Talking about Animals: English Vocabulary List

any cold-blooded animal with the ability to live both on land and in water, such as toads, frogs, etc.

"Frogs are a type of amphibian."

"An amphibian is a cold-blooded vertebrate that begins life in water with gills and later develops lungs for a terrestrial adult existence."

a class of animals to which crocodiles, lizards, etc. belong, characterized by having cold blood and scaly skin

"Snakes and lizards are reptiles."

"A reptile is a cold-blooded vertebrate covered in scales"

a situation in which a particular animal or plant no longer exists

"The dodo bird was hunted to extinction many years ago by humans."

"Extinction is the complete and permanent disappearance of a species from the Earth"

any animal that lives by hunting and eating other animals

"The lion is a powerful predator."

"A predator is an animal that hunts"

the long and protruding facial part of an animal which comprises its nose and mouth, especially in a mammal

"The dog has a wet snout."

"A snout is the projecting nose and mouth of an animal"

a group of animals, such as cows, sheep, etc. that are from the same species, which move and feed together

"A herd of cattle crossed the road."

"A herd is a large group of animals that move together and feed in the same area."

each of the curved pointy teeth of some animals such as elephants, boars, etc., especially one that stands out from the closed mouth

"The elephant's tusks were very long."

"A tusk is an elongated, curved tooth that sticks out from the mouth of some animals."

a group of birds of the same type, flying and feeding together

"A flock of birds flew away."

"A flock is a large group of birds"

a young form of an insect or an animal that has come out of the egg but has not yet developed into an adult

"The larva will become a butterfly."

"A larva is the immature form of an insect that hatches from an egg before becoming an adult."

animals that are kept on a farm, such as cows, pigs, or sheep

"The farmer raised livestock for meat."

"The farmer keeps livestock such as cows, pigs, and sheep on his large farm."

any animal that only feeds on plants

"Cows are herbivores that eat grass."

"A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating only plant material as the main component of its diet."

an animal that feeds on the flesh of other animals

"Lions are carnivores that eat meat."

"A carnivore is an animal that obtains its energy and nutrients exclusively from consuming the flesh and meat of other animals."

a large group of animals characterized by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes

"All mammals are vertebrates."

"A vertebrate is an animal possessing a bony or cartilaginous spinal column"

any of the pair of branched horns that grow annually on the head of an adult animal, typically a male one, from the deer family

"The deer lost an antler."

"Every autumn, male deer shed their antlers and begin growing a new set for the following year."

a dormant state in animals, characterized by lowered body temperature and metabolic activity, often during winter to conserve energy

"The bear went into hibernation and slept deeply all through the winter."

"Hibernation is a state of deep dormancy and reduced metabolism that allows an animal to survive cold winter months without eating or drinking."

the horny and hard part at the end of a limb of a mammal, such as a horse

"The horse's hoof made a loud sound on the hard stone road."

"The farrier carefully examined the horse's hoof to make sure there were no cracks or signs of infection."

having two legs

"Humans are bipedal."

"Humans are bipedal which means we walk on two legs instead of four like most other mammals."

any of the long, stiff hairs that grow on the face of a cat, mouse, etc.

"The cat's long whiskers twitched as it sniffed the air curiously."

"A cat uses its whiskers to sense nearby objects and navigate safely through dark or narrow spaces."