When little babies are learning English, they often learn the names of animals first. That’s because they are something that you can see often in your house or in books and movies. A lot of Spanish-language beginners start with animal vocabulary, too. It’s a familiar and fun way to practice your rote memorization. As a next step, you can try to formulate full sentences using that animal name, with the Spanish vocabulary that you already have.
How to say the names of animals in Spanish
There are some complexities to keep in mind, such as the fact that many of the Spanish words for animals have separate male and female forms. There are also some regional differences in the spelling, pronunciation, or name of animals – just like in English. This can trip up some beginners, but it will come naturally with practice.
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Spanish animals
| Animal in English | Animal in Spanish |
|---|---|
| aardvark | cerdo hormiguero |
| african elephant | elefante africano |
| alligator | caimán |
| alpaca | alpaca |
| anaconda | anaconda |
| ant | hormiga |
| antelope | antílope |
| ape | mono |
| aphid | áfido |
| arctic wolf | lobo ártico |
| armadillo | armadillo |
| arthropods | artrópodos |
| asian elephant | elefante asiático |
| asp | áspid |
| atlantic puffin | frailecillo atlántico |
| atlantic white | blanca del atlántico |
| baboon | babuino |
| badger | tejón |
| bald eagle | águila calva |
| barn owls | lechuzas |
| barracuda | barracuda |
| bass | bajo |
| bat | murciélago |
| bear | oso |
| beaver | castor |
| bedbug | ácaro |
| bee | abeja |
| beetle | escarabajo |
| bird | pájaro |
| birds | aves |
| bison | bisonte |
| black bear | oso negro |
| black panther | pantera negra |
| black rhinoceros | rinoceronte negro |
| black widow spider | araña viuda negro |
| blue jay | arrendajo azul |
| blue whale | ballena azul |
| bobcat | gato montés |
| brown bear | oso café |
| buffalo | búfalo |
| butterfly | mariposa |
| buzzard | zopilote |
| camel | camello |
| canids | cánidos |
| caracal | lince |
| caribou | caribú |
| cat | gato |
| caterpillar | oruga |
| catfish | bagre |
| cats | gatos |
| cheetah | leopardo |
| chicken | pollo |
| chimpanzee | chimpancé |
| chipmunk | ardilla |
| chordates | cordados |
| cichlids | cíclidos |
| cnidaria | cnidaria |
| cobra | cobra |
| cod | bacalao |
| condor | cóndor |
| cougar | puma |
| cow | vaca |
| coyote | coyote |
| crab | cangrejo |
| crane | grua |
| cricket | grillo |
| crocodile | cocodrilo |
| crow | cuervo |
| cuckoo | cuco |
| deer | ciervo |
| dinosaur | dinosaurio |
| dog | perro |
| dolphin | delfín |
| dolphin | delfín |
| donkey | burro |
| dove | paloma |
| dragonfly | libélula |
| duck | pato |
| eagle | águila |
| eel | anguila |
| elephant | elefante |
| emu | emú |
| falcon | halcón |
| ferret | hurón |
| finch | pinzón |
| fish | pez |
| flamingo | flamenco |
| flea | pulga |
| fly | volar |
| fox | zorro |
| frog | rana |
| giraffe | jirafa |
| goat | cabra |
| goose | ganso |
| goose | ganso |
| gopher | ardilla de tierra |
| gorilla | gorila |
| grasshopper | saltamontes |
| great white shark | gran tiburón blanco |
| hammerhead sharks | los tiburones martillo |
| hamster | hámster |
| hare | liebre |
| hawk | halcón |
| herons | garzas |
| hippopotamus | hipopótamo |
| horse | caballo |
| hummingbird | hummingbird |
| humpback whale | ballena jorobada |
| husky | fornido |
| hyenas | hienas |
| iguana | iguana |
| impala | impala |
| insects | insectos |
| jellyfish | medusa |
| kangaroo | canguro |
| koala | coala |
| komodo dragon | dragon de komodo |
| ladybug | mariquita |
| lemurs | lémures |
| leopard | leopardo |
| lion | león |
| lionfish | el pez león |
| lizard | lagartija |
| lizard | lagartija |
| llama | llama |
| lobster | langosta |
| manatees | manatíes |
| meerkat | meerkat |
| mollusks | moluscos |
| monarch butterfly | mariposa monarca |
| mongoose | mangosta |
| monkey | mono |
| moose | alce |
| mosquito | mosquito |
| moth | polilla |
| mountain goat | cabra de montaña |
| mountain lion | león de montaña |
| mouse | ratón |
| mule | mula |
| newt | tritón |
| nine | nueve |
| ocelot | ocelote |
| octopus | pulpo |
| orangutan | orangután |
| orca | orca |
| ostrich | avestruz |
| otter | nutria |
| owl | búho |
| ox | buey |
| oyster | ostra |
| panda | panda |
| panther | pantera |
| parrot | loro |
| peacock | pavo real |
| pelican | pelícano |
| penguin | pingüino |
| perch | perca |
| pheasant | faisán |
| pig | cerdo |
| pigeon | paloma |
| polar bear | oso polar |
| porcupine | puerco espín |
| primates | primates |
| quail | codorniz |
| rabbit | conejo |
| raccoon | mapache |
| rat | rata |
| rattlesnake | serpiente de cascabel |
| raven | cuervo |
| ray | rayo |
| reindeer | reno |
| rhinoceros | rinoceronte |
| rooster | gallo |
| sea lion | león marino |
| sheep | oveja |
| shrew | musaraña |
| siberian tiger | tigre siberiano |
| skunk | zorrillo |
| slud | slud |
| snail | caracol |
| snake | serpiente |
| snow leopard | leopardo de nieve |
| spider | araña |
| sponges | esponjas |
| tapirs | tapires |
| tiger | tigre |
| toad | sapo |
| tortoise | tortuga |
| walrus | morsa |
| whale | ballena |
| wolf | lobo |
| zebra | cebra |
Practicing Spanish animal names
This list is perfect practice for memorizing the names of animals in Spanish before going to the zoo, aquarium, or farm. Keep in mind that there are thousands more animals out there that are not included in this list, this is just a brief list of some of the most common animals so that you can practice Spanish words that are most likely to come up in a conversation in your daily life.
Some tips for practicing the names of Spanish animals:
- Watch an animal documentary and try to name each animal in Spanish
- Print out a list and bring it to your local zoo. Try to find them all!
- Listen to Spanish audiobooks about animals
- Draw each animal and write the Spanish name under it
If you’re looking for more great resources, head on over to learn Spanish in the car, or read about Spanish compliments.
What do you call the fingers in Spanish?