# Animal That Starts With Q: Species List The letter Q is one of the thinnest letters in the animal kingdom. A working list of real, named animals that start with Q comes to roughly a dozen species, and only a handful of them are familiar to most people. The best known is the quokka, a small macropod from Western Australia, followed by the quolls, a group of carnivorous marsupials, and the quetzals, brightly colored trogons of the Neotropics. This guide covers each Q animal by common name, with its scientific name, taxonomic class, geographic range, and one distinguishing fact. It also includes a sortable table so you can compare all of them side by side, plus notes on the biology that makes this group unusual and the mistakes people make when they search for Q animals online. ## The Complete List of Animals That Start With Q The entries below are restricted to animals with a genuine common name beginning with Q. Every species listed is a real, described organism with a valid scientific name. No mythical creatures, no fictional characters, and no animals whose only Q connection is a brand name or a place name. ### Quokka (*Setonix brachyurus*) The quokka is a small macropod, the same family that includes kangaroos and wallabies. It belongs to the class Mammalia and the infraclass Marsupialia. Its native range is southwestern Western Australia, with the largest and most famous population on Rottnest Island, a 19 square kilometer island off the coast near Perth. Smaller mainland populations persist in scattered pockets of dense vegetation, mostly in the southwest forests around the Stirling Range and in a few swampy refuges. The quokka's distinguishing feature is its face. It has a short, rounded snout and a forward-facing expression that reads as a smile to human observers, which is why it became a social media fixture. The biology behind that face is less charming. Quokkas are crepuscular and nocturnal foragers that eat grasses, sedges, and leaves, and they can survive long dry periods by reabsorbing water from their own feces and by storing fat in their tails. They are also one of the few macropods that can climb small trees and shrubs to reach browse. ### Quolls (*Dasyurus* species) Quolls are dasyurid marsupials, which means they belong to Dasyuridae, the same family as the Tasmanian devil and the numbat. They are carnivorous, and they are the largest marsupial carnivores on the Australian mainland after the devil. Four species are widely recognized. The **spotted-tailed quoll** (*Dasyurus maculatus*) is the largest, roughly the size of a domestic cat, and it is the only quoll with spots that extend onto the tail. It lives in eastern Australia from Queensland down through New South Wales and Victoria, plus Tasmania. It is listed as endangered in parts of its range. Research on spotted-tailed quolls has confirmed them as definitive hosts for a pentastomid parasite, *Linguatula* sp., the first confirmed report of an adult *Linguatula* pentastome in a native Australian animal [1]. Spotted-tailed quolls also act as secondary dispersers of mycorrhizal fungi. A study in eastern New South Wales found that 72.3 percent of quoll scats contained fungi, with 77 fungal taxa identified, and quolls consumed 20 mammal species, 14 of which were mycophagous [2]. The **eastern quoll** (*Dasyurus viverrinus*) is a smaller species, about the size of a small cat, with a fawn or black coat morph. It was extirpated from mainland Australia in the 20th century and now survives in the wild only on two islands at the southern end of its historical range, plus reintroduced populations. A reference genome published in 2024 identified a deletion at the ASIP locus that likely explains the pelage color difference between eastern quolls and Tasmanian devils [3]. Eastern quolls show high rates of multiple paternity, with 47 to 85 percent of litters sired by more than one male, and individual reproductive success correlates with higher body weight, lower age, and the fawn color morph [4]. The **northern quoll** (*Dasyurus hallucatus*) is a smaller, more agile species found across northern Australia, including the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Habitat suitability for northern quolls is driven largely by terrain ruggedness, while dispersal is facilitated by proximity to watercourses, and areas with high silt and clay content resist movement [5]. A 2020 study found that female northern quolls with higher body condition and greater agility around a 135 degree corner were more likely to survive their first 21 months of life [6]. The **western quoll** (*Dasyurus geoffroii*), also called the chuditch, is the smallest of the four and lives in southwestern Western Australia. It has been the subject of reintroduction programs, and non-invasive monitoring of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites has been validated as a way to track its stress physiology during capture and transfer [7]. ### Quetzals (*Pharomachrus* and *Euptilotis* species) Quetzals are Neotropical trogons, members of the family Trogonidae. They belong to the class Aves. The most famous is the resplendent quetzal (*Pharomachrus mocinno*), which ranges from southern Mexico through Central America to western Panama. It is a bird of cloud forest and montane rainforest. The resplendent quetzal's distinguishing feature is the male's tail streamers, which can extend up to 65 centimeters beyond the body and are longer than the bird itself. The feathers are iridescent green and were prized in Mesoamerican cultures. Quetzals are primarily frugivorous, eating wild avocados and other laurel-family fruits, and they nest in tree cavities. They are not easily kept in captivity and are rarely seen outside their native range. ### Quail (multiple genera) Quail is a common name applied to several small ground-dwelling birds in the order Galliformes. The most familiar in North America is the northern bobwhite (*Colinus virginianus*), in the family Odontophoridae. Old World quail belong to the genus *Coturnix* in the family Phasianidae, and the Japanese quail (*Coturnix japonica*) is the domesticated species most often raised for eggs and meat. Quail are class Aves. Their range is global, with species on every continent except Antarctica. The distinguishing fact about quail is their reproductive output. A female Japanese quail can lay more than 300 eggs per year under commercial conditions, and quail chicks are precocial, meaning they hatch covered in down and can walk and feed within hours. ### Quahog (*Mercenaria mercenaria*) The quahog, also called the hard clam or cherrystone clam, is a marine bivalve mollusk in the class Bivalvia. Its range runs along the eastern coast of North America from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Florida. It is a filter feeder that burrows into sand and mud in intertidal and subtidal zones. The distinguishing fact about the quahog is its longevity. Quahogs are among the longest-lived invertebrates, and individuals have been aged to several decades by counting growth rings in the shell. The species also produces the purple dye known historically as Tyrian purple, which is why the quahog appears in the history of textile dyeing as well as in marine biology. ### Queen Snake (*Regina septemvittata*) The queen snake is a nonvenomous colubrid snake in the class Reptilia. Its range covers the eastern United States and parts of southern Ontario, from New York and Wisconsin south to Alabama and Georgia. It lives in and along streams and rivers with rocky or gravelly bottoms. The distinguishing fact about the queen snake is its diet. It feeds almost exclusively on freshly molted crayfish, which are soft enough to swallow. This specialization makes the queen snake sensitive to water quality and to declines in crayfish populations, and it is listed as endangered or threatened in several states at the edges of its range. ### Quilted Moray (*Gymnothorax* species) The quilted moray is a moray eel in the family Muraenidae, class Actinopterygii. The name is applied to more than one species in the genus *Gymnothorax*, most commonly *Gymnothorax* sp. with a mottled, quilt-like pattern of dark blotches on a pale background. Morays in this group are found in the Indo-Pacific and parts of the western Atlantic, depending on the species. The distinguishing fact about quilted morays is their pharyngeal jaw. Like other morays, they have a second set of jaws in the throat that can shoot forward to grab prey and pull it back into the esophagus. This gives morays a two-stage bite that is unusual among bony fishes. ### Queen Angelfish (*Holacanthus ciliaris*) The queen angelfish is a marine angelfish in the family Pomacanthidae, class Actinopterygii. It ranges from Florida and the Bahamas through the Caribbean to Brazil, and it is one of the most recognizable reef fishes in the tropical western Atlantic. It lives on coral reefs and feeds primarily on sponges, algae, and small invertebrates. The distinguishing fact about the queen angelfish is the "crown" on its head. The name comes from a ring of electric blue and yellow that surrounds a dark spot on the forehead, which looks like a small crown. Juveniles have a completely different color pattern from adults, with vertical blue bars on a dark body, and they sometimes clean parasites from larger fish. ### Quillback (*Carpiodes cyprinus*) The quillback is a freshwater fish in the sucker family Catostomidae, class Actinopterygii. It is native to central and eastern North America, from the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay drainages south to the Gulf Coast. It lives in rivers, reservoirs, and lakes with moderate current. The distinguishing fact about the quillback is its first dorsal ray, which is elongated into a long, quill-like filament that gives the fish its name. Quillbacks are bottom feeders that use their downward-facing mouths to vacuum up insect larvae, mollusks, and plant material from the substrate. They are not a common sport fish but are ecologically important as a link between benthic invertebrates and larger predators. ## Sortable Table of Q Animals The table below summarizes every species covered above. Sort by any column to compare taxonomy, range, or conservation status. | Common name | Scientific name | Taxon | Range | Conservation status | |--|--|--|--|--|--| | Quokka | *Setonix brachyurus* | Mammalia (Marsupialia) | Southwestern Western Australia, mainly Rottnest Island | Vulnerable | | Spotted-tailed quoll | *Dasyurus maculatus* | Mammalia (Dasyuridae) | Eastern Australia, Tasmania | Endangered in parts of range | | Eastern quoll | *Dasyurus viverrinus* | Mammalia (Dasyuridae) | Tasmania and two southern islands, reintroduced to mainland | Endangered | | Northern quoll | *Dasyurus hallucatus* | Mammalia (Dasyuridae) | Northern Australia, including Pilbara | Endangered | | Western quoll | *Dasyurus geoffroii* | Mammalia (Dasyuridae) | Southwestern Western Australia | Near threatened | | Resplendent quetzal | *Pharomachrus mocinno* | Aves (Trogonidae) | Southern Mexico to western Panama | Near threatened | | Northern bobwhite quail | *Colinus virginianus* | Aves (Odontophoridae) | Eastern and central North America | Near threatened | | Japanese quail | *Coturnix japonica* | Aves (Phasianidae) | East Asia, domesticated worldwide | Least concern | | Quahog | *Mercenaria mercenaria* | Bivalvia | Eastern North America, Gulf of St. Lawrence to Florida | Not assessed | | Queen snake | *Regina septemvittata* | Reptilia (Colubridae) | Eastern United States, southern Ontario | Varies by state, threatened at edges | | Quilted moray | *Gymnothorax* spp. | Actinopterygii (Muraenidae) | Indo-Pacific and western Atlantic | Not assessed | | Queen angelfish | *Holacanthus ciliaris* | Actinopterygii (Pomacanthidae) | Florida to Brazil, Caribbean | Least concern | | Quillback | *Carpiodes cyprinus* | Actinopterygii (Catostomidae) | Central and eastern North America | Least concern | ## Why So Few Animals Start With Q The short answer is linguistic, not biological. Common names in English are assigned by whoever describes or popularizes a species, and English has very few native words beginning with Q. Most Q words in English are loanwords from French, Latin, or Arabic, and most of them arrived after the animals they name had already been given common names. The letter Q in English is almost always followed by U, and the "kw" sound it represents is uncommon at the start of native Germanic words. That is why so many Q animals have names borrowed from other languages. Quokka comes from the Nyungar word *kwoka*. Quoll is an English rendering of a word from an Aboriginal language of New South Wales. Quetzal comes from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. Quahog comes from Narragansett, an Algonquian language of New England. The result is a list that is geographically lopsided. Australia contributes the quokka and four quolls. The Neotropics contribute the quetzal. North America contributes the quahog, queen snake, and quillback. The Caribbean contributes the queen angelfish. East Asia contributes the Japanese quail. The Indo-Pacific contributes the quilted moray. No continent has more than a handful of Q animals, and Antarctica has none. ## Biology Behind the Q Animals The Q list spans a wide range of body plans, but a few biological themes recur across the group. ### Marsupial carnivores dominate the Australian entries Five of the thirteen species in the table are Australian marsupials: the quokka and the four quolls. The quokka is a herbivorous macropod, while the quolls are carnivorous dasyurids. This split reflects a broader pattern in Australian mammal evolution, where marsupials radiated into ecological roles that placental mammals fill on other continents. The quolls are particularly interesting because they are the largest marsupial carnivores left on the mainland. Spotted-tailed quolls have been studied as parasite hosts, as fungal dispersers, and as subjects of density estimation in fragmented landscapes. Camera trap work in fragmented and intact forest in eastern Australia identified 173 individual quolls by their unique pelage patterns and estimated densities of 0.13 to 0.66 quolls per square kilometer in fragmented forest, comparable to 0.28 to 0.48 per square kilometer in intact forest [8]. That finding matters because it shows that forest fragments can still support quoll populations at meaningful densities. Quolls also respond to human landscape modification in measurable ways. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations, which are a non-invasive marker of adrenal activity, vary with land use across multiple Australian mammal species, including the spotted-tailed quoll [9]. In reintroduction settings, eastern quolls released to a mainland reserve were able to locate food and hunt live prey, though foraging carried risks including ingestion of toxic substances [10]. Health screening of founder eastern quolls during translocation found that 29 percent of tested animals were seropositive for *Toxoplasma gondii* antibodies and 58 percent of swabs were PCR positive for a newly identified gammaherpesvirus [11]. ### Antipredator behavior can be lost quickly One of the most striking findings in quoll research concerns the speed at which antipredator behavior can disappear. Northern quolls were moved to a predator-free offshore island in 2003 to protect them from invasive cane toads. Within 13 generations, island quolls showed no recognition or aversion to the scent of feral cats or dingoes, while mainland quolls and their captive-born offspring did [12]. This has direct implications for reintroduction programs, because animals that have lost predator recognition may not survive on the mainland. ### Quetzals and quail represent two extremes of avian life history The resplendent quetzal is a slow-reproducing cloud forest specialist with a restricted range and a low tolerance for habitat disturbance. The Japanese quail is a fast-reproducing ground bird that has been domesticated and now produces hundreds of eggs per year in commercial settings. Both are birds, but they sit at opposite ends of the avian life history spectrum, and that difference explains why one is a conservation concern and the other is a livestock species. ## Common Mistakes and Limitations Several errors show up repeatedly when people search for animals that start with Q. **Confusing quolls with quokkas.** The two names look similar and both are Australian marsupials, but they are not closely related. Quokkas are macropods in the family Macropodidae. Quolls are dasyurids in the family Dasyuridae. Quokkas eat plants. Quolls eat meat. The confusion is common enough that search results for one often surface the other. **Treating "quail" as a single species.** Quail is a common name shared by dozens of species across two families. The northern bobwhite and the Japanese quail are not closely related, and their care, range, and conservation status differ substantially. A search for "quail" without a modifier will return mixed results. **Assuming all quetzals are resplendent quetzals.** The resplendent quetzal is the most famous, but the genus *Pharomachrus* includes several species, and the eared quetzal (*Euptilotis neoxenus*) is a separate genus found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Range and appearance vary. **Using Q lists that include fictional animals.** Some online Q lists include mythical creatures or cartoon characters. This guide excludes them. Every entry here is a real, described organism. **Expecting a Q animal for every habitat.** There is no Q animal native to Antarctica, no Q reptile in Europe, and no Q amphibian anywhere. The Q list is genuinely short, and any list that claims dozens of entries is probably padding with subspecies, breeds, or invented names. **Assuming conservation status is uniform within a group.** The four quoll species have different statuses. The spotted-tailed quoll is endangered in parts of its range but not everywhere. The eastern quoll is endangered across its range. The western quoll is near threatened. Treating "quoll" as a single conservation unit leads to bad management decisions. For any individual animal, whether a pet, a zoo specimen, or a wild population, a veterinarian or wildlife biologist should be consulted. This guide describes species-level biology and does not replace professional assessment. ## Practical Implications for Keepers and Observers If you keep quail, the species matters. Japanese quail are domesticated and have well-established husbandry requirements. Northern bobwhite are wild birds with different space, diet, and legal considerations, and in many US states they require permits to keep. The two are not interchangeable. If you are interested in seeing Q animals in the wild, the quokka is the most accessible. Rottnest Island is a short ferry ride from Perth, and the population is habituated to human presence. Quolls are harder to see. They are nocturnal, solitary, and declining across much of their range. Camera trapping is the most reliable way to detect them, and the pelage patterns of individual quolls are distinctive enough to allow identification without capture [8]. Quetzals require travel to cloud forest in Mexico or Central America and are best seen during the breeding season, when males display near nest cavities. Queen angelfish are common on Caribbean reefs and are easy to see while snorkeling or diving. Quahogs are harvested commercially and recreationally along the US East Coast, and their age can be estimated from shell growth rings. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the most famous animal that starts with Q? The quokka is the most famous animal that starts with Q. It is a small macropod from Rottnest Island in Western Australia, known for its forward-facing face and its tolerance of human visitors. ### Are quolls and quokkas related? Quolls and quokkas are both Australian marsupials, but they are not closely related. Quokkas are macropods in the family Macropodidae. Quolls are carnivorous dasyurids in the family Dasyuridae. ### How many animals start with Q? Roughly a dozen well-known animals have common names starting with Q. The list includes the quokka, four quoll species, the quetzal, quail, quahog, queen snake, quilted moray, queen angelfish, and quillback. ### Is a quetzal a real bird? Yes. The resplendent quetzal (*Pharomachrus mocinno*) is a real bird in the trogon family, native to cloud forests from southern Mexico to western Panama. ### What is a quahog? A quahog is a hard clam (*Mercenaria mercenaria*), a marine bivalve found along the eastern coast of North America. It is a filter feeder and one of the longest-lived invertebrates. ### Is the queen snake venomous? No. The queen snake (*Regina septemvittata*) is a nonvenomous colubrid. It feeds almost exclusively on freshly molted crayfish and is found in streams across the eastern United States. ### Where do quilted morays live? Quilted morays are moray eels in the genus *Gymnothorax*, found in the Indo-Pacific and parts of the western Atlantic, depending on the species. ### What is special about the queen angelfish? The queen angelfish (*Holacanthus ciliaris*) has a ring of electric blue and yellow on its forehead that looks like a crown, which gives the species its name. It lives on Caribbean and western Atlantic coral reefs. ## Related Articles - [Bacterial Diseases of Animals: A Comprehensive List and Clinical Overview](/knowledge/bacteria/wildlife-bacteria/animal-bacterial-diseases-list-clinical-overview) - [Parasite Control in Multi-Species Exotic Collections](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/exotic-animal-medicine/parasite-control-in-multi-species-exotic-collections-integrated-strategies-for-reptiles-birds-and-sm) - [Animal Architects: How Different Species Build Their Homes](/blog/animals-general-knowledge/animal-architects-how-different-species-build-their-homes) - [How Many Chickens Should You Start With?](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/backyard-poultry/how-many-chickens-to-start) - [Livestock Products List](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/clinical-methods/livestock-products-list) - [NAVLE Study Timeline: When to Start and Milestones](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/navle-exam-prep/navle-study-timeline-when-to-start-milestones) ## Sources 1. [Verification of the Spotted-Tail Quoll, Dasyurus maculatus, as a Definitive Host for the Pentastomid Linguatula sp. in Australia.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33977400/) 2. [Secondary consumption of mycorrhizal fungi by two endangered marsupial carnivores: the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) and Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii).](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42432188/) 3. [Genome of the endangered eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) reveals signatures of historical decline and pelage color evolution.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38796620/) 4. [Factors Affecting Multiple Paternity: Insights From the Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus).](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42078664/) 5. [Linking life history to landscape for threatened species conservation in a multiuse region.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35979681/) 6. [Greater agility increases probability of survival in the endangered northern quoll.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32561634/) 7. [Non-invasive monitoring of adrenocortical physiology in a threatened Australian marsupial, the western quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii).](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31687147/) 8. [Density estimates reveal that fragmented landscapes provide important habitat for conserving an endangered mesopredator, the spotted-tailed quoll.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35879340/) 9. [Land use influences the faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of multiple species across trophic levels.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39834349/) 10. [Finding food in a novel environment: The diet of a reintroduced endangered meso-predator to mainland Australia, with notes on foraging behaviour.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33332425/) 11. [BASELINE HEALTH AND DISEASE ASSESSMENT OF FOUNDER EASTERN QUOLLS (DASYURUS VIVERRINUS) DURING A CONSERVATION TRANSLOCATION TO MAINLAND AUSTRALIA.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32017663/) 12. [The perils of paradise: an endangered species conserved on an island loses antipredator behaviours within 13 generations.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29875211/)