Animals that start with M

Mis forMacaw

Scientific name: ara macao

Macaws are a group of parrots found in tropical areas. The most recognizable kind of macaw is the scarlet macaw in the picture. Macaws are often kept as pets.

Birds

Emma Forsberg / CC BY-SA

Maggot is the common name for the larvae of flies. Flies typically lay their eggs or put live maggots onto rotting food that they find. Maggots are very commonly seen in carrion. The maggots eat the food, grow bigger and then pupate and turn into flies.

Insects

Charles Haynes / CC BY-SA

Mis forMagpie

Magpies are a black and white bird related to the crow. They are very intelligent. They eat dead animals they find, insects and anything else they find that they can eat. The magpie in the picture is an Australian magpie.

Birds

Sandra Kapella / CC BY-SA

Mis forMaine Coon

Maine coons are one of the largest cat breeds. They are from the United States, where it is thought they might have come about from local cats breeding with bobcats. They are gentle cats, with long, flowing hair and sometimes tufts on the ends of their ears.

Cats

Kurayba / CC BY-SA

Mis forMallard

The mallard is a common wild duck. Males are brightly colored with a green head, a white neck ring, and a gray and brown body, while females are mostly mottled brown for camouflage. Mallards live near ponds, lakes, and slow rivers across many parts of North America and Europe. They often swim and dab for food in shallow water, eating plants, insects, and small seeds.

Waterfowl

Jarrett Campbell / CC BY-SA

Mis forMaltese

Maltese are small toy or lap dogs with silky white hair. They are an ancient breed, and were used as a lap dog by ladies in Roman times. They have black eyes and a black nose, which gives them a very "cute" appearance. Maltese are cuddly companion dogs, and thrive on attention but can be snappy around children. They have a reputation for being a yappy dog.

Dogs

Shawn Henning / CC BY-SA

Mis forMammal

A mammal is a creature with warm blood, is covered in hair and feeds its babies with milk.

Mammals

ASCOM Prefeitura de Votuporanga / CC BY-SA

Mis forManatee

Scientific name: family: trichechidae, genus: trichechus

Manatees, also called sea cows, are mammals closely related to the dugong. They grow to around 3 meters long, and weigh around 4,000 pounds (1,700kg). They eat plants in fairly shallow water around the coast and in rivers.

Sea mammals

Gerwin Sturm / CC BY-SA

Mis forMandarin duck

Scientific name: aix galericulata

Mandarin ducks are a very striking and attractive kind of duck originally from China and parts of Russia. As with most birds, the female of the species is a dull brown.

Waterfowl

magnetismus / CC BY-SA

Mis forMandrill

A mandrill is a large African monkey with bright, colorful skin on its face and a long snout. Males especially can have blue and red markings, plus a pale beard and strong-looking cheek features. Mandrills live in forests in central and western Africa, where they move around on the ground and in trees to find food. They eat fruit, seeds, insects, and small animals, and they often travel in groups.

Primates