhutan.
The Japanese Squirrel is a small animal that can be found in various colors. It has a bushy tail and a long, pointed nose. It also has large eyes that can see in both directions at once. The Japanese Squirrel has thick fur on its back, short fur on its sides, and underbelly. The fur color ranges from black, brown, or gray, depending on the individual animal’s natural coloring.
10. Jumping Spider
Jumping spiders are small, carnivorous arachnids that superficially resemble scorpions. They are found in every habitat except deserts and polar regions, where wolf spiders replace them.
Jumping spiders hunt their prey by “jumping” into the air and pouncing on it. The spider’s legs act as a pair of pincers, which grab onto the prey. The bite is not venomous, but the sharp fangs can inflict a painful wound. Jumping spiders have no eyes but two large forward-facing eyes on their chelicerae (the jaws behind the mouth).
11. Juniper Vole
A juniper vole is a small rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in western North America, from British Columbia to Baja California and south through the Colorado Plateau, the southern Rockies, and Great Basin.
The juniper vole is common in open habitats such as grasslands and shrublands. Its diet consists mainly of grasses, seeds, and fruits, but it also eats mushrooms and lichens. The diet broadens during the winter months when food is scarce.
Juniper voles are nocturnal animals that live in underground burrows with multiple chambers for shelter. They are solitary creatures that do not form colonies or hibernate together like other voles.
12. John Dory
John Dory is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Agonidae. It is one of the most widely distributed and popular fish in the Mediterranean, but it is also found in the Black Sea, Red Sea, and the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
John Dory can live in a wide range of temperatures and water conditions, making them an ideal choice for aquarists. They do best when kept at temperatures between 72F (22C) and 82F (28C) with hard and alkaline water. They also tolerate low oxygen levels, making them suitable for saltwater aquariums.
13. Japanese Chin Dog
The Japanese ChinChin is a breed of dog that was developed in Japan. The breed is known for its unusual appearance, including a double-jointed jaw and elongated lower jaw. It also has a long snout, which gives the dog an appearance similar to that of an animal. The Japanese ChinChin was developed in Japan over several thousand years and was used as a guard dog or companion animal during the Edo period (1603–1867).
14. Javan Langur
Javan langurs are the only Old World monkeys with a permanent home in the tropics. They live in Indonesia, with the most common species in Sumatra and Java. This monkey’s long, slender fingers and toes are often compared to those of humans.
The Javan langur is about 8 to 9 inches high and weighs about 5 pounds. Its color is reddish brown on the back, with a white rump patch contrasting with its black tail. It also has distinctive long, curved canines used for biting and chewing.
15. Jackson’s Chameleons
Jackson’s chameleon is a small chameleon species living in North Africa’s deserts. It is one of the most common chameleon species on all continents except Antarctica. It has an average length of 6 inches, with males slightly larger than females. Jackson’s chameleons are nocturnal (active at night) and spend most of their time hiding in trees during the day.
Jackson’s chameleons are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Their diet consists mainly of insects, but they also eat snails and other small animals. Jackson’s chameleons can climb trees to find food because they have claws on their hands and feet that help them grip onto branches.
Jackson’s chameleons live in groups called harems. Each female will have several males as part of her group, who will help protect her from other males trying to mate with her or attack her eggs when she lays them out in the sun during mating season.