Animal Vocabulary

This animal vocabulary list covers the basics.

animalpluralmalefemaleyoungGroup Name
antantswinged male, anerqueen, workerantlinga colony of ants, an army of ants
batbatsmalefemalepupa cloud of bats, a colony of bats
bearbearsboarsowcuba sleuth of bears, a sloth of bears
beebeesdronequeen, workerlarva, schadon, fry (plural noun)a hive of bees, a swarm of bees
birdbirdscockhennestling, fledglinga flock of birds, a flight of birds (in the air)
buffalobuffalo, buffalloes, buffaloesbullcowcalfa herd of buffalo
catcatstomqueenkittena clutter of cats
chickenchickensroosterhenchicka brood of chickens, a flock of chickens
cowcattlebullcowcalfa herd of cattle
dogdogsdogbitchpuppy, pupa pack of dogs
dolphindolphinsbullcowpupa school of dolphins
duckducksdrakeduckducklinga raft of ducks
elephantelephantsbullcowcalfa herd of elephants
fishfish, fishesmalefemalefry (plural noun)a school of fish
foxfoxesdog, reynardvixencuba troop of foxes, an earth of foxes
frogfrogsmalefemaletadpole, frogletan army of frogs, a colony of frogs
goosegeesegandergoosegoslinga flock of geese, a gaggle of geese
goatgoatsbilly (domestic), evecnannykida flock of goats, a herd of goats
horsehorsesstallion, colt (young)mare, filly (young)foala herd of horses, a team of horses (in harness), a string of horses (for racing)
kangarookangaroosbuckdoejoeya mob of kangaroos, a troop of kangaroos
lionlionslionlionesscuba pride of lions
monkeymonkeysmalefemaleinfanta troop of monkeys
owlowlsmalefemaleowleta parliament of owls
oxoxenbull, steer (castrated)cowcalfa herd of oxen, a drove of oxen (when driven in a group), a team of oxen (in harness)
penguinpenguinsmalefemalechicka colony of penguins
personpeoplemanwomanbaby, infanta crowd of people
pigpigsboarsowsuckling, pigleta herd of pigs, a flock of pigs
rabbitrabbitsbuckdoebunny, bunny rabbita colony of rabbits, a nest of rabbits, a warren of rabbits (strictly, where they live)
sheepsheepramewelamba flock of sheep
tigertigerstigertigresscub, whelpa streak of tigers
whalewhalesbullcowcalfa school of whales, a shoal of whales, a pod of whales (smaller groups)
wolfwolvesdogbitchcuba pack of wolves, a herd of wolves
zebrazebra, zebrasstallionmarefoala cohort of zebra, a herd of zebra

Animal Vocabulary and other curiosities about our fauna.

WordExample
Furry-friendI have a black-mouthed cur and she is my furry-friend.
Adorable and FriendlyMy pet cat is adorable and friendly.
Mischievous.I have caught my cat doing mischievous stuff.
VaccinationThe pet owners should be aware of timely vaccination of their pets.
CageI hate the idea of keeping birds in cages.
AquariumShe bought a large aquarium for her pet fish.
CuddleMy cat likes to be cuddled.
Attention-seekerAll pets are attention-seekers.
CompanionshipPets can give companionship to people who are living alone
TherapeuticHaving a pet has a therapeutic effect on the mind.
FrisbeeMy dog likes playing with a Frisbee.

Wild Animals Vocabulary

Wild animals live in forests.

GENERIC NAMEMALEFEMALEYOUNGGROUP NAME
 MAMMALS    
BADGER(S)BoarSowCub or KitColony
BAT(S)MaleFemalePupColony
DEER (DEER)StagDoeFawnHerd
FOX(ES)Dog-fox / ReynardShe-fox / VixenCubSkulk
HARE(S)JackJillLeveretDown
HEDGEHOG(S)BoarSowPigletPrickle
MOLE(S)MaleFemalePupLabor
MOUSE (MICE)BuckDoePupNest
OTTER(S)DogBitchKittenFamily
RABBIT(S)BuckDoeKit / BunnyColony
RAT(S)BuckDoeKitten / PupNest
SQUIRREL(S)BuckDoePupDray
STOAT(S)JackJillKitPack
WEASEL(S)JackJillKitSneak
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, warm-blooded, egg-laying, vertebrate animals.CockHenNestling / Hatching/
Fledgling
Flock(s)
CROW(S)MaleFemaleYoungMurder
DOVE(S)CockHenSquabCote
DUCK(S)DrakeHenDucklingFlock
GOOSE (GEESE)GanderGooseGoslingIf a group of geese is flying, it becomes a “skein”. If they are on land or water, they’re a “gaggle”.
HAWK(S)HenTiercelEyasAerie
HERON(S)   Hedge
KINGFISHER(S)    
OWL(S)OwlJennyOwletParliament
PEAFOWLPeacockPeahenPeachickPride
PHEASANT(S)CockHenChickBrood
PIGEON(S)CockHenSquabFlight
ROBIN(S)CockHenChick 
ROOK(S)CockHenChickBuilding
SPARROW(S)CockHenChickFlock
STARLING(S)CockHenChickFlock
SWAN(S)CobPenSignetBevy
Insects -An invertebrate whose body is comprised of three segments and six legs.   Swarm
ANT(S)Prince / DroneQueen / Princess / WorkerAntlingArmy / Nest
BEE(S)DroneQueen / WorkerLarvaHive
BUTTERFLY (BUTTERFLIES)MaleFemaleCaterpillar / ChrysalisSwarm
DRAGONFLY (DRAGONFLIES)MaleFemaleNymphs / NaiadsSwarm
FLY (FLIES)MaleFemaleMaggotSwarm
MOTH(S)MaleFemaleCaterpillar / ChrysalisSwarm
MOSQUITO(ES)MaleFemaleLarvaSwarm
SPIDER(S)MaleFemaleSpiderlingCluster
Fish – Cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills.   Shoal / School
PIKEFryShoal / School
SALMONJackHenFryRun
TROUTJackHenFryHover
Amphibians a class of animals that spend part of their time on land and part in the water; they are an intermediate form between fishes and reptiles.    
FROG(S)MaleFemaleTadpole(s)Army
NEWT(S)MaleFemaleLarvae 
TOAD(S)MaleFemaleTadpole(s)Knot
Reptiles– Cold-blooded vertebrate that lays eggs and has scales or plates on its skin    
SNAKE(S)MaleFemaleYoungNest
Crustaceans- A class of invertebrates that have a segmented body, a hard external skeleton (exoskeleton), two sets of antennae and one pair of legs per body segment.    
CRAB(S)MaleFemaleZoea 
LOBSTER(S)MaleFemaleZoea 
 MOLLUSCS    
CLAM(S)MaleFemaleSpatBed
COCKLE(S)Bed
MUSSEL(S)MaleFemaleGlochidiaBed
OYSTER(S)MaleFemaleSpatBed
SNAIL(S)MaleFemaleBabyRout

Animals On The Farm

Domesticated animals that live of a farm, are sometimes called farm animals or if bred for commercial use- livestock.

GENERIC NAMEMALEFEMALEYOUNGGROUP NAME
MAMMALS
    
CATTLEBullCowCalfHerd / Kine
DEER (DEER)StagDoeFawnHerd
DOG(S)DogBitchPuppyPack (a group of puppies is called a litter)
DONKEYJackJennyColtDrove
GOAT(S)BillyNannyKidFlock
HORSE(S)StallionMareFoalHerd
PIG(S)BoarSowPigletLitter
SHEEPRamEweLamb / MuttonFlock
BIRDS    
CHICKEN(S)CockerelHenChickBrood
DUCK(S)DrakeHenDucklingBrace
GOOSE (GEESE)GanderGooseGoslingGaggle
INSECTS    
BEE(S)DroneQueen / WorkerLarvaSwarm
 FISH    
SALMONJackHenFryShoal
TROUTJackHenFryShoal

Animals In The House

Animals that live in the house as family companions area called pets.

GENERIC NAMEMALEFEMALEYOUNGGROUP NAME
MAMMALS    
CAT(S)TomQueenKittenClutter (a group of kittens is called a litter)
DOG(S)DogBitchPuppyPack
FERRET(S)DogBitchKitCast
GERBIL(S)MaleFemalePupHorde
GUINEA PIG(S)BoarSowPupGroup
HAMSTER(S)MaleFemalePupHorde
RABBIT(S)BuckDoeKit / BunnyColony
RAT(S)BuckDoeKitten / PupNest
BIRDS     
BUDGERIGAR(S)HenCockChickFlock
CANARY (CANARIES)HenCockChickFlock
COCKATIEL(S)HenCockChickFlock
COCKATOO(S)HenCockChickFlock
PARROT(S)HenCockChickFlock
INSECTS    
SPIDER(S)MaleFemaleSpider-lingCluster
 FISH    
GOLDFISHMaleFemaleFryShoal
REPTILES    
SNAKE(S)MaleFemaleBabyNest

Animal Sounds

Animals make unique sounds, and some of these sounds have their own word. The internet giant Twitter is a wordplay on numerous bird-related idioms. Its founder -Dorsey has explained the origin of the “Twitter” title: …we came across the word “twitter”, and it was just perfect. The definition was “a short burst of inconsequential information“, and “chirps from birds”. Do you need to learn these? Probably not, but you never know, one day you might thank us.

Bees buzz.
Birds sing or tweet. Some birds caw.
Cats go miaow. They purr when they’re happy.
Cockerels crow, or go cock-a-doodle-doo.
Cows go moo.
Dogs bark or go woof woof. They growl when they’re angry.
Donkeys brayor go heehaw.
Ducks quack.
Flies buzz.
Frogs croak or go ribbit.
Geese honk.
Goats bleat.
Hens cluck.
Horses neigh.
Mice squeak.
Pigs oink or grunt or squeal.
Sheep bleat or go baa.
Snakes hiss.
Toads croak.

Animal Vocabulary List

1. Amphibians

  • frog
  • frogspawn
  • newt
  • tadpole
  • toad

2. Arachnids

  • harvestman
  • scorpion
  • spider
  • tarantula

3. Birds

  • albatross
  • biddy
  • blackbird
  • canary
  • crow
  • cuckoo
  • dove,
  • pigeon
  • duck
  • eagle
  • falcon
  • finch
  • flamingo
  • goose
  • gull
  • hawk
  • jackdaw
  • jay
  • kestrel
  • kookaburra
  • mallard
  • nightingale
  • nuthatch
  • ostrich
  • owl
  • parakeet
  • parrot
  • peacock
  • pelican
  • penguin
  • pheasant
  • piranha
  • raven
  • robin
  • rooster
  • sparrow
  • stork
  • swallow
  • swan
  • swift
  • tit
  • turkey
  • vulture
  • woodpecker
  • wren

4. Butterflies

  • peacock butterfly
  • red admiral
  • silkworm
  • swallowtail

5. Fishes and Marine Animals

  • barbel
  • carp
  • cod
  • crab
  • eel
  • goldfish
  • haddock
  • halibut
  • jellyfish
  • lobster
  • perch
  • pike
  • plaice
  • ray
  • salmon
  • sawfish
  • scallop
  • shark
  • shell
  • shrimp
  • trout

6. Insects

  • ant
  • aphid
  • bee
  • beetle
  • bumblebee
  • caterpillar
  • cockroach
  • dragonfly
  • flea
  • fly
  • gadfly
  • grasshopper
  • ladybug
  • larva
  • louse (pl. lice)
  • maggot
  • midge
  • moth
  • nymph
  • wasp

7. Mammals

  • anteater
  • antelope
  • armadillo
  • badger
  • bat
  • bear
  • beaver
  • bullock
  • camel
  • chimpanzee
  • dachshund
  • deer, hart
  • dolphin
  • elephant
  • elk , moose 
  • fox
  • gazelle
  • gerbil
  • giraffe
  • goat
  • grizzly bear
  • guinea pig
  • hamster
  • hare
  • hare
  • hedgehog
  • horse
  • hyena
  • lion
  • llama
  • lynx
  • mammoth
  • marmot
  • mink
  • mole
  • mongoose
  • mouse
  • mule
  • otter
  • panda
  • pig, hog
  • platypus
  • polar bear
  • polecat
  • pony
  • porcupine
  • prairie dog
  • puma
  • racoon
  • rat
  • reindeer
  • rhinoceros
  • seal
  • seal
  • sheep
  • skunk
  • sloth
  • squirrel
  • tiger
  • weasel
  • whale
  • wolf
  • zebra

8. Molluscs, Mollusks 

  • slug
  • snail

9. Reptiles

  • blindworm
  • boa
  • anaconda
  • chameleon
  • constrictor snake
  • copperhead
  • coral snake
  • cottonmouth
  • crocodile
  • diamondback rattlesnake
  • gecko
  • iguana
  • lizard
  • Mojave rattlesnake
  • poisonous / venomous snake
  • python
  • salamander
  • saurian
  • sea snake
  • sidewinder
  • snake
  • Southern Pacific rattlesnake
  • tortoise, turtle

10. Worms

  • tapeworm
  • leech
  • earthworm
  • round worm

Other resources here!

Glossary: Animals vocabulary

  1. bovine any of various wild or domestic cattle
  2. canine a dog or related mammal
  3. equine relating to or resembling a horse
  4. feline of or relating to cats
  5. leonine of or characteristic of or resembling a lion
  6. piscatorial relating to or characteristic of the activity of fishing
  7. serpentine resembling a snake in form
  8. simian relating to or resembling an ape or a monkey
  9. ursine of or relating to or similar to bears
  10. vulpine resembling or characteristic of a fox
  11. ornithology the branch of zoology that studies birds
  12. entomology the branch of zoology that studies insects
  13. herpetology the branch of zoology concerned with reptiles and amphibians
  14. ichthyology the branch of zoology that studies fishes
  15. physiology the science dealing with the functioning of organisms
  16. taxonomy a classification of organisms based on similarities
  17. fauna all the animal life in a particular region or period
  18. mammal a warm-blooded vertebrate having the skin covered with hair
  19. marsupial a mammal the female of which has a pouch carrying the young
  20. pachyderm a large mammal with thick skin, such as an elephant or hippo
  21. whelp young of any of various canines such as a dog or wolf
  22. viper a venomous Old World snake
  23. vixen a female fox
  24. behemoth someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
  25. satyr one of a class of woodland deities
  26. centaur a mythical being that is half man and half horse
  27. low less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
  28. whinny the characteristic sounds made by a horse
  29. spawn the mass of eggs deposited by fish or amphibians or mollusks
  30. fodder coarse food composed of plants or leaves and stalks
  31. forage collect or look around for, as food
  32. provender food for domestic livestock
  33. flora all the plant life in a particular region or period
  34. tanner a craftsman who tans skins and hides
  35. tannery workplace where skins and hides are tanned
  36. aviary a building where birds are kept
  37. apiary a shed containing a number of beehives
  38. vivisection the act of operating on living animals
  39. menagerie a collection of live animals for study or display
  40. fleece outer coat of especially sheep and yaks
  41. plumage the covering of feathers on a bird
  42. venison meat from a deer used as food
  43. speciation the evolution of a biological species
  44. symbiosis the relation between two interdependent species of organisms
  45. chirpy (birds or insects) characterized by or tending to chirp
  46. asinine devoid of intelligence
  47. trotter a horse trained to trot
  48. boar an uncastrated male hog
  49. sow place seeds in or on the ground for future growth
  50. byre a barn for cows
  51. byre a barn for cows
  52. rodent relatively small placental mammals
  53. adipose composed of animal fat
  54. tamer an animal trainer who tames wild animals
  55. burrow a hole made by an animal, usually for shelter
  56. tame brought from wildness into a domesticated state
  57. hawk a bird of prey with rounded wings and a long tail
  58. captor a person who entraps and holds someone else
  59. capturer a person who captures and holds people or animals
  60. vulture a large diurnal bird of prey feeding chiefly on carrion
  61. venom toxin secreted by animals
  62. taurine of or relating to or resembling a bull
  63. incubate grow under conditions that promote development
  64. pelt the dressed hairy coat of a mammal