The Animal Kingdom: English Vocabulary List

a large animal living in both water and on land which has strong jaws, a long tail, and sharp teeth

"The alligator swam slowly."

"The alligator floated motionless in the swamp with only its eyes and nostrils visible making it difficult for prey to detect the predator."

a small insect that lives in a colony

"An ant crawled across the table."

"An ant can carry up to fifty times its own body weight which would be like a human lifting a truck without any mechanical assistance."

an animal that has a hard shell around its body and lives mainly in water

"The turtle moved slowly."

"The sea turtle returned to the exact beach where it was born decades earlier to lay its own eggs guided by the Earth magnetic field."

a small red or orange fish often kept as a pet

"The goldfish swam in circles."

"Contrary to popular belief goldfish have a memory span of several months and can be trained to perform simple tricks for food rewards."

an intelligent ape, with mainly black fur, which has no tail and is native to the forests of western and central Africa

"A chimpanzee climbed the tree."

"Chimpanzees share about ninety eight percent of their DNA with humans making them our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom."

an animal that is like a horse but has shorter legs and longer ears, and is used for carrying things and riding

"The donkey carried heavy bags up the hill."

"Donkeys are often used as pack animals in mountainous regions because they are sure footed and can carry heavy loads over rough terrain without complaint."

a tall animal with a very long neck and long legs that has brown spots on its yellow fur

"The giraffe ate leaves."

"A giraffe's neck can be up to two meters long containing the same number of vertebrae as a human neck which is seven."

an African ape which has a large head and short neck that looks like a monkey with no tail

"The gorilla looked powerful."

"Gorillas live in family groups led by a dominant silverback male who protects the group from predators and resolves internal conflicts peacefully."

an adult male chicken

"The rooster crowed loudly."

"The rooster crowed at dawn every morning waking the entire farm but the family had grown so accustomed to the sound that they barely noticed it anymore."

a large Australian animal with a long tail and two strong legs that moves by leaping, female of which can carry its babies in its stomach pocket which is called a pouch

"The kangaroo hopped away."

"Kangaroos cannot walk backward because their large tail and powerful hind legs are specifically adapted for hopping forward efficiently."

a small, soft creature which carries a hard shell on its back and moves very slowly

"A snail moved slowly."

"The snail moved slowly across the garden path leaving a trail of slime behind that helped it glide smoothly over rough surfaces."

a group of animals with a long body and tail, a rough skin and two pairs of short legs

"A lizard sat on the wall."

"Lizards can detach their tails when grabbed by a predator allowing them to escape while the detached tail continues to wiggle and distract the attacker."

a sea creature with eight, long arms and a soft round body with no internal shell

"The octopus changed color."

"The octopus has three hearts and blue blood because its circulatory system uses copper based hemocyanin instead of iron based hemoglobin for transporting oxygen."

a large bird that is normally white, has a long neck and lives on or around water

"A swan floated on the lake."

"Swans typically mate for life and both parents participate in building the nest and raising their young cygnets until they are ready to leave."

a small animal with a thick tail, gray-brown fur and black marks on its face

"A raccoon searched the trash."

"Raccoons have remarkably dexterous front paws that allow them to open trash cans doors and even jars which makes them clever urban pests."

a wild animal that lives in Africa, which is like a horse, with black-and-white stripes on its body

"A zebra ran across the field."

"Each zebra has a unique stripe pattern similar to a human fingerprint allowing individual animals to recognize each other within the herd."

a large sea animal with flippers that eats fish, can live on land and in water, and is hunted by humans for its fur

"A seal rested on the rock."

"Seals can hold their breath for nearly two hours when diving deep underwater because their bodies store large amounts of oxygen in their muscles and blood."

an animal with sharp needle-like parts on its body and tail, used for protection

"A porcupine raised its quills."

"A porcupine has approximately thirty thousand sharp quills covering its body which detach easily when touched and embed painfully into the skin of predators."

a country that is mainly in Western Asia with a small part in Southeast Europe

"Turkey is between Europe and Asia."

"Turkey is a transcontinental country spanning both Europe and Asia with Istanbul being the only city in the world located on two continents."

a large bird with black feathers and a loud unpleasant call

"A crow sat on the fence."

"Crows are intelligent birds and often gather in large groups."

any living thing that is able to move on its own, such as an animal, fish, etc.

"The ocean creature glowed in the dark."

"The deep ocean is home to bizarre creatures that have adapted to extreme pressure darkness and cold including fish with transparent heads and glowing lures."

an aggressive type of shark that lives in warm and shallow waters near coastlines

"A bull shark can swim in rivers."

"Bull sharks are dangerous because they can live in both salt and fresh water."

a small flying creature that comes out at night

"A bat flew out at dusk."

"Bats use echolocation to navigate in complete darkness by emitting high frequency sounds and listening carefully to the returning echoes from objects."

a large mouse-like animal with a long tail, which spreads diseases

"A rat ran behind the wall."

"Rats are highly intelligent animals that can learn complex tasks but they are also carriers of diseases that have caused major epidemics throughout human history."

a big and wild animal from the same family as dogs that hunts for food in groups

"A wolf howled at night."

"The wolf howled loudly in the distance, signaling the pack was ready to hunt together under the moonlight."

any male member of the cow family

"A bull stood in the field."

"The bull charged at the red cape not because it hates the color but because it perceives the sudden movement as a threat."

a small furry animal with rounded ears, short legs and no tail, which is often kept as a pet or for research

"The guinea pig is cute."

"Guinea pigs are social animals that become depressed if kept alone so veterinarians recommend adopting at least two so they can keep each other company."

a silver-colored fish often found in both freshwater and saltwater environments

"Salmon is a healthy fish."

"We bought salmon for dinner and cooked it with lemon."

a sea animal with a shell, a pair of strong, large claws and eight legs

"The lobster has claws."

"Lobsters continue to grow throughout their entire lives and can live to be over one hundred years old if they avoid predators and disease."

a highly venomous kind of snake that can flatten its neck when in danger or to scare other animals

"A cobra lifted its hood."

"The king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world capable of raising its body high enough to look a human directly in the eye."

a large bird that has a bald head and is often kept for its meat, especially in the US

"I saw a turkey bird."

"During Thanksgiving, a roasted turkey is traditionally served as the centerpiece of the meal."

a waterbird with webbed feet, a long neck, and short beak, which is like a large duck

"A goose honked loudly."

"A goose waddled near the pond, honking loudly as it searched for food among the reeds."

a bird with short legs and a short beak which typically has gray and white feathers

"A pigeon pecked at crumbs."

"Pigeons have an excellent memory for faces and can recognize people who have treated them kindly or badly even after several months have passed."

an insect known for its chirping sound, found in grassy areas, mostly active at night

"I hear a cricket sound."

"The distinct chirping of a cricket filled the quiet night air outside the window."

to cut into flesh, food, etc. using the teeth

"The dog might bite strangers."

"The dog bit the mailman when he tried to deliver the package without waiting for the owner to come outside."

an object that can be used to catch an animal

"The trap was hidden."

"The hunter set a trap baited with fresh meat hoping to catch the fox that had been killing chickens from the farm every night."

a type of sea creature with a shell, such as clams, oysters, mussels, shrimp, lobster, etc.

"Shellfish are delicious."

"Some people cannot eat shellfish because they are allergic to them."