The Animal Kingdom: English Vocabulary List

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."

all wild animals, considered as a whole, living in the natural environment

"Protecting wildlife is important."

"The national park is a sanctuary for diverse wildlife, offering protection to many rare and endangered species."

a group that animals, plants, etc. of the same type which are capable of producing healthy offspring with each other are divided into

"The panda is a critically endangered species."

"This particular species of orchid is extremely rare and can only be found in a small region of the Amazon rainforest."

the place or area in which certain animals, birds, or plants naturally exist, lives, and grows

"The forest is their habitat."

"The rainforest provides a natural habitat for thousands of unique species that cannot survive anywhere else."

living in or taken from water that contains salt or seawater

"The ocean is saltwater."

"The saltwater crocodile lives in estuaries and can travel long distances through the open ocean."

an animal, usually a wild or dangerous one

"The beast roared loudly in the forest."

"The legend spoke of a ferocious beast that lived in the cave and devoured anyone who entered."

a class of animals to which humans, cows, lions, etc. belong, have warm blood, fur or hair and typically produce milk to feed their young

"A dog is a mammal."

"A whale is a marine mammal, not a fish, because it breathes air and feeds milk to its young."

any small mammal with a pair of strong front teeth, such as mice, hamsters, rats, etc.

"A rodent nibbled the cheese."

"The scientist studied the behavior of the common house rodent in a controlled laboratory environment."

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"

describing an animal that its body temperature changes depending on the temperature of its surroundings

"The snake is cold-blooded."

"The cold blooded snake lay motionless on the warm rock to raise its body temperature after the chilly night."

any mammalian animal that belongs to the same group as humans, such as monkeys, apes, lemurs, etc.

"Primates include humans."

"Primates have forward-facing eyes and large brains."

a toxic substance produced and secreted by certain animals, typically used for defense or hunting

"The venom is dangerous."

"The snake's venom is powerful enough to kill a human within just a few hours if the victim does not receive the antidote."

to blend in with the surroundings to avoid being seen or detected

"The frog camouflaged itself well."

"The soldiers used leaves and mud to camouflage their vehicles and hide from enemy aircraft."

a young carnivorous mammal, such as a bear, lion, fox, etc.

"Lion cub played happily."

"The cute lion cub played happily with its mother in the zoo enclosure yesterday afternoon under the sun."

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 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."

a sharp and curved nail on the toe of an animal or a bird

"The eagle's claw was sharp and terrifying."

"The cat used its sharp claw to tear the fabric of the sofa while the owner was away."

to change wild animals or plants for human use or cultivation

"People domesticated wolves into dogs."

"Early humans learned to domesticate wild animals like wolves and goats for protection food and assistance with hunting."

(of an animal, plant, etc.) not having any living members, either due to natural causes, environmental changes, or human activity

"The dinosaur is extinct."

"The dinosaur has been extinct for millions of years and we only know about them from fossils."

a doctor who is trained to treat animals

"The veterinarian treated the sick cat."

"The veterinarian examined the sick dog and prescribed medication to help it recover from its illness."

living in or taken from water that does not contain salt

"The lake is freshwater."

"The freshwater lake is home to many fish species that cannot survive in saltwater oceans."

a tailless animal similar to a monkey, such as chimpanzees and gorillas

"The ape climbed the tree."

"The gorilla is a powerful ape that lives in the forests of central Africa and shares about ninety eight percent of human DNA."

(of an animal or insect) to pierce the skin of another animal or a human, typically injecting poison, either in self-defense or while preying

"A bee can sting you."

"The angry bee can sting you if you get too close to its hive or try to swat it away aggressively."

(of an animal) to have sex and give birth to young

"Dogs breed in spring."

"Many species of fish breed during specific seasons to ensure the survival of their young."

(of a bird, insect, fish, etc.) to produce eggs

"The hen will lay eggs."

"The hen diligently began to lay her eggs in the prepared nest."

the partner of an animal, especially for reproduction

"Find its mate."

"The male bird diligently searched for a suitable mate to begin building their nest."

the hidden place where a wild predatory animal lives

"The bear slept in its den."

"The wolf retreated to its den to rest and care for its newborn pups safely."

a group of animals of the same type hunting or living together, particularly wolves

"A wolf pack hunts."

"The alpha male led the pack through the dense forest in search of prey."

an animal's foot that typically has a combination of nails, claws, fur, and pads

"The dog lifted its injured paw off the ground."

"The bear left a huge paw print in the mud near the riverbank where it had been searching for fish."

the hard or pointed part of a bird's mouth

"The bird used its beak to eat."

"The woodpecker used its sharp beak to drill holes into the tree trunk looking for insects."

the sound that a bird or an animal usually makes

"Hear the call."

"The distinctive call of the owl echoed through the silent forest on this moonlit night."

(of fish, birds, or other animals) to move to different geographic areas according to seasons in order to breed, find food, or escape harsh environmental conditions

"Birds migrate south."

"Many species of birds migrate thousands of miles annually to find optimal breeding grounds and abundant food sources."