Published on May 26, 2023
Animals in Spanish: A list of the most common animal names, plus a few fun expressions
Expanding your vocabulary in Spanish is key to achieving fluency, so learning animal names in Spanish isn’t just for kids! In this article, we’ll review the Spanish names for pets, farm animals and wild critters alike. Then, we’ll introduce some popular idioms that feature different animals. Don’t forget — most nouns in Spanish have both a feminine and masculine gendered form. So, are you ready to get wild?
The name for a pet in Spanish is mascota. Just as in English, animals’ names often differ depending on whether the animal is a baby or a full-grown adult. l. With that in mind, let’s look at a list of animals in Spanish that should help you the next time you’re searching for a pet.
| English name | Spanish adult name | Spanish baby name |
| dog | perro | cachorro |
| cat | gato | gatito |
| bird | pájaro | polluelo |
| goldfish | pez dorado | alevín de pez dorado |
| hamster | hamster | cría de hamster |
| mouse | ratón | cría de ratón |
| lizard | lagartija | cría de lagartija |
| rabbit | conejo | gazapo o conejito |
| turtle | tortuga | cría de tortuga |
Even if you don’t live on a farm, farm animals are a familiar part of our everyday culture. Let’s review a list of Spanish names for the most common farm animals.
| English name | Spanish adult name | Spanish baby name |
| cow | vaca | ternero |
| horse | caballo | potrillo |
| donkey | burro | mula |
| goat | cabra | chivo |
| chicken | gallina | pollito |
| sheep | oveja | cordero |
| pig | cerdo | lechón |
| turkey | pavo | polluelo |
| duck | pato | patito |
| goose | ganso or oca | gansito |
Do you live in the city? So do many animals. Others you may only see out in nature. Here’s a list of Spanish names for animals that you’d see in the forest, mountains or near the outskirts of a city. It’s not totally comprehensive, but it should be enough to get you through your next nature walk or visit to the zoo.
| English name | Spanish adult name | Spanish baby name |
| squirrel | ardilla | cría de ardilla |
| owl | búho | polluelo de búho |
| beaver | castor | cría de castor |
| hummingbird | colibrí | polluelo de colibrí |
| bear | oso | osezno |
| butterfly | mariposa | oruga |
| woodpecker | pájaro carpintero | polluelo de pájaro carpintero |
| fox | zorrillo | cachorro |
| reindeer | reno | cría de reno |
| koala | koala | joel koala |
| dragonfly | libélula | larva |
| hawk | halcón | polluelo de halcón |
| lion | león | cachorro (de león) |
| tiger | tigre | cachorro (de tigre) |
| elefant | elefante | cría de elefante |
| monkey | mono | monito |
| snake | serpiente | cría de serpiente |
Spanish is full of interesting sayings or idioms that use animal references to make a point. After learning the animal names, don’t be afraid to jump into the world of animal-based phrases and idioms in Spanish. Start with these four sayings that may be familiar to native English speakers.
| Spanish Idiom | Literal English translation | Meaning |
| Cuando el gato no está, los ratones bailan. | When the cat’s away, the mice will play (dance). | People act differently when no one is watching. |
| Hijo de tigre, pintito. | Son of a tiger, painted (striped). | Like father, like son. |
| Lágrimas de cocodrilo. | Crocodile tears. | Fake or dramatic tears. |
| Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente. | A shrimp that falls asleep will be carried away by the currents. | If you don’t act quickly, you’ll miss something. |
In other words, don’t be shy! Learning animal names and animal-related expressions in Spanish can be a lot of fun, especially if you’re taking an intensive Spanish course.
Idioms and everyday expressions are an amusing way not only to boost your language skills but also to better understand the culture of native Spanish speakers. So, try not to tener memoria de pez (have a bad memory like a fish) and practice these animal names in Spanish today!
