Children get to see a lot of animals almost every day. Some they see in books and others in TV programs and movies. But do they know the names of all these animals? Yes. We must teach the name of animals and especially wild animals, to our little ones.
In this article, we have covered the names of some wild animals that children must know. This way, they’ll be able to add new wild animals’ names to their vocabulary. But before jumping to the list, let’s first read about what wild animals are.
What Are Wild Animals?
Wild animals are the ones that cannot be kept as pets as they can only live in their natural habitat. These types of animals do not need humans to provide them with food, shelter, or water. Wild animals do not interact with humans, but we can still see some of them in places like zoos.
Wild animals help to maintain the food chain by maintaining the ecological balance of nature. The wild animal also provides us with products like ivory, honey, leather, tusk etc. The major wild animals of India are lion, elephant, tiger, deer, bear, rhinoceros, etc.
What Are The Different Types Of Wild Animals?
In this section, we will look at the categories of wild animals. There are majorly four taxonomic categories that include phylum, class, order and family. They can also be divided into categories like invertebrates and vertebrates.
List Of Wild Animals For Kids
Now that your little one knows what wild animals are, it’s time to teach the names with the help of examples of wild animals. Below, we have covered the names and a little information about some wild animals. Let’s have a look at it.
1. Panda
An animal that is only found in the wild in China, Pandas are the world’s most adored and protected rare animals.
2. Zebra
An animal with white coats with black stripes. Zebras have black skin under their white coats.
3. Gorilla
A social animal that lives in groups numbering from five to ten members. Gorilla’s leader is a male known as a silverback.
4. Lion
A large cat of the genus Panthera native to India and Africa. Lions have a muscular, broad-chested bodies and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail.
5. Tiger
The largest living cat species that has dark vertical stripes on its body. Tiger is also the national animal of India.
6. Jackal
An animal that is related to dogs, coyotes, foxes and wolves. Jackals hunt small antelopes and also eat reptiles, insects, ground-dwelling birds, fruits, etc.
7. Fox
An animal belonging to the canine family. Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals that mostly eat insects, eggs, lizards, and birds.
8. Deer
An animal that is a part of the Artiodactyla order of animals. Deer is native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The population of deer has increased substantially in recent years.
9. Bear
An animal that belongs to the family Ursidae. Bears can be as small as four feet and weigh 60 pounds to as big as eight feet and more than 1000 pounds. They’re found in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
10. Chimpanzee
These great apes that can be found across central and West Africa. Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, sharing 98.7 per cent of our genetic blueprint. The chimpanzee is listed as an endangered species.
11. Orangutan
These great apes are native to the rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia. Orangutan spends most of their time on trees and has long powerful arms.
12. Cheetah
The fastest land animal, a Cheetah, is a lightly built, spotted cat that can be identified by its small rounded head, black tear-like facial streaks, short snout, deep chest, long but thin legs and a long tail.
13. Leopard
A large spotted cat that is native to Africa and Asia. Leopards are closely related to tigers, lions and jaguars.
14. Elephant
Elephants are the largest living land mammals with massive bodies, large ears, and long trunks.
15. Wolf
An animal that is the largest non-domestic member of the dog family (Canidae). Wolves inhabit vast areas of the Northern Hemisphere.
16. Antelope
An even-toed hoofed mammal. There are a total of 91 species referred to as “antelopes”, but they are not taxonomically related.
17. Koala
A type of mammal called marsupials; Koalas give birth to underdeveloped young who live in pouches until they are mature enough to leave.
18. Raccoon
Any of seven species of nocturnal mammals characterised by bushy ringed tails.
19. Hippopotamus
Commonly known as Hippo, Hippopotamus is a large semi-aquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa.
20. Alligator
A large reptile that can grow from 8.2 to 11.2 feet in length. The teeth of Alligators are lost and replaced throughout their lifetime.
21. Crocodile
A cold-blooded aquatic animal that lives in tropical areas of the Americas, Australia, Africa, and Asia.
22. Jaguar
A large cat species which is the only living member of the genus Panthera, which is native to the Americas. Jaguars have spots that are complex and often have a dot in the centre.
23. Giraffe
An animal that can be as tall as 18.7 feet. Giraffes consume around 30 pounds of food daily.
24. Hyena
A feliform carnivoran mammal of the family Hyaenidae.
25. Kangaroo
An animal with hind legs larger than its forelimbs, large hind feet, and a long muscular tail, which they use for balance.
26. Rhinoceros
Commonly known as rhinos, Rhinoceros are known for their giant horns that grow from their snout.
27. Mongoose
A small bold predatory carnivore found mainly in Africa. Mongooses are known for their audacious attacks on highly venomous snakes.
30. Porcupine
An animal with large rodents with coats of sharp spines that protect them against predation.
31. Chipmunk
A small, striped rodent of the family Sciuridae.
32. Bison
The largest mammal in North America, a male Bison weighs up to 2,000 pounds and is 6 feet tall, while a female Bison weigh up to 1,000 pounds and can reach a height of 4-5 feet.
33. Emu
The second-tallest living animal after its ratite relative, the ostrich.
34. Armadillo
Western mammals known for their unique armour-like shell and notorious for their digging habits.
35. Baboon
The world’s largest monkeys, Baboons, have sharp canine teeth similar in length to lions.
36. Beaver
The largest living rodents in North America, Beavers weigh around 40 pounds and measure more than three feet in length, including their tail.
37. Iguana
A herbivorous lizard, an Iguana, is native to tropical areas of Mexico, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
38. Cobra
A highly venomous snake that can expand its neck ribs to form a hood.
39. Reindeer
Members of the deer family, Reindeer, have a habit of digging through the snow to find food.
40. Jellyfish
An aquatic animal that has bodies that are 95 per cent water. Jellyfish do not have a heart or brain but have a nervous system that detects light.
Interesting Facts About Wild Animals For Kids
It’s time to learn some interesting facts about wild animals for kindergarten kids. Let’s read!
- The horn of the rhinoceros is made of hair. It’s actually a tuft of hair that grows, tightly packed and glued together by exudates from sebaceous glands, on the nose of the animal.
- Giraffes do not have vocal cords.
- Orangutans can have fractured bones as they keep falling from trees on a regular basis.
- It is common for baby elephants to suck their trunks for comfort.
- The actual skin of polar bears is jet black in colour, hidden under their white fur coats.
- The rear legs of a tiger are so powerful that they have been found to remain standing even after death.
- The fingerprints of a Koala are almost identical to that of a human.
- Gorillas have been seen to be dismantling traps set by poachers.
- Crocodiles cannot stick their tongue out.
- A newborn kangaroo is as small as a lima bean.
- Female lions do 90 per cent of the hunting to feed their families.
- The eyeballs of Reindeer turn blue in winter. It helps them see at lower light levels.
Also Read:
Planet Names for Kids
Animal Names for Children
How to Teach Your Kids About Aquatic Animals
