Mammals
| Japanese | English | Kana | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| アルパカ | Alpaca | loan word from the American Spanish word alpaca | |
| オポッサム | Australian Possum | loan word from the English word opossum | |
| 蝙蝠 | Bat | こうもり | individually both kanji mean bat but are read differently |
| 熊 | Bear | くま | |
| ビーバー | Beaver | loan word from the French derived English word beaver | |
| 駱駝 | Camel | らくだ | white horse (駱) hunchback (駝) |
| 猫 | Cat | ねこ | |
| チンチラ | Chinchilla | loan word from the Spanish word chinchilla | |
| ハナグマ | Coatimundi | nose (ハナ) bear (グマ) | |
| 牛 | Cow | うし | also used for ox |
| コヨーテ | Coyote | loan word from the American Spanish word coyote | |
| 鹿 | Deer | しか | |
| デグー | loan word from the South American word degu | ||
| 犬 | Dog | いぬ | |
| 海豚 | Dolphin | いるか | sea (海) pig (豚). When written in kana, katakana is commonly used. |
| 驢馬
兎馬 | Donkey | ろば
うさぎうま | donkey (驢) horse (馬) or rabbit (兎) horse (馬) |
| 儒艮 | Dugong | じゅごん | loan word from the Latin word dugong |
| 象 | Elephant | ぞう | |
| 鼬 | Ferret | いたち | |
| 狐 | Fox | きつね | |
| 砂鼠 | Gerbil | すなねずみ | sand (すな) mouse (ねずみ) |
| 麒麟 | Giraffe | きりん | |
| 山羊 | Goat | やぎ | mountain (山) sheep (羊) |
| ゴリラ | Gorilla | ||
| ウッドチャック | Groundhog | loan word from the English words wood chuck | |
| モルモット | Guinea pig | loan word from the French word marmotte | |
| ハムスター | Hamster | loan word from the German word hamster | |
| 針鼠 or 蝟 | Hedgehog | はりぬずみ | needle ( ハリ) mouse (ネズミ) |
| 河馬 | Hippopotamus | かば | river (河) horse (馬) |
| 馬 | Horse | うま | |
| キンカジュー | Kinkajou | loan word from the Indian word kinkajou, meaning honey bear | |
| 子猫 / 仔猫 | Kitten | こねこ | child (子 / 仔) cat (猫) |
| 獅子
ライオン | Lion | しし | loan word from Chinese (Shizi)
loan word from the English lion |
| ラマ | Llama | loan word from the Spanish word llama | |
| 海牛 | Manatee | かいぎゅう | ocean (海) cow (牛) |
| ミンク | Mink | loan word from the English word mink | |
| 猿 | Monkey | さる | |
| 鼠 | Mouse | ねずみ | |
| 川獺 / 獺 | Otter | かわうそ | |
| パンダ | Panda | ぱんだ | loan word from the French word panda |
| 豚 | Pig | ぶた | |
| 北極熊 | Polar bear | ほっきょくぐま | 北極= North Pole, 熊= Bear |
| 子犬 / 仔犬 | Puppy | こいぬ | child (子 / 仔) dog (犬) |
| 兎 | Rabbit | うさぎ | also used for hare or coney |
| 洗熊 | Raccoon | あらいぐま | to wash (洗う) bear (熊) |
| 狸 | Raccoon dog | たぬき | |
| 溝鼠
ラット | Rat | どぶねずみ
| ラット is a loan word from the English rat and used more commonly than どぶねずみ |
| レッサーパンダ | Red panda | ressa is the loan word for the English word lesser and panda from the French panda | |
| 犀 | Rhinoceros | さい | |
| 海豹 | Seal | あざらし | 海 (sea) 豹(panther) |
| 海驢 | Sea lion | あしか | 海 (sea) 驢 (donkey). When written in kana, katakana is commonly used. |
| 羊 | Sheep | ひつじ | |
| コモリネズミ | Short tailed opossum | コモリ (komori) ネズミ (mouse) | |
| スカンク | Skunk | loan word from the English word skunk | |
| 栗鼠 | Squirrel | りす | chestnut (栗) mouse (鼠) |
| 虎 | Tiger | とら | |
| 袋鼠 | Virginia opossum | ふくろねずみ | sack/bag (袋) mouse (鼠). The English loan word ポッサム (possamu) is often used |
| 鼬 | Weasel | いたち | |
| 鯨 | Whale | クジラ | when written in kana, katakana is commonly used |
| 狼 | Wolf | おおかみ | |
| クズリ | Wolverine | ||
| 縞馬 | Zebra | しまうま | stripe (縞) horse (馬) |