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A Beastly Garden Of Wordy Delights

Compiled by Melissa Kaplan, www.anapsid.org Last updated September 3, 2006

Words have always fascinated me. An avid reader from before the time I could see over the top of the check-out counter at the library, I have always found many words to be a delight to roll off the tongue or to sit there, oddly arrayed, on the page. While I usually did well on spelling tests, I often spent too much time mulling over the sound or appearance of words, so I was not always the fastest of test-takers

Plurals, Collective Nouns, Sounds, Gender and Offspring

Animal Alligator Alpaca Antelope Ant Ape Ass Baboon Bacterium Badger Bass Bat Bear Beaver Bee Beetle Bird Bittern Blackbird Boar Buck Buffalo Bull Plural +s Collective Noun Congregation Herd Army, colony, swarm Shrewness Herd, pace Rumpus Culture Cete Shoal Cloud Sleuth, sloth Colony, lodge Hive, grist, swarm Sound Peep Doe/buck Queen/flying [1] Gibber Bray Jennet(jenny)/jack Infant Sow/boar Kit, cub Female/Male Offspring Hatchling Cria Calf Antling Infant

+s +s +es +s Bacteria +s

+s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s

Ping Growl

Sow/bear

Pup Cub Kit, kitten Larva Grub Chick, hatchling

Buzz, hum, murmur

Congregation, flock, dissimulation, volary Sedge, sledge Pack, singular, sounder Brace, clash Herd

Sing, twitter Boom Whistle Sow/boar Cow/bull Bellow

Piglet, boarlet

Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org

Last updated 09/03/06

Animal Butterfly Buzzard Calf Camel Cat Caterpillar Cattle Chicken Chick Chimpanzee Clam Cobra Cock(erel) Cockroach Codfish Colt Coot Cormorant Cow Coyote Crane Crocodile Crow Cub Cuckoo Curlew Cur Deer Dog Dolphin Donkey Dove Duck Eagle

Plural -ies +s Calves +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +es +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +ies +s +s +s

Collective Noun Flutter Wake Flock Clowder, clutter Army Drove, herd Brood, peep Chattering, clutch Cartload Bed Quiver Intrusion Rag Cover Gulp Kine, herd Band, pack, shift, wilien Herd, sedge, sledge Bask, congregation, float Cawcus, hoard, murder (gathering); cawroboree (in flight) Litter Cuckoo Herd Cowardice Herd Pack Pod Drove, herd Dule Flock in air, paddling on water, team Convocation

Sound

Female/Male

Offspring Caterpillar Chick

Bawl, bleat Groan, grunt Caterwal, mew, meow, purr, swear Bawl, low, moo Cackle, peep Peep Hoot, scream

Queen/tom(cat)

Calf Catling, kit, kitten, puss

Cow/bull [2] Hen/rooster [3]

Calves Chick Infant Larva

Crow Larva Codling, sprat Hatchling Bawl, low, moo Calf (calves) Pup Hatchling, chick, colt Chick, hatchling

@ Caw

Bell Bark, basy, howl, snarl, woof, yelp Click Coo, moan Quack Scream

Doe/buck Bitch/dog

Fawn, yearling Pup, puppy, whelp

Duck/drake

Foal Squab Duckling Eaglet, eyas

Last updated 09/03/06

Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org

Animal Eel Egg Elephant Elephant seal Elk Emu Falcon Ferret Finch Fish Flamingo Fly Fox Frog Giraffe Gnat Goat Goldfinch Goose Gorilla Grasshopper Greyhound Grouse Guanaco Guinea fowl Guinea pig Hag moth Hare Hawk Hedgehog Hen Heron Herring Hippo Hog Hornet

Plural

Collective Noun Swarm Clutch Herd, parade Pod Gang Mob Business, fesnyng Charm Catch, drought, haul, run, school, shoal Stand Business, swarm Leash, skulk Army Corps, herd, totter, tower Cloud, horde Flock, tribe, trip Charm Gaggle on water/land; skein when in flight Band Leash Drumming

Sound

Female/Male

Offspring Elver

+s +s +s +s +s +s +es Fish, fishes +s Flies +s +s +s +s +s +s Geese +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s V +s +s +s +s

Trumpet

Cow/bull

Calf Yearling=weaner Calf Chick, hatchling Kit Chick, hatchling Fry, fingerling Chick Maggot Cub, kit, pup Polliwog, tadpole Calf Kid Chick Cheeper, gosling, grouse Infant Pup Cheeper, chick Cria Keet Monkey slug Leveret Fledgling, eyas Piglet Pullet

Chant

Buzz Bark, yelp Croak Bleat, grunt

Vixen/dog

Nanny/billy goat Cackle, hiss, honk Goose/gander Female/silverback [4] Chirp, pitter Roo Drum Cry Squeak, whistle

Down, husk Cast, kettle Array Brood Siege, sedge Shoal Bloat Drift, parcel, passel Nest

Squeak Scream

Doe/buck

Bray, snort

Calf Larva
Last updated 09/03/06

Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org

Animal Horse Hound Hummingbird Hyena Insect Jackrabbit Jay Jellyfish Kangaroo Kitten Lapwing Lark Leopard Linnet Lion Llama Locust Louse Loon Mackerel Magpie Mallard Man Mare Marten Mole Monkey Moose Mosquito Mouse Mule Nightingale Owl Ox Oyster Parrot

Plural +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s Lice +s +s +s Men +s +s +s +s +es Mice +s +s +s Oxen =s +s

Collective Noun Harras, herd, ramuda, string Cry, mute, pack Charm Cackle Swarm Husk Chatter Smack Mob, troop Kindle, litter Deceit Ascension, exaltation Leap, leep Pride Plague Colony Howl Tiding Sord Band Stud Richness Labor Barrel, troup Herd Swarm Hoard, miscief Barren, span Watch Parliament Drove, herd, team, yoke Bed Company, flock

Sound Neigh, whinny

Female/Male Mare/stallion [5]

Offspring Foal, pony (colt m, filly f), yearling Pup Chick Larva, nymph

Click, whir Laugh

Flyer/boomer Mew

Ephyra Joey

Chick Cub Chuckle Roar, growl Lioness/lion Cub Cria Larva Nit [6] Blinker, tinker, spike Chatter Duckling Infant, toddler, child

Chatter, gibber Bellow Squeak, squeal Pipe, jug-lug, warble Hoot, screech, wail Bellow, low Talk

Pup Infant Calf Nymph Pinky Foal Chick Owlet Spat Chick
Last updated 09/03/06

Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org

Animal Partridge Peacock, Peafowl Peep Peewit Pelican Penguin Pheasant Pig Pigeon Pilchard Plover Polar bear Pony Porcupine Porpoise Prairie dog Quail Rabbit Raccoon Rat Rattlesnake Raven Regal moth Rhino Roebuck Rook Rooster Salmon Sandpiper Sea gull Seal Shark Shearwater Sheep Skunk

Plural +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s -ies +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s

Collective Noun Covey Muster, ostentation Litter when fresh/frozen, puddle when cooked Raft on water, squadron in flight Rookery Bouquet, nide, nye Litter Flight, flock Shoal Congregation, wing Pack String Prickle Herd, pod Coterie Bevy, covey Nest, warren Nursery Hoard, mischief, pack, swarm Rhumba Unkindness Crash Building, clamor

Sound

Female/Male

Offspring Cheeper, chick Chick Blob

Scream

Hen/peacock

Cry Bleat Grunt, squeak, squeal Coo Sow/boar Hen/cock Chick Chick Farrow, piglet, shoat, suckling Squab, squeaker

Cub

Hen/cock Doe/buck

Pup Cheeper, chick Bunny Cub Pinky, pup

Croak Grunt, growl, snort, whistle Caw Cockerel Grilse, parr, smolt Chick Chick Pup Cub, pup Cosset, hog, lamb, lambkins Kit
Last updated 09/03/06

Hickory horned devil Calf Bevy

+s +s +s +s +s

Pipe, whistle Colony Colony, herd, pod School, shiver Shrill Flock Surfeit

Squawk Cow/bull

Baa, bleat

Ewe/ram

+s

Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org

Animal Snake Snipe Sparrow Spider Squirrel Stag Starling Stork Swallow Swallowtail butterfly Swan Swift Swine Teal Thrush Tiger Toad Tortoise Trout Turkey Turtledove Turtle Vicuna Walrus Whale Viper Wolf Woodcock Woodpecker Zebra

Plural +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s +s

Collective Noun Bed, nest, pit, rave Walk, wisp Flight, host Clutter, cluster Dray, scurry Murmuration Mustering Flight Bevy, herd, lamentation, team, wedge Flock Drift, sounder Spring Mutation Ambush, streak Knot Hover Flock, gang, raft, rafter Dule, pitying Bale Pod Gam, school, pod Generation, nest Herd, nest, route Fall Descent Dazzle

Sound Hiss Chirp

Female/Male

Offspring Snakelet, neonate/hatchling Chick Spiderlings Pup

Bellow, bellow, roar [7] Chick Chick Orange dog Cygnet

Titter Bark, cry, grunt, hiss Pen/cob

Piglet

+es +s +s +s +s +s +s

Growl, roar Grunt Gobble

Tigress/tiger

Cub, whelp Tadpole, polliwog Fry, fingerling Poult Chick Hatchling Cria Calf Snakelet, neonate Pup, whelp

Hen/tom

Cow/bull

+s +s Wolves +s +s +s

Howl

Foal

Footnotes
1. Only males have wings. All worker ants are sterile. 2. Neutered male: steer 3. Neutered male: capon 4 .The mature males, whose furred backs have swathes of silvery white fur.
Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org Last updated 09/03/06

5. Neutered male: stallion/gelding 6. Nit is the name for both the egg and larval stages. 7. In New Zealand, they call stag mating season "the roaring season" due to the all their noise. (From A. Turner) @ Listen to real croc talk! http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/croccomm.html

In general, about young:

Young of carnivorous mammals: whelp Generally, for most types: younglet, youngling, offspring Young birds: fledgling, nestling Young domestic fowl: chick, chicken Young wild fowl: flapper

Animal Adjectives
ADJECTIVE Acarine Lupine Anguine Lutrine Anserine Murine Apian Musteline Leporine Oscine Aquiline Ovine Asinine Pavonine Avian phocine ANIMAL mite wolf snake otter goose mouse Bee skunk hare songbird eagle sheep ass peacock bird seals ADJECTIVE bovine piscine canine ranine caprine reptilian cervine serpentine crocodilian simian elephantine strutious equine suilline feline suine ANIMAL cow fish dog frog goat reptile deer, moose serpent, snake crocodile ape elephant ostrich/emu/rhea horse hog cat swine ADJECTIVE herpestine taurine hircine ursine lacertine vermian lapine viperine lemurine vulpine leonine zebrine hirudinal soricine ANIMAL mongoose bull goat bear lizard worm rabbit viper lemur fox lion zebra leech shrew

Did you know a line (or queue, generally of schoolchildren), usually paired, is called a crocodile? As in, "The crocodile made its way down the sidewalk, the crowds parting to let it pass."

Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org

Last updated 09/03/06

Herp Riddles and Jokes

Why are snakes' feet always wet? They wear water moccasins. What snake can be mowed? A grass snake. Where does a snake go to get a new skin? To a shed. What kind of snakes do matadors own? Bull snakes. What part of a car can a snake repair? The vindshield vipers. Do snakes make good race car drivers? No, they are always making pit stops. Do snakes know their multiplication tables? No, the are all adders. What snake have problems multiplying? The adders. What do reptiles toss at weddings? Garter snakes. Which snake has the softest voice? A cottonmouth. What snake is found in a horse-drawn carriage? A coachwhip. What do you call a snake who has disappeared? A missing python. Why did the python stand on a street corner and strike at a passer-by? He wanted to grab a quick bite. What snakes grow in the garden? Corn snakes. What snake can be served in a glass with a straw? A milk snake. Do snakes need silverware when they eat? No, they have forked tongues. Did the tortoise win the race by a long distance? No, he won by a hare. What do you get when you cross the Frog Prince with Cinderella's footman? Foot Prince.

Jokes
Two snakes are talking one day. The first snake asks, "Why do they always measure us in inches?" The other snake replied, "Because we don't have any feet!" Did you hear about the rattlesnake and mortician who got married? They received towels labeled "Hiss" and "Hearse".

Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org

Last updated 09/03/06

More Beastly Sites USGS Northern Prairie Center http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/help/faq/animals/names.htm Paul Vigay's Collective Nouns http://www.vigay.com/nouns Birding @ About.com http://birding.about.com/library/weekly/aa032700a.htm Whilst Watching a Dissimulation of Birds (poem) http://www.nzbirds.com/more/nouns.html OjoHeaven http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives/bibliography.html Fun With Words: Collective Nouns http://rinkworks.com/words/collective.shtml Hoardworks.com's Word Games http://www.hoadworks.com/gamemenu.htm

Melissa Kaplan www.anapsid.org

Last updated 09/03/06