There are many different groups of animals that preschoolers can learn about, each with their own unique characteristics and traits. From social butterflies to even solitary scavengers, all types of animals are classified into different groups in the world.
Whatever it is that draws them together, they get into groups with names that represent their species. Some of the most well-known animal groups include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. In this article, we will look at the different animal groups and the types of animals under each group. We will also look at their names and get to know more about them.
List Of Animals And Their Group Names
Each of the animal groups has its own unique characteristics and behaviours, and they play important roles in the ecosystems they inhabit. Understanding these different animal groups and the ways in which they interact with one another helps us to better understand and appreciate the complexity and diversity of the natural world.
Group Names For Mammals
Mammals are warm-blooded animals with fur or hair and produce milk to feed their young. Examples of mammals include humans, dogs, cats, and cows.
Mammal Name | Group Name |
Apes | Shrewdness |
Badgers | Cete |
Baboons | Troop |
Bats | Cauldron |
Bears | Sloth or Sleuth |
Buffalo |
Gang or Obstinacy
|
Beavers | Colony |
Cats |
Clowder, Pounce or Glaring
|
Camels |
Caravan, Flock, Train, or Herd
|
Cattle | Mob |
Cheetas | Coalition |
Dogs |
Litter (puppies), Pack (wild) or Cowardice (curs)
|
Donkeys | Pace |
Elephants | Parade |
Elk | Gang |
Ferrets | Business |
Fox |
Leash, Skulk or Earth
|
Giraffes | Tower |
Goats | Tribe or Trip |
Gorillas | Band |
Hippopotamuses |
Bloat or Thunder
|
Hyenas | Cackle |
Jaguars | Shadow |
Kangaroos | Troop or Mob |
Lemurs | Conspiracy |
Leopards | Leap |
Lions | Pride or Sawt |
Martens | Richness |
Moles | Labour |
Monkeys | Troop or Barrel |
Mules |
Pack, Span or Barren
|
Otters | Romp |
Pigs |
Drift, Drove, Sounder, Team or Passel
|
Porcupines | Prickle |
Porpoises |
Pod, School, Herd or Turmoil
|
Rabbits |
Colony, Warren, Nest, Down, Husk or Herd (domestic only)
|
Rhinoceroses | Crash |
Squirrels | Dray or Scurry |
Tigers |
Ambush or Streak
|
Whales |
Pod, Gam or Herd
|
Wolves |
Pack, Rout or Route (when in movement)
|
Zebras | Dazzle or Zeal |
Group Names For Birds
Birds are warm-blooded animals that have feathers and are able to fly. Examples of birds include chickens, ducks, and eagles. Let us look at some collective nouns for birds below.
Bird Name | Group Name |
Bitterns | Sedge |
Buzzards | Wake |
Bobolinks | Chain |
Coots | Cover |
Cormorants | Gulp |
Crows | Murder or Horde |
Dotterel | Trip |
Doves |
Dule or Pitying (specific to turtle doves)
|
Ducks |
Brace, Team, Flock (in flight), Raft (on water), Paddling or Badling
|
Eagles | Convocation |
Finches | Charm |
Flamingos | Stand |
Geese |
Flock, Gaggle (on the ground) or Skein (in flight)
|
Grouse |
Pack (in late season)
|
Hawks |
Cast, Kettle (in flight) or Boil (two or more spiralling in air)
|
Herons | Sedge or Siege |
Jays | Party or Scold |
Lapwings | Deceit |
Larks | Exaltation |
Mallards |
Sord (in flight) or Brace
|
Magpies |
Tiding, Gulp, Murder or Charm
|
Nightingales | Watch |
Owls | Parliament |
Parrots |
Pandemonium or Company
|
Partridge | Covey |
Peafowl |
Ostentation or Muster
|
Penguins |
Colony, Muster, Parcel or Rookery
|
Pheasant |
Nest, Nide (a brood), Nye or Bouquet
|
Plovers |
Congregation or Wing (in flight)
|
Ptarmigans | Covey |
Rooks | Building |
Quail | Bevy or Covey |
Ravens | Unkindness |
Snipe | Walk or Wisp |
Sparrows | Host |
Starlings | Murmuration |
Storks | Mustering |
Swans |
Bevy, Game or Wedge (in flight)
|
Teal | Spring |
Turkeys | Rafter or Gang |
Woodcocks | Fall |
Woodpeckers | Descent |
Group Names For Sea Animals
Fish are cold-blooded animals. They live in water and breathe through their gills. Examples of fish include goldfish and sharks. Let’s look at group names for animals:
Sea Animals Name | Group Name |
Fish |
Draft, Nest, Run, School or Shoal
|
Herring | Army |
Sharks | Shiver |
Trout | Hove |
Seahorse | Herd |
Cod | School |
Eels | Swarm |
Shrimp | Troupe |
Dogfish | Troop |
Butterflyfish | School |
Flying Fish | Glide |
Goldfish | Troubling |
Angelfish | Company |
Tuna | Float |
Porcupine fish | Cluster |
Sardines | Family |
Barracudas | Battery |
Swordfish | Flotilla |
Perch | Pack |
Squid | Squad |
Dragonnet Fish | Swarm |
Smelts | Quantity |
Sticklebacks | Spread |
Pilchard | School |
Mackrel | Shoal |
Minnows | Swarm |
Group Names For Insects
Insects are small, six-legged animals that have a hard exoskeleton and are capable of flight. Examples of insects include ants, bees, and beetles.
Insects Name | Group Name |
Bees |
Grist, Hive, or Swarm
|
Butterflies |
Kaleidoscope, Flutter, or Swarm
|
Caterpillars | Army |
Cockroaches | Intrusion |
Flies | Business |
Grasshoppers | Cloud |
Locusts | Plague |
Mosquitoes |
Swarm or Scourge
|
Spiders | Cluster |
Worms | Bunch |
Group Names For Amphibians & Reptiles
Amphibians are cold-blooded animals that start their lives in the water and then transition to land. Reptiles are cold-blooded animals that have scales are typically lay eggs. Examples of amphibians include frogs and salamanders, and examples of reptiles are snakes, lizards and turtles. Let us look at some interesting names for these groups of animals:
Amphibian & Reptile Name | Group Name |
Cobras | Quiver |
Crocodiles |
Bask, Congregation, Float, Nest
|
Frogs |
Army, Colony, Knot
|
Iguanas | Mess |
Snakes |
Den, Bed, Knot, Nest, Pit
|
Toads |
Knot, Nest, Knob
|
Turtle | Bale, Turn |
Viper |
Nest, Generation
|
Dinosaurs | Herd, Pack |
Dragons | Herd, Wing |
Group Names For Invertebrates
Invertebrates are animals with no vertebral column or backbone. Invertebrates comprise approximately 97% of the animal kingdom. Most of them are soft-bodied and do not develop rigid internal skeletons.
Invertebrate Name | Group Name |
Bees |
Grist, Hive or Swarm
|
Caterpillars | Army |
Clams | Bed |
Crabs | Consortium |
Cockroaches | Intrusion |
We hope that with the help of this article, your little one will be able to gain knowledge about various animal group names. Keep revising the group nouns for animals with your child, and they will learn it in no time!
Also Read:
Aquatic Animals for Children
Names of Mountain Animal for Kids
Mammals Names in English for Children