Animals in Spanish: 100+ Vocabulary Words by Category

Do you know the animals in Spanish? Whether you’re a beginner building your vocabulary or an intermediate learner looking to review, this guide has 100+ animals in Spanish organized by category — from farm animals to jungle creatures and sea life. Study the vocabulary, then test yourself with the flashcard game below! ¡Vamos a aprender!

🐾 Animals in Spanish — Vocabulary by Category

🐄 Farm Animals — Animales de granja

Spanish	English
La vaca	Cow
El toro	Bull
El ternero	Calf
El cerdo	Pig
La oveja	Sheep
La cabra	Goat
El caballo	Horse
La yegua	Mare
El potro	Foal
El burro	Donkey
El pollo	Chicken
La gallina	Hen
El gallo	Cock / Rooster
El pato	Duck
El pavo	Turkey
El poni	Pony

🦁 Wild Animals — Animales salvajes

Spanish	English
El león	Lion
El tigre	Tiger
El jaguar	Jaguar
La pantera	Panther
El elefante	Elephant
La jirafa	Giraffe
El rinoceronte	Rhino
El hipopótamo	Hippo
La cebra	Zebra
El lobo	Wolf
El oso	Bear
El oso polar	Polar bear
El oso perezoso	Sloth
El panda	Panda bear
El ciervo	Deer / Stag
El jabalí	Boar
El zorro	Fox
La hiena	Hyena
El antílope	Antelope
El bisonte	Bison
El búfalo	Buffalo
El camello	Camel
El canguro	Kangaroo
El gorila	Gorilla
El chimpancé	Chimpanzee
El mapache	Raccoon
El castor	Beaver
El erizo	Hedgehog
La ardilla	Squirrel
El hurón	Ferret

🐦 Birds — Aves

Spanish	English
El águila	Eagle
El halcón	Falcon
El búho	Owl
El colibrí	Hummingbird
El loro	Parrot
La cigüeña	Stork
El cisne	Swan
El pavo real	Peacock
El pelícano	Pelican
La gaviota	Seagull
La golondrina	Swallow
El gorrión	Sparrow
La grulla	Crane
El cuervo	Raven
El faisán	Pheasant
La paloma	Dove
El pingüino	Penguin
El avestruz	Ostrich
El pájaro	Bird (general)

🐟 Sea & Water Animals — Animales acuáticos

Spanish	English
La ballena	Whale
El delfín	Dolphin
El tiburón	Shark
El pulpo	Octopus
El calamar	Squid
El cangrejo	Crab
La langosta	Lobster
La medusa	Jellyfish
La ostra	Oyster
La raya	Ray fish
El atún	Tuna
La trucha	Trout
El pescado	Fish (general)
La foca	Seal
La nutria	Otter
El cocodrilo	Crocodile
La rana	Frog
El renacuajo	Tadpole
La tortuga	Turtle

🐛 Insects & Small Creatures — Insectos y animales pequeños

Spanish	English
La abeja	Bee
La mariposa	Butterfly
La araña	Spider
La hormiga	Ant
La avispa	Wasp
El grillo	Cricket
La mosca	Fly
La cucaracha	Cockroach
El escorpión	Scorpion
La garrapata	Tick
El caracol	Snail
El murciélago	Bat
El lagarto	Lizard
La serpiente	Snake
El camaleón	Chameleon
La rata	Rat
El ratón	Mouse

🐱 Pets — Mascotas

Spanish	English
El perro	Dog
El gato	Cat
El conejo	Rabbit
El hámster	Hamster
El pájaro	Bird
El pez	Fish (pet)
La tortuga	Turtle
El loro	Parrot

💡 Grammar tip: In Spanish, most animal names have a masculine and feminine form. El gato / la gata (male cat / female cat), el perro / la perra (male dog / female dog). For many wild animals, you add macho (male) or hembra (female): el tigre macho / el tigre hembra.

💬 Example Sentences with Animals

Me encantan los perros, son muy fieles.	I love dogs, they are very loyal.
El águila es el símbolo de muchos países.	The eagle is the symbol of many countries.
En Colombia hay jaguares en la selva amazónica.	In Colombia there are jaguars in the Amazon jungle.
Las ballenas son los animales más grandes del océano.	Whales are the largest animals in the ocean.
Mi mascota favorita es el conejo.	My favorite pet is the rabbit.
¿Tienes mascotas en casa?	Do you have pets at home?
El colibrí es el pájaro más pequeño del mundo.	The hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world.

Talking about animals is a wonderful, low-pressure topic for early Spanish conversations — everyone has an opinion about pets! Describing your pets, favorite animals, or wildlife you’ve seen is exactly the kind of natural conversation a tutor on Italki can guide you through, helping you build confidence with descriptive language.

🎮 Let’s Play — Test Your Knowledge!

Now test yourself with this flashcard game — how many animals do you know in Spanish?

🎯 Quick Practice Quiz

Translate these into Spanish:

The eagle is flying high.
I have a cat and a dog at home.
Dolphins are very intelligent.
Do you have pets at home?
The butterfly is beautiful.

✅ Show Answers

El águila vuela muy alto.
Tengo un gato y un perro en casa.
Los delfines son muy inteligentes.
¿Tienes mascotas en casa?
La mariposa es muy bonita.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some animals have different words for male and female?
Spanish nouns have grammatical gender, and for animals this often reflects biological sex too. El gato (male cat) / la gata (female cat), el toro (bull) / la vaca (cow). For animals without a separate feminine form, add macho or hembra: el elefante macho (male elephant).

What’s the difference between “el pájaro” and other bird names?
El pájaro is the general word for “bird” — like saying “bird” in English when you don’t know or need the specific species. El águila (eagle), el loro (parrot), etc. are specific species. Use pájaro when speaking generally.

How do I talk about my pets in Spanish?
Use tengo (I have): Tengo un perro y dos gatos (I have a dog and two cats). To describe them: Mi perro se llama Rocky y es muy juguetón (My dog’s name is Rocky and he’s very playful). Watching Spanish nature documentaries and pet videos on LingoPie is a fun, low-stress way to absorb tons of animal vocabulary naturally.