List of animal names

"Young animal" redirects here. For the manga magazine, see Young Animal (magazine). For DC Comics imprint, see DC's Young Animal. For names applied to people, see Animal epithet.

"Parliament of Owls" redirects here. For the DC Comics fictional group, see Court of Owls.

Mother sea otter with sleeping pup, Morro Bay, California

In the English language, many animals have different names depending on whether they are male, female, young, domesticated, or in groups.

The best-known source of many English words used for collective groupings of animals is The Book of Saint Albans , an essay on hunting published in 1486 and attributed to Juliana Berners. ^[1] Most terms used here may be found in common dictionaries and general information web sites. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Contents

• Generic terms
• Terms by species or taxon
  

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

• Usage of collective nouns
• Notes
• Further reading
• External links

Generic terms

The terms in this table apply to many or all taxons in a particular biological family, class, or clade.

Scientific term	Trivial name	Young	Female	Male	Collective noun	Collateral adjective
Aves	bird	chick	hen	cock	flock	avian
Bovinae	cattle; ox, [5] cow	calf	cow (bred), heifer (not bred)	bull (intact), bullock [6] or steer (castrated)	herd	bovine
Canidae	dog	puppy, pup, [7] cub, whelp	bitch	dog	pack	canine
Cetacea	whale, dolphin, porpoise	calf	cow	bull	pod	cetacean
Equidae	horse	colt (male), filly (female), foal	jenny (asses), mare (other equids)	jack (asses), stallion (other equids), gelding (castrated horse)	herd	equine
Felidae	cat	kitten (non-big cats, such as Felis , Lynx , Puma , [8] etc.), cub (big cats, Panthera , and also Puma)	queen	tom, king	clowder (small cats), pride (big cats)	feline
Suidae	pig	piglet	sow	boar	drift or drove	porcine
Procyonidae	Raccoon family of Carnivorans	cub, kit	sow	boar	gaze, smack, committee	procyonine, nasuine, others
Viverridae	Civet family of Carnivorans	cub, kit	sow	boar	gaze, smack, committee	viverrine
Mustelidae	Ferret family of Carnivorans (large: badgers & wolverines; small: weasels & ferrets)	kit	sow (large) or jill (small)	boar (large) or hob, [9] jack (small)	colony (large) or business (small)	musteline
Leporidae	rabbits & hares	nestling	jill	jack	nest or band	leporine
Osteichthyes	bony fish	hatchling, fry, fingerling	—	—	school, shoal	piscine, ichthyic

Terms by species or taxon

Animal	Young	Female	Male	Collective noun	Collateral adjective	Culinary noun for meat
A
Aardvark	cub	sow	boar	—	orycteropodian
Albatross	chick	—	—	flock [10] gam (when searching for mates) [11] rookery [12]	diomedeid
Alligator	hatchling	cow	bull	congregation [13]	eusuchian
Alpaca [14]	cria	hembra	macho	herd	camelid
Ant	larva pupa	queen (fertile) soldier worker	drone	army [15] bike [15] colony [15] [16] nest [13] swarm [15]	formic myrmicine
Anteater	pup	sow	boar	—	vermilinguan
Antelope	calf [17]	doe	buck	cluster [15] [18] herd [15] [18] tribe [15] [18]	alcelaphine antilopine bubaline
Ape	baby child infant	—	—	band family group shrewdness [2] [13] [18] [19] troop, group [13] [15] [18]	simian
Armadillo	baby pup	sow	boar	protection [2]	cingulatan
Ass/donkey	foal	jenny	jack	coffle [15] [18] drove [13] [15] [18] herd [15] pace [15] [16] [18]	asinine
B
Baboon	infant	babuina [20]	—	flange [21] [lower-alpha 1] troop, group [2] [13] [21]	—
Badger	cub kit	sow	boar	cete [2] [13] [16] [21] colony [21]	musteline
Barracuda	hatchling, fry, fingerling	—	—	school [22]	percesocine
Bat	pup	—	—	camp [23] cloud [21] [24] colony [16] [21] flock [25]	noctillionine pteropine
Bear (list)	cub [26]	she-bear sow	boar	sleuth [13] [16] [21] sloth [13] [16] [21]	ursine
Beaver	kit kitten pup	—	buck	colony [13] [21] family [13]	castoridine
Bee	larva pupa	queen worker [lower-alpha 2]	drone	cast (a second swarm) [21] cluster (of workers around the queen) [21] colony [21] drift [2] [21] erst [2] [21] grist [13] [21] hive [2] [13] [21] nest [13] rabble [21] stand [21] swarm [2] [13] [21]	apian apiarian apic
Beetle	larva grub (wormlike forms) [3] [4] mealworm (darkling beetles) [3] [4] pupa	—	—	swarm [3]	coleopterous
Binturong	binlet	—	—	—	potosine
Bird (list) Also see Aves	chick	hen	cock	flight [2] flock [2] pod [2]	avian
Boar/wild pig Also see Pig	farrow piglet shoat/shote (just weaned)	sow	boar hog	herd [21] [27] singular [13] [27] sounder (groups of 12 or more) [13] [27]	—
Bobcat	bobkitten	—	—	—	feline
Budgerigar	chick	—	—	flock	psittacine
Buffalo	calf	—	—	—	bubaline
Bull See Cattle
Butterfly	caterpillar chrysalis larva pupa	—	—	flight [21] flutter [13] [28] kaleidoscope [29] rabble [21] swarm [30]	rhopaloceran
C
Camel	calf	cow	bull	caravan [13] flock [13] herd train [13]	camelid cameline
Capybara	pup	—	—	—	—
Cat (list)	kit kitten	molly pussy queen	gib (castrated male) [31] king tom	clowder [2] [13] cluster [13] clutter [32] glaring [2] [13] kindle (kittens) [33] litter (kittens) pillow (kittens) pounce [13] nuisance [34]	feline
Cattle [lower-alpha 3] (list)	calf [35]	cow [36] heifer freemartin	bull bullock ox steer	drove [13] gang [13] [16] [21] herd [13] [16] [21] obstinancy [13] [16] [21] team (oxen) troop [13] yoke (oxen)	bovine [lower-alpha 4] taurine (male) vaccine (female) vituline (young)	beef veal
Chamois	calf	doe	bull	herd	rupicaprine
Cheetah	cub	she-cheetah	cheetah	coalition (male) [37]	feline
Chicken (list)	chick	hen pullet	capon (castrated male) cock cockerel rooster	brood [13] clutch (eggs) flock peep (chicks) [13]	galline	poultry
Chimpanzee	infant	empress	emperor blackback	troop, group tribe	panine
Chinchilla	kit	sow velvet	boar bull	colony	chinchilline
Chough	chick	—	—	chattering [2] [19] [38] clattering [2] [19] [39]	corvine
Coati	kit pup	sow	boar	troop	nasuine
Cobra	—	—	—	quiver [40]	elapid
Cockroach	nymph	—	—	intrusion [40]	blattid
Cod	codling	—	—	school	gadine gadoid
Cormorant	chick shaglet	—	—	flight gulp [13] [16] [40]	—
Cow See Cattle
Crab	zoea	hen jenny	cock jimmy	—	cancrine
Crane	chick colt [41]	—	—	herd [42] [43] [44] sedge [16] sege [45] siege [46]	alectorine
Cricket	nymph	—	—	—	—
Crocodile	hatchling	cow	bull	bask [13] congregation float [13] menace	crocodilian
Crow	—	—	—	murder [2] [13]	corvine
Curlew	—	—	—	herd [2] [19]	—
D
Deer	calf [17] fawn	doe hind cow	buck bull [17] hart (red deer) stag	bunch [47] herd [47] mob [47] rangale [47]	cervine elaphine	humble (organ meat) venison
Dinosaur (list)	calf (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) chick (Theropoda) hatchling juvenile	cow (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) hen (Theropoda)	bull (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) cock (Theropoda)	herd (herbivores) pack (carnivores)	dinosaurian
Dog (list)	pup [7] puppy whelp [48]	bitch	dog sire stud	comedy (boxers) [49] [50] cowardice (curs) [16] [51] cry (hounds) [52] kennel [47] litter (young) [53] mute [16] pack (wild) [16] [47]	canine
Dogfish Also see Shark	—	—	—	troop [47]	selachian squaloid	capeshark (US) flake (UK, Australia) huss (UK) kahada (Canada) [54] rigg (UK) rock salmon (UK) spiny dogfish
Dolphin	calf	cow	bull	herd pod [55] [56] school [47] team [47]	delphine
Donkey (list) See Ass
Dove	chick	hen	cock	arc [13] cote dole [2] [47] dule [13] [47] flight [2] [13] [47] piteousness [2] [47] pitying [13]	columbine
Dragonfly	nymph	queen	drake king	cluster flight	anisopteran
Duck (list) Also see Mallard	duckling	duck hen	cock drake	badling (on land) [16] brace (on land) [16] bunch (on water) [2] [47] flock (on land) herd (on land) paddling (on water) [2] [47] raft (on water) [2] [47] safe (on land) [2] skein (in flight) [47] sord (on land) [47] sore (on land) [47] string (in flight) [47] team (in flight) [16] [47] waddling (on land) [47]	anatine fuliguline	poultry
Dugong	calf	cow	bull	herd	dugongine
Dunlin	chick	—	—	fling [2]	—
E
Eagle	eaglet fledgling	—	—	convocation [13] [16]	aquiline
Echidna	puggle (in common use, but not scientifically endorsed)	—	—	—	tachyglossine
Eel	leptocephalus (larva) elver (juvenile)	—	—	bed [13] swarm [13]	anguilline
Elephant	calf [35]	cow [36]	bull [57]	herd memory [13] parade [23]	elephantine proboscidean proboscine
Elephant seal	pup	cow	bull	—	miroungan
Elk/wapiti	calf [17]	cow [17]	bull [17]	gang [13] herd [13]	cervine	venison
Emu	chick hatchling	—	—	mob [13]	—
F
Falcon	eyass/eyas	falcon	tercel terzel tiercel	cast [23]	acciptrine
Ferret	kit	jill	hob	business [13] [16] busyness [19]	musteline
Finch	chick	hen	cock	charm [16]	fringilline
Fish (list)	fingerling fry	—	—	school [3]	piscine
Flamingo	chick	—	—	flamboyance [58] stand [23]	phoenicopterine
Fly	maggot	—	—	business [13] cloud [13] swarm [13]	dipterous
Fox	cub [26] kit pup [7]	vixen	dog reynard tod	leash [13] [16] skulk [13] [16] earth [16]	vulpine
Frog	froglet polliwog tadpole	—	—	army [16]	ranine
G
Gazelle	calf [17]	cow [17]	bull [17]	herd	gazelline
Gecko	hatchling	dam (herpetoculture)	sire (herpetoculture)	—	—
Gerbil	pup	doe	buck	horde	gerbilline
Giant panda	cub	sow	boar	embarrassment [59] sleuth [60]	ailuropodine
Giraffe	calf	cow	bull	corps [61] herd tower [61] [62]	giraffine
Gnat	larva	—	—	cloud [13] [16] [61] horde [13] [16] [61] rabble [61] swarm [13] [61]	—
Gnu	calf	cow	bull	herd implausibility [63]	—
Goat (list)	kid	doe doeling nanny	billy buck buckling wether (castrated)	herd flock [61] tribe [61] trip [61] trippe [61]	caprine	cabrito chevon mutton
Goldfinch	—	—	—	charm [61]	cardueline
Goosander	—	—	—	dopping [61]	—
Goose	gosling	goose	gander	chevron (in flight)[ citation needed ] flock (on land) gaggle (on land) [16] [61] plump (on land) [61] skein (in flight) [2] [16] [61] team (in flight) [2] [61] wedge (in flight) [2] [61]	anatine anserine	poultry
Gorilla	infant	—	blackback silverback	band [13] [16] [61] troop, group [13] whoop [61]	simian
Goshawk	—	—	—	flight [19] [61]	—
Grasshopper	nymph	—	—	cloud [61] swarm [61]	caeliferian
Grouse	—	—	—	covey [61] pack [61]	tetraonine
Guanaco	chulengo [64]	—	—	herd	camelid
Guinea fowl	keet	hen	cock	flock [65] rasp [66]	numidine	poultry
Guinea pig	pup	sow	boar	herd	—	cuy
Gull	chick	hen	cock	colony flock	larine
H
Hamster	pup	doe	buck	horde	cricetid
Hare	leveret	doe jill	buck jack	band down [67] drove [67] flick [67] husk [67]	leporine
Hawk	eyas	hen	tiercel	aerie [68] [lower-alpha 5] boil (soaring in large groups) [16] [68] cast [68] [lower-alpha 6] cauldron (soaring in large groups) [68] flight [68] [lower-alpha 7] flock [68] kettle (soaring in large groups) [13] [68] leash [68] [lower-alpha 8] staff [68] [lower-alpha 9]	accipitrine
Hedgehog	hoglet piglet pup	sow	boar	array [67]	erinaceine
Hermit crab	zoea	—	—	—	paguroid
Heron	chick	hen	cock	flight [67] sedge [13] [16] [67] sege [45] [67] siege [13] [16] [46] [67]	ardeidine
Herring	—	—	—	army [16] [67] glean [67] shoal [67]	clupeidean
Hippopotamus	calf	cow	bull	bloat [13] [16] [67] herd [67] sea [13] [16] [67] thunder [40]	hippopotamine
Hornet	larva pupa	queen	drone	bike [67] nest [16] swarm	vespine
Horse (list)	colt (male) filly (female) foal weanling yearling	dam mare	gelding (castrated male) ridgling stallion (not castrated) stud	band (wild horses) [13] field (racehorses) harras [16] herd (wild horses) [13] rag (colts) [16] stable [13] string (ponies) [16] stud [16] team (work horses) [13] [16]	caballine equine	horseflesh horsemeat
Human	baby boy (male) child girl (female) infant	lady (colloquial) woman	gentleman (colloquial) man	band clan crowd family group horde tribe	human simian
Hummingbird	chick	hen	cock	—	trochilidine trochiline
Hyena	cub	—	—	cackle [13] [16] clan	hyenine
I
Ibex	kid	nanny	billy	herd [69]	caprine
Ibis	chick	—	—	colony	ciconiiforme
Iguana	hatchling	cow	bull	—	—
Impala	calf	ewe	ram	herd	—
J
Jaguar	cub	—	—	leap [70] parade [23] prowl [70]	—
Jay	chick	hen	cock	band [13] party [16] scold [16]	corvine
Jellyfish	ephyra [71] planula polyp	—	—	bloom brood [13] fluther [2] smack [2] [16] smuth [12]	scyphozoan
Junglefowl (see chicken)
K
Kangaroo	joey	doe flyer jill roo	boomer buck jack	court herd mob [72] troop [16]	macropodine
Kingbird	chick	—	—	court tyranny coronation	—
Kinkajou	kit pup	sow	boar	convergence troop	potosine
Kite	chick	—	—	—	accipitrine
Koala	joey	doe	buck	—	phascolarctine
Komodo dragon	calf chick hatchling	cow hen	bull cock	—	varanine
L
Ladybug	larva	—	—	loveliness	coleopterous
Lapwing	chick	—	—	deceit [16] [19] desert [2]	vanelline
Lark	chick	hen	cock	exaltation [2] [19]	alaudine
Lemur	infant	—	—	conspiracy [73]	lemurine
Leopard	cub	leopardess	leopard	leap [2] [13] [16] lepe [2]	pardine
Lion	cub [26]	lioness	lion	pride [74] [75] [43] sawt [43] [76]	leonine
Lizard	hatchling	—	—	—	—
Llama	cria	dam hembra	macho stud	flock herd	camelid
Lobster	—	hen [3]	cock [3]	risk	homarine
Locust (list)	nymph	—	—	cloud host swarm	caelifera
Loris	infant	—	—	colony [77]	lorisine [78]
Louse	nymph	—	—	colony	pediculine
Lyrebird	chick	hen	cock	musket [79]	menurine
M
Mallard Also see Duck	duckling	hen	greenhead [80]	sord [2] suit [2]	anatine	poultry
Mammoth (see elephant)	calf	cow	bull	herd pack	mammutine
Manatee	calf	cow	bull	herd	manatine sirenian
Mandrill	infant	—	—	horde	simian
Manta ray	fry	—	—	—	feline[ citation needed ]
Mantis	nymph	—	—	swarm	caelifera
Meerkat	meerkitten	—	—	—	herpestine
Mink	cub kit	sow	boar	—	musteline
Mole	pup	sow	boar	labor [23]	talpine
Mongoose	pup	—	—	committee delegation troop	herpestine
Monkey	infant	—	—	group, troop [2]	simian
Moose	calf [17]	cow [17]	bull [17] [57]	herd	cervine	venison
Mosquito	nymph tumbler wriggled	—	—	cloud scourge swarm	aedine anopheline
Moth	caterpillar chrysalis larva pupa	—	—	eclipse [23] swarm [23]	rhopaloceran
Mouse	crawler (as pet feed)[ citation needed ] fuzzy (as pet feed)[ citation needed ] hopper (as pet feed)[ citation needed ] pinky (as pet feed)[ citation needed ] pup	doe	buck	colony nest	murine
N
Narwhal	calf [81]	cow [81]	bull [81]	pod [81] herd [81] school [81] gam [81] grind [81]	cetacean [82] cetaceous [82]
Newt	eft [83]	—	—	—	pleurodeline
Nightingale	chick	hen	cock	watch [42] [43] [44]	philomelian
O
Octopus	fry [ citation needed ]	hen [84]	—	consortium [85]	octopodine
Okapi	calf	cow	bull	herd	okapine
Opossum	joey	jill	jack	passel [86]	didelphine
Ostrich	chick hatchling	hen	cock	flock troop	ratite struthious
Otter	pup whelp	sow	boar	family [23] romp	lutrine musteline
Ox See Cattle
Owl	fledgling owlet	—	—	parliament [13]	strigine
Oyster	spat	—	—	bed [13]	ostracine
P
Panther	cub	pantheress	panther	—	pantherine
Parrot	chick	hen	cock	flock	psittacine
Panda See Giant panda
Partridge	chick	chantelle hen	cock	covey roost	perdicine
Peafowl	chick peachick	peahen	peacock	ostentation	pavonine	poultry
Peccary	—	—	—	squadron [87]	—
Pelican	chick nestling	—	—	pod [13] scoop	pelecanine
Penguin	chick nestling	—	—	colony [88] huddle [88] raft (in water) [88] rookery [88] tuxedo [12] waddle (on land) [88] [89]	spheniscine
Pheasant	chick	hen	cock	bouquet [13] [16] flock nest [16] nide [16] nye [13] [16]	phasianine
Pig (list) Also see Boar	farrow piglet shoat/shote (just weaned)	gilt (not bred) [90] sow (bred)	barrow (castrated) [91] [92] boar hog	drift [13] [16] [93] drove [13] [16] litter (piglets) sounder (older pigs) [23] team (older pigs) [23]	porcine suilline	bacon ham pork
Pigeon (list)	squab squeaker	hen	cock	flight [94] flock kit [94]	pullastrine	squab
Platypus	—	—	—	paddle [95]	—
Polar bear	cub	sow	boar	aurora [96] celebration [96] pack [96]	ursine
Pony See Horse
Porcupine	pup	sow	boar	prickle [94]	hystricine
Porpoise	calf	cow	bull	pod school shoal	phocoenine
Prairie dog	pup	sow	boar	town	cynomurine
Pug	pup	bitch	dog sire stud	grumble [97]	—
Q
Quail	chick	hen	cock	bevy [74] [75] [42] [43] [44]	galliformine
R
Rabbit (list)	bunny kit kitten nestling	doe jill	buck jack yoyo	litter (young) nest [75] warren wrack (young)	leporine
Raccoon	cub kit	sow	boar	brace committee gaze [74] nursery smack troop	procyonine
Ram Also see Sheep	lamb	ewe	ram	flock	arietine ovine	lamb mutton
Rat (list)	kitten[ citation needed ] pup	doe	buck	colony horde mischief [98] [99]	murine
Raven	chick	hen	cock	conspiracy unkindness [42] [43] [100]	corvid corvine
Red deer	calf	hind	hart stag	herd	—	venison
Red panda	cub	sow	boar	pack	ailurid
Rhinoceros	calf	cow	bull	crash [101] herd	ceratorhine
Rook	—	—	—	building [2] parliament [2] [102]	—
S
Salamander	larva	—	—	maelstrom	caudatan salamandrine
Salmon	parr [103]	hen jen	cock jack	—	salmonine
Sand dollar	juvenile (young urchin) larva pluteus (free-swimming stage)	—	—	—	clypeasteroid
Sandpiper	—	—	—	fling [104]	scolopacine
Sardine	—	—	—	family [104]	—
Sea lion	pup	cow	bull	—	otarine
Seahorse	seafoal	seamare	seastallion	shoal	hippocampal
Seal	pup [7]	cow	bull	herd [104] pod [104] rookery [104]	phoca
Sea otter	pup	—	—	raft	lutrine
Shark	cub [26] pup [105]	—	bull	shiver [59]	selachian squaloid	flake (AUS)
Sheep (list) Also see Ram	cosset lamb lambkin	dam ewe	buck ram wether (castrated)	flock [74] [75] fold [106] herd	ovine	hogget lamb mutton
Shrew	shrewlet	sow	boar	colony drove	soricine
Skink	skinklet	—	—	—	scincine
Skipper	caterpillar	—	—	—	hesperiine
Skunk	kit	sow	boar [3]	surfeit	mephitine
Sloth	baby kitten pup	sow	boar	—	xenarthran (broader group)
Snail	—	—	—	escargatoire [104] [107] rout [104] [108] walk [104]	gastropodian	escargot
Snake (list)	hatchling (newly hatched) neonate (newborn) snakelet	—	—	ball nest [75] slither	anguine elapine ophidian serpentine viperine
Spider (list)	spiderling	—	—	cluster [104] clutter [104]	arachnine arachnoid
Spoonbill	chick	—	—	bowl	ciconiiforme
Squid	paralarva	—	—	shoal	teuthidane
Squirrel	kit kitten pup	doe	buck	scurry [40]	sciurine
Starfish	bipinnaria brachiolaria	—	—	—	asteroid/galaxy [109]
Starling	—	—	—	chattering [13] [38] murmuration [2] [13] [16] [19]	sturnine
Stilt	chick	—	—	—	recurvirostrid
Stingray	pup	—	—	fever [110]	squaloid
Swan	cygnet flapper	pen	cob	bevy [23] flock game [23] lamentation wedge (in flight) [23]	cygnine
T
Tapir	calf	cow	bull	herd	tapirine
Tarsier	—	—	—	—	tarsiine
Termite	larva	—	—	colony nest swarm	isopteran
Thrush	chick	—	—	—	turdine
Tiger	cub [26] whelp	tigress	tiger	ambush [13] streak [40]	tigrine
Toad	tadpole toadlet	—	—	knot [13] [16]	batrachian ranine
Toucan	chick	—	—	durante	ramphasto
Turkey (list)	poult	hen	gobbler jake (immature) stag tom	rafter [111] [112]	—	poultry
Turtle	hatchling turtlet	—	—	bale [113]	chelonian
V
Viper	hatchling	—	—	—	viperine
W
Wallaby	joey	jill	jack	mob	—
Walrus	calf	cow	bull	herd [75] pod [75]	odobenine
Wasp	larva	queen worker	drone	colony hive nest swarm	vespine
Weasel	kit pup	bitch doe jill	buck dog hub jack	gang [18] sneak [18]	musteline
Whale	calf [35]	cow [36]	bull	gam [23] pod [74] [75] school	cetacean cetaceous	blubber
Wildebeest	calf [35]	cow [36]	bull	confusion	—
Wolf	cub pup [7] puppy whelp	bitch she-wolf	dog	pack [74] [75]	canine lupine
Wolverine	kit whelp	angeline	wolverine	pack	musteline
Wombat	joey	jill	jack	wisdom [114]	—
Z
Zebra	colt (male) filly (female) foal	mare	stallion	cohort [115] dazzle [116] herd [13] [115] zeal [13] [115]	hippotigrine zebrine

Usage of collective nouns

Merriam-Webster writes that most terms of venery fell out of use in the 16th century, including a "murder" for crows. It goes on to say that some of the terms in The Book of Saint Albans were "rather fanciful", explaining that the book extended collective nouns to people of specific professions, such as a "poverty" of pipers. It concludes that for lexicographers, many of these do not satisfy criteria for entry by being "used consistently in running prose" without meriting explanation. Some terms that were listed as commonly used were "herd", "flock", "school", and "swarm". ^[117]

Writing for Audubon, Nicholas Lund says that many such terms are not used in actuality. When he interviewed scientists who specialize in studying specific animals, they had not heard of these terms, such as a "bask" of crocodiles or "wisdom" of wombats, being applied in their fields. Lund noted that the common plural nouns for animals were "flock" for birds and "herd" for cows, conceding that for certain animals in small groups, there was currency in usage such as a "pod" of whales or "gaggle" of geese. ^[118]

See also

• Animal epithet
• Lists of animals
• List of animal sounds
• wikt:Appendix:Animals, a similar list on English Wiktionary

Notes

1. The term flange was originally used to denote a group of baboons in a Not the Nine O'Clock News comedy sketch entitled "Gerald the Intelligent Gorilla" where it was used for comic effect. It has since been used in the scientific literature for a collection of baboons.
2. A worker bee is a sexually undeveloped female.
3. Castrated male cattle are steers in the United States or bullocks in the United Kingdom. Oxen are draft animals that are (if male) usually castrated but not necessarily. A young cow that has not given birth is a heifer . See Cattle for more names. Cows is often used informally to refer to cattle in general.
4. Bovine refers to all species of genus Bos .
5. The term aerie is a classic 15th-century term of venery that refers to only two "hawks of the tower" but, in modern usage, does not necessarily have the same numerical constraint. ^[68] Aerie also refers to hawks and other birds of prey nesting high on a mountain top. ^[68] Confusingly, hawks of the tower are technically falcons and not hawks.
6. The term cast is a classic 15th-century term of venery that refers to only two "hawks of the tower" but, in modern usage, does not necessarily have the same numerical constraint. ^[68] Confusingly, hawks of the tower are technically falcons and not hawks.
7. The term flight is a classic 15th-century term of venery that refers to only "hawks of the wrist" to include goshawks and sparrowhawks. ^[68] Hawks of the wrist are true hawks in the genus Accipiter .
8. The term leash is a classic 15th-century term of venery that refers to only three "hawks of the tower" but, in modern usage, does not necessarily have the same numerical constraint. ^[68] Confusingly, hawks of the tower are technically falcons and not hawks.
9. The term staff is a classic 15th-century term of venery that refers to only three "hawks of the tower" but, in modern usage, does not necessarily have the same numerical constraint. ^[68] Confusingly, hawks of the tower are technically falcons and not hawks.

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Further reading

• Gray, Peter (1970). The encyclopedia of the biological sciences . Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. ISBN   978-0-442-15629-9.
• Lipton, James (1993) [1968]. An Exaltation of Larks (Ultimate ed.). Penguin. ISBN   978-0-14-017096-2.