Collective Nouns for Animals 🐶🐱
Collective Nouns for Animals in the Animal Kingdom
ADDucation’s list of collective nouns for animals (also called collective terms and terms of venery) includes collective nouns for animals examples from the “kingdom Animalia”. This includes collective terms for mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians birds and insects. Please note we also have dedicated collective nouns lists for birds and insects (and people) so check those if the animal you are looking isn’t included in this list. There are currently around 5,400 mammal species worldwide including bats, whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
- ADDucation’s collective nouns for animals list compiled by Joe Connor and last updated on
ADDucation Tips: Click column headings with arrows to sort collective nouns for animals. Resize your browser to full screen and/or zoom out to display as many columns as possible. Click the ➕ icon to reveal any hidden columns. Start typing in the Filter table box to find anything inside the table of collective nouns for animals.
| Animals | Babies & Infants called? | Collective nouns for animals & info | Male | Female | Group | Animal Plurals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antelope | calf | A herd of antelope. | buck | doe | Mammal | Antelope or antelopes |
| Ape | baby | A shrewdness of apes, a troop of apes. | bull | female | Mammal | Apes |
| Baboon | infant | A troop of baboons. | bull | female | Mammal | Baboons |
| Badger 🦡 | kit, cub | A company, colony or cete of badgers. | boar | sow | Mammal | Badgers |
| Bat 🦇 | pup | A cloud of bats, a colony of bats. | male | female | Mammal | Bats |
| Bear 🐻 | cub | A sleuth of bears, a sloth of bears. | boar | sow | Mammal | Bears |
| Beaver | pup, kitten, kits | A family, lodge or colony of beavers. | male | female | Mammal | Beavers |
| Bird 🐦 | fledgling, nestling, hatchling, chick | A flock of birds, a flight of birds (in the air), congregation or volery of birds. | cock | hen | Bird | Birds |
| Boar 🐗 | piglets, shoats, boarlets | A sounder or boars. A farrow of baby boars. Boars are wild pigs, see also pigs. | boar | sow | Mammal | Boars, wild swine |
| Buffalo 🐃 | calf | A herd of buffalo. One of the best known collective nouns for animals. | bull | cow | Mammal | Buffalo, buffalloes, buffaloes |
| Cat 🐱🐈 | kitten | A clutter of cats, a clowder of cats, a glaring of cats, a kindle or litter of kittens. Household pet collective nouns for animals. | tom, tomcat | tabby, queen | Mammal | Cats |
| Camel 🐫🐪 | calf, colt | A herd, flock, train or caravan of camels. | bull | cow | Mammal | Camels |
| Cattle | calf | Cattle is the collective noun for bulls, steers and caves. A drove of cattle, mob of cattle, team of cattle or a herd of cattle. | bull | cow | Mammal | Cattle |
| Chipmunk 🐿 | kits, kittens or pups | A scurry of chipmunks. A group of Chipmunk kits or pups are called a litter. | buck | doe | Mammal | Chipmunks |
| Cobra 🐍 |
neolates, then hatchlings, then snakelets | A quiver of cobras. | male | female | Reptile | Cobras |
| Cow 🐮🐄 | calf | A drift of cows, a kine of cows (12 cows are a flink). We’re not aware of a collective noun for bulls. | bull | cow | Mammal | Cattle |
| Coyote | pup, whelp | A band of coyote, a pack of coyotes. | dog | bitch | Mammal | Coyotes |
| Deer 🦌 | fawn, yearling | A herd, mob or leash of deer. | buck | stag | Mammal | Deer or deers |
| Dog 🐶🐕 | puppy, pup | A pack of dogs. One of the best known collective nouns for animals. | dog | bitch | Mammal | Dogs |
| Donkey / Ass | colt, foal | A herd or pace of asses. | jack, jackass | jenny, jennet | Mammal | |
| Dolphin 🐬 | pup, calf | A school of dolphins, a pod of dolphins. | bull | cow | Mammal | Dolphins |
| Eel / Electric Eel | lepto-cephalus (larva), elver (juvenile) | A bed of eels, swarm of eels. | cassi | emily | Fish | Eels |
| Elephant 🐘 | calf | A herd of elephants, a memory of elephants. | bull | cow | Mammal | Elephants |
| Elk | calf | A gang of elks. | bull | cow | Mammal | Elks |
| Ferret | kit | A business or flensing of ferrets. | hob | jill | Mammal | Ferrets |
| Fish 🐟 | fry (plural noun) | A school of fish, shoal, run, haul or a catch of fish. | male | female | Fish | Fish, fishes |
| Fox 🦊 | cub, pup | A troop of foxes, an earth of foxes, a skulk or leash of foxes. | dog, reynard | vixen | Mammal | Foxes |
| Frog 🐸 | tadpole (polliwog), froglet | An army of frogs. | none | none | Amphibian | Frogs |
| Gerbil | pup | A horde of gerbils. | buck | doe | Mammal | Gerbils |
| Giraffe 🦒 | calf | A tower of giraffes/giraffe. | bull | doe | Mammal | Giraffes |
| Goat 🐐 | kid | A flock of goats, a herd of goats, tribe or trip of goats. | billy (domestic), evec | nanny | Mammal | Goats |
| Goldfish 🐟 | fry | A troubling of goldfish (imagine them swimming around in a bowl). | male | female | Fish | Goldfish or goldfishes |
| Gorilla 🦍 | baby | A band or troop of gorillas. | none “Silverback” | none | Mammal | Gorillas |
| Guinea pig / Cavy | pup | A group of guinea pigs or cavies. How about a muddle of guinea pigs?* | boar | sow | Mammal | Guinea pigs |
| Hamster 🐹 | pup | A horde of hamsters. | buck | doe | Mammal | Hamsters |
| Hare | leveret | A down or husk of hares. | buck | doe | Mammal | Hares |
| Hedgehog 🦔 | piglet, pup | A prickle of hedgehogs or an array of hedgehogs. | boar | sow | Mammal | Hedgehogs |
| Hippo-potamus 🦛 | calf | A bloat of hippopotamuses or hippopotami. | bull | cow | Mammal | Hippopotamuses or hippopotami |
| Horse 🐴🐎 | foal, yearling, or colt (male), filly (female) | A herd of horses, a team of horses (in harness), a string of horses (for racing), a rag of colts, pair or harass of horses, a stud of mares. There are many collective terms of venery for horses. | stallion, colt (young) | mare, filly (young) | Mammal | Horses |
| Hound | pup | A pack, sute, mute or cry of hounds. | dog | bitch | Mammal | Hounds |
| Kangaroo / Wallaby | joey | A mob of kangaroos, a troop of kangaroos. | jack, buck, boomer | jill, doe, flyer, roo | Mammal | Kangaroos |
| Koala 🐨 | joey | A population of Koalas, a colony of Koalas*. | buck* | doe* | Mammal | Koalas |
| Leopard 🐆 | cub | A leap (leep) of leopards. | leopard | leopardess | Mammal | Leopards |
| Lion 🦁 | cub | A pride of lions. | lion | lioness | Mammal | Lions. |
| Llama 🦙 | cria | The collective noun for llamas is a herd of llamas. Herd is one of the most common collective nouns for animals. | male | female | Mammal | Llamas |
| Manatee / Sea Cows |
calf. | A herd of manatees. | bull | cow | Mammal | Manatee or manatees |
| Mole | pup | A labor/labour of moles, a company of moles. | boar | sow | Mammal | Moles |
| Monkey 🐵🐒 | infant | A troop of monkeys, a tribe of monkeys, a barrel of monkeys, a cartload of monkeys, a wilderness of monkeys*. | male | female | Mammal | Monkeys |
| Mouse 🐭🐁 | pup, pinkie, kitten | A mischief of mice. | buck | doe | Mammal | Mice |
| Mule | foal | A barren, pack, rake or span of mules, team (when in harness). | john | molly | Mammal | Mules |
| Otter | pup, whelp | A romp of otters. | dog | bitch | Mammal | Otters |
| Ox 🐂 | stot, calf | A herd of oxen, a drove of oxen (when driven in a group), a team of oxen (in harness), a yoke of oxen. | bull, steer (castrated) | cow | Mammal | Oxen |
| Panda 🐼 | cub | A cupboard of pandas* or an embarrassment of pandas*. | boar | sow | Mammal | Pandas |
| Person / Humans 👫 | baby, infant, child | A crowd of people. The best known collective nouns for animals. | man | woman | Mammal | People |
| Pig 🐖🐽 | piglet | A herd of pigs, a sounder of swine, a parcel of pigs, a drift of pigs, a drove of pigs, a sounder of wild pigs, a team of passel, a singular of boars. The collective noun for piglets is a litter also a passel of piglets or a farrow of piglets. One of the most diverse collective nouns for animals. | boar, barrow, stag | sow, cow, gilt | Mammal | Pigs or swine |
| Porcupine | porcupette | A prickle of porcupines. | boar | sow | Mammal | Porcupines |
| Porpoise | calf | A pod, crowd, shoal, school or herd of porpoises. | bull | cow | Mammal | Porpoises |
| Rabbit 🐇 | bunny, bunny rabbit, kittens | A colony of rabbits, a nest of rabbits, a warren of rabbits (strictly, where they live). | buck | doe | Mammal | Rabbits |
| Rat 🐀 | pup, pinkie, kitten | A pack or swarm of rats. | buck | doe | Mammal | Rats |
| Reindeer | fawn | A herd of reindeer. One of the better known collective nouns for animals. | buck | doe | Mammal | Reindeer or reindeers |
| Rhinoceros 🦏 | calf | A crash or herd of rhinos. | bull | cow | Mammal | Rhinoceros or rhinoceroses |
| Salamander | salamander nymphs, called efts at larval stage | A herd or congress of salamanders. Newts are a sub-group of salamanders, i.e. not all salamanders are newts. | none | none | Amphibian | Salamanders |
| Sardine 🐟 |
young pilchards | A family of sardines. (Sardines can be various species of small fish). | none | none | Fish | Sardines |
| Seal / Sea Lion | pup | A pod of elephant seals, harem, trip or herd of seals. | bull | cow | Mammal | Seals |
| Sheep 🐑 | lamb, lambkins, cosset | A drove or drift (when driven in group), a flock of sheep, meinie, mob, parcel, trip, herd, hurtle, down. Farmyard collective nouns for animals. | ram | ewe | Mammal | Sheep |
| Snake 🐍 |
neolates, then hatchlings, then snakelets | A nest of snakes, bed, knot or den, pit of snakes. | male | female | Reptile | Snakes |
| Squirrel 🐿 | pup, kit, kitten | A dray of squirrels, or scurry of squirrels, a colony of squirrels. | buck | doe | Mammal | Squirrels |
| Swine / Hog / Pig / Boar | shoat, trotter, farrow, pig, piglet | A sounder or drift of swine, a trip of swine, a doylt of swine, a herd of pigs, a flock of pigs, a drift (when driven), or parcel of hogs, a sounder of boars. | boar | sow | Mammal | Swine |
| Tiger 🐯🐅 | cub, whelp | A streak of tigers, a swift of tigers or an ambush of tigers*. | tiger | tigress | Mammal | Tigers |
| Toad | tadpole, toadlet | A knot of toads. | none | none | Amphibian | Toads |
| Trout 🐟 | Alevins, then fry, then trout parr | A hover of trout. | cock | hen | Fish | Trout |
| Walrus | cub, pup | A pod of walruses, a herd of walruses. | bull | cow | Mammal | Walruses |
| Weasel | kit | gang or pack of weasels. | buck, hob, jack, dog | doe, bitch, jill | Mammal | Weasels |
| Whale 🐋🐳 | calf | A school of whales, a shoal of whales, gam of whales, a pod of whales (smaller groups). | bull | cow | Mammal | Whales |
| Wolf 🐺 | pup, whelp | A pack of wolves, a herd of wolves, a rout/route of wolves (when moving). | dog | bitch | Mammal | Wolves |
| Zebra 🦓 | colt, foal | A cohort of zebras, a herd of zebras, a dazzle or zeal of Zebras*. | stallion | mare | Mammal | Zebra or zebras |
See also: Collective terms for birds… | Collective terms for insects… | Group Names for People
* Please note: There’s no official collective nouns committee, or authority, which approves new collective nouns so you can invent them yourself. Many collective nouns for animals only appear in lists of collective nouns – we only add new collective nouns if we can find references in published literature or other authority websites. A “collective noun” refers to “plural-only” words such as cattle for cows and people for person. Detailed grammar definitions are beyond the scope of this collective nouns for animals ADDucation list!
Related ADDucation Lists:
- 📺 Famous animals in movies and TV…
- 🔀 Fun and unusual facts about animals…
- Collective nouns for animals list in German: Sammelbegriffe bei Tieren
- Help improve ADDucation’s list of collective nouns for animals by adding your comments below…
Penguin is missing from list
Hi Mike, Penguiuns are included on our dedicated collective nouns for birds page, linked from the bottom of the table.
what’s the collective noun for pelicans?
Hi James, a pod of pelicans seems the most common but we found references to brief, pouch, scoop and squadron for flying pelicans. I’ve added pelicans to our separate group names for birds list.
I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site. I’m hoping the same high-grade site posts will continue.
sheep is missing
Thanks for your comment, now added.
It is very good and useful for children from 1st to 10th Class students. If you show the photos of the animals more advantage/ helpful for them.