Animals in Spanish: Learn How to Name Animals in Spanish
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More infoAnimals are part of everyone’s lives. Whether you live in the city or in the countryside, animals are always present. Learning animal names in Spanish is a stimulating way of improving your Spanish language skills.
If you wish to increase your proficiency and vocabulary in Spanish beyond the basics, such as domestic pets, then this is the post for you!
We’ll offer you extended lists of animals in Spanish, from pets to farm animals to sea creatures and many more! By the end of this post, once you’ve learned the names of over 150 animals in Spanish, we’ll round it up with some animal-related sayings that native speakers use on a daily basis.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Pet Animals in Spanish
Mascotas
Pet animals are a universal conversational topic. Many people see their mascotas – pets as members of their families, so talking about mascotas is one of the most popular topics for pet lovers. This list of Spanish animals not only includes the most traditional pets but also some other less conventional mascotas people have as companions at home.
| Pets in English | Pets in Spanish |
| Dog | El perro |
| Cat | El gato |
| Guinea pig | El conejillo de indias |
| Hamster | El hamster |
| Mouse | El ratón |
| Ferret | El hurón |
| Chinchilla | La chinchilla |
| Hedgehog | El erizo |
| Parakeet | El perico |
| Parrot | El loro |
| Goldfish | El pez dorado |
| Turtle | La tortuga |
| Salamander | La salamandra |
| Lizard | La lagartija |
| Iguana | La iguana |
| Chameleon | El camaleón |
Dogs are the most common pets in the world, so it’s no surprise that we have some other dog-specific posts. Get some inspiration on how to call your dog with our post on dog names in Spanish, and then practice training your new pet with our post on dog commands in Spanish.
Farm Animals in Spanish
Animales de granja
The following list of animales de granja – farm animals might come in handy whether you live in a rural area or not. Who knows? May one day you end up visiting a rural area in a Spanish-speaking country.
Just like you do in English with certain animals like hen and rooster, in Spanish it’s quite common to have distinct names for the male and female animals.
Also, some of the animals listed here, such as rabbit or chicken, are often served in some restaurants in Latin America and Spain. For bigger animals, however, just like you do in English with beef or pork, we have different names for the cuts of meat rather than just using the word for the live animal in Spanish. See our post on ordering food at a restaurant to learn how to refer to different meats, or enjoy our specific post on bacon in Spanish!
| Animals in English | Animals in Spanish |
| Cow | La vaca |
| Bull | El toro |
| Ox | El buey |
| Buffalo | El búfalo |
| Llama | La llama |
| Horse | El caballo |
| Mare | La yegua |
| Donkey | El burro |
| Mule | La mula |
| Goat | La cabra |
| Sheep | La oveja |
| Lamb | El cordero |
| Pig | El cerdo |
| Rabbit | El conejo |
| Mink | El visón |
| Chicken | El pollo |
| Hen | La gallina |
| Rooster | El gallo |
| Turkey | El pavo |
| Goose | El ganso |
| Duck | El pato |
| Guinea fowl | La pintada |
Marine Animals in Spanish
Animales marinos
If you spend any time on a boat, or if you visit an aquarium, the following list of animals in Spanish is the one that you need. Just like on the previous list, many of the sea animals listed here, such as octopus or shrimp, can be found on a seafood restaurant menu, too.
| Animals in English | Animals in Spanish |
| Whale | La ballena |
| Dolphin | El delfín |
| Walrus | La morsa |
| Seal | La foca |
| Sea lion | El león marino |
| Sea otter | La nutria marina |
| Penguin | El pingüino |
| Sea turtle | La tortuga marina |
| Fish | El pez |
| Shark | El tiburón |
| Manta ray | La mantarraya |
| Tuna | El atún |
| Salmon | El salmón |
| Eel | La anguila |
| Anchovy | La anchoa |
| Pufferfish | El pez globo |
| Clownfish | El pez payaso |
| Seahorse | El caballito de mar |
| Octopus | El pulpo |
| Squid | El calamar |
| Lobster | La langosta |
| Shrimp | El camarón |
| Crab | El cangrejo |
| Mussel | El mejillón |
| Clam | La almeja |
| Sea urchin | El erizo marino |
| Starfish | La estrella de mar |
| Sea sponge | La esponja de mar |
| Jellyfish | La medusa |
Zoo Animals in Spanish
Animales del zoológico
Visiting a zoo is a fun activity you can do at any age. Why not practice your Spanish while paying a visit to the zoo? Here you’ll have all you need to talk about these amazing creatures in Spanish.
| Animals in English | Animals in Spanish |
| Elephant | El elefante |
| Rhinoceros | El rinoceronte |
| Lion | El león |
| Cheetah | El chita |
| Bengal tiger | El tigre de bengala |
| Hippo | El hipopótamo |
| Dromedary | El dromedario |
| Zebra | La cebra |
| Giraffe | La jirafa |
| Bear | El oso |
| Panda | El oso panda |
| Porcupine | El puercoespín |
| Monkey | El mono |
| Mandril | El mandril |
| Macaque | El macaco |
| Bat | El murciélago |
| Flamingo | El flamenco |
Jungle Animals in Spanish
Animales de la jungla
If you are a more adventurous person and ready to explore the jungle, this is the list of animals in Spanish you need.
| Animals in English | Animals in Spanish |
| Orangutan | El orangután |
| Chimpamzee | El chimpancé |
| Ocelot | El ocelote |
| Opossum | La zarigüeya |
| Anteater | El oso hormiguero |
| Tapir | El tapir |
| Capybara | El carpincho |
| Lemur | El lemur |
| Sloth | El perezoso |
| Squirrel monkey | El mono ardilla |
| Capuchin monkey | El mono capuchino |
| Toucan | El tucán |
| Macaw | La guacamaya |
| Kingfisher | El martín pescador |
| Alligator | El lagarto |
| Crocodile | El cocodrilo |
| Caiman | El caimán |
| Snake | La víbora |
| Anaconda | La anaconda |
| Iguana | La iguana |
| Lizard | El lagarto |
| Frog | La rana |
| Poison dart frog | La rana punta de flecha |
| Eel | La anguila |
| Piranha | La piraña |
Forest Animals in Spanish
Animales del bosque
Whether you need to name a forest animal in Spanish because you’re reading a fairy tale, you need to describe your last vacation to your Spanish speaking friend, or you simply live in a forest area, this list of animals in Spanish covers some of the most common creatures you’ll see in American and Canadian forest biomes.
| Animals in English | Animals in Spanish |
| Bear | El oso |
| Moose | El alce |
| Reindeer | El reno |
| Boar | El javalí |
| Badger | El tejón |
| Skunk | El zorrillo |
| Beaver | El castor |
| Racoon | El mapache |
| Hare | La liebre |
| Squirrel | La ardilla |
| Mole | El topo |
| Fox | El zorro |
| Wolf | El lobo |
| Puma | El puma |
| Owl | El búho |
| Hawk | El halcón |
| Woodpecker | El pájaro carpintero |
| Hummingbird | El colibrí |
| Dragonfly | La libélula |
| Butterfly | La mariposa |
Latin American Animals in Spanish
Animales americanos
Are you learning Spanish to travel to Latin America? This list includes some of the animals in Spanish that are normally found in Central and South American countries.
| Animals in English | Animals in Spanish |
| Jaguar | El jaguar |
| Maned wolf | El lobo de crin |
| Alpaca | La alpaca |
| Coati | El coatí |
| Saki monkey | El mono saki |
| Galapagos turtle | La tortuga Galápagos |
| Eyelash viper | La víbora de pestañas |
| Andean condor | El cóndor andino |
| Harpy eagle | El águila arpía |
| Red ibis | El ibis rojo |
Desert Animals in Spanish
Animales del desierto
Desert areas are also common in Latin America, so don’t miss the following list of animals in Spanish you may find in deserts.
| Animals in English | Animals in Spanish |
| Gazelle | La gacela |
| Oryx | El orix |
| Peccary | El pecarí |
| Jackal | El chacal |
| Bobcat | El lince |
| Meerkat | La suricata |
| Gerbil | El jerbo |
| Armadillo | El armadillo |
| Cobra | La cobra |
| Python | La pitón |
| Rattlesnake | La víbora de cascabel |
| Toad | El sapo |
| Gecko | El gecko |
| Eagle | El águila |
| Vulture | El buitre |
| Ostrich | El avestruz |
| Roadrunner | El correcaminos |
| Crow | El cuervo |
| Quail | La codorniz |
| Ant | La hormiga |
| Beetle | El escarabajo |
| Caterpillar | La oruga |
| Centipede | El ciempiés |
| Spider | La araña |
| Tarantula | La tarántula |
| Scorpion | El escorpión |
Birds in Spanish
Pájaros
If you are a bird lover, you’ve surely already noticed that all of the other lists of animal names in Spanish we’ve provided so far included a few birds each. There are literally thousands of bird species, so we chose a few more of our favorites to include on this dedicated list of birds in Spanish.
| Bird names in English | Bird names in Spanish |
| Canary | El canario |
| Finch | El pinzón |
| Golden whistler | El silbador dorado |
| Cockatoo | La cacatúa |
| Dove, Pigeon | La paloma |
| Sparrow | El gorrion |
| Lark | La calandria |
| Cardinal | El cardenal |
| Blackbird | El mirlo |
| Magpie | La urraca |
| Nightingale | El ruiseñor |
| Raven | El cuervo |
| Falcon | El halcón |
| Pelican | El pelícano |
| Seagull | La gaviota |
Animal-Related Sayings in Spanish
Everyday language in Spanish is very rich in idioms, with many popular sayings or phrases that mention animals. In this section, we’ll present you with some of the most common sayings that include animals in Spanish.
A caballo regalado, no se le miran los dientes
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
The saying is advising that when given something as a gift, one should be grateful and not criticize or scrutinize the gift too closely.
Perro que ladra, no muerde
A dog that barks, doesn’t bite
This saying is typically used to describe someone who speaks their threats but doesn’t take action. Think of this one as a way to say “all bark and no bite” in Spanish.
Cuando el gato no está, los ratones se divierten
When the cat’s away, the mice play
This phrase means that when the person in charge of a group of people is not present, the rest of the group does things they normally wouldn’t do in the presence of the boss.
Cocodrilo que duerme es cartera
The crocodile who sleeps becomes a handbag
This one means that if you act slowly you’ll miss out on something. This is an equivalent of “you snooze you lose” in Spanish.
Moverse como pez en el agua
To move like a fish in water
This saying is used to refer to someone who acts comfortably in a particular situation.
Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando
A bird in hand is worth more than a hundred flying
This is a popular saying that suggests that it’s better to have something tangible and certain than rely on a promise of something whose outcome is uncertain.
Conclusion
We brought you this post so you can learn how to say animals in Spanish. As you’ve surely noticed, just like learning the names for flowers, there are so many animal names that learning more and more species is a lifelong task in any language!
With this in mind, we chose nearly 200 animals that we thought you’d want to know. Since even that’s a lot of Spanish animal names to learn, we broke our vocab down into manageable categories, each with its succinct list of animals in Spanish. In the end, we even provided a handful of interesting animal-related Spanish idioms!
So now, whether you’re visiting a Spanish-speaking country, going on a hike, ordering food, playing with your dog, dressing up for Halloween, or even watching a Disney movie in Spanish, you now have a great list of Spanish animal vocabulary to help you in your conversations!
