Learning animal names is one of the most enjoyable and useful parts of building Spanish vocabulary. Animals are present in daily conversations, stories, songs, and even idioms. Whether you are talking about your pet, describing wildlife, or traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, knowing the words for animals will make your conversations more interesting.
Today in @spanishnowedu, you will learn the names of 100 animals in Spanish. We will divide them into categories—such as pets, farm animals, wild animals, marine creatures, insects, and birds—so you can understand how the vocabulary is used. You will also see short examples of sentences, so you can put these words into practice immediately.
This vocabulary will be especially useful if you are a beginner and want to expand beyond basic greetings and verbs. Mastering the names of animals will help you connect to Spanish culture and improve both your listening and speaking skills. Let’s begin.
Why Learn Animal Vocabulary in Spanish?
There are several reasons why knowing this vocabulary is vital. Let’s see each one thoroughly:
- Daily use vocabulary: Domestic, wild, and farm animals are part of everyday life. So, it is pretty convenient to know their names when speaking in Spanish.
- Travel and tourism: Visiting the zoo, national parks, or even ordering food often involves animal names.
- Cultural relevance: Animals appear in idioms, literature, and traditions across the Spanish-speaking world.
- Memory building: Concrete nouns like animals are easier to remember and help reinforce pronunciation practice.
If you want to build a strong foundation, start with this Spanish animal vocabulary list and practice little by little each day.
Animal Vocabulary in Spanish
Let’s dissect this list of 100 animal names in Spanish. We have made 6 groups of words for easy and smooth learning steps.
Pets (Mascotas)
These are the animals we most often keep at home. Let’s name the 9 most common kinds of pets.
- perro – dog
- gato – cat
- conejo – rabbit
- hámster – hamster
- cobaya – guinea pig
- pez – fish
- loro – parrot
- canario – canary
- tortuga – turtle
Example sentence:
Mi perro está jugando en el jardín. (My dog is playing in the garden.)
Farm Animals (Animales de granja)
Essential vocabulary if you visit the countryside.
- vaca – cow
- cerdo – pig
- oveja – sheep
- cabra – goat
- pollo – chicken
- gallina – hen
- gallo – rooster
- pato – duck
- pavo – turkey
- caballo – horse
Example sentence:
La vaca está en el campo. (The cow is in the field.)
Wild Animals (Animales salvajes)
These are common in zoos, documentaries, or trips to nature reserves.
- oso – bear
- león – lion
- tigre – tiger
- elefante – elephant
- jirafa – giraffe
- rinoceronte – rhinoceros
- hipopótamo – hippopotamus
- cebra – zebra
- mono – monkey
- puma – puma, cougar
Example sentence:
El león es el rey de la selva. (The lion is the king of the jungle.)
Marine Animals (Animales marinos)
- delfín – dolphin
- ballena – whale
- tiburón – shark
- pulpo – octopus
- calamar – squid
- cangrejo – crab
- langosta – lobster
- camarón – shrimp
- estrella de mar – starfish
- medusa – jellyfish
Example sentence:
El delfín nada rápido en el océano. (The dolphin swims fast in the ocean.)
Birds (Aves)
- águila – eagle
- halcón – falcon
- búho – owl
- lechuza – barn owl
- cuervo – crow
- paloma – pigeon
- gorrión – sparrow
- guacamayo – macaw
- flamenco – flamingo
- pingüino – penguin
Example sentence:
El búho canta por la noche. (The owl sings at night.)
Reptiles and Amphibians (Reptiles y anfibios)
- serpiente – snake
- lagarto – lizard
- cocodrilo – crocodile
- caimán – alligator
- iguana – iguana
- rana – frog
- sapo – toad
- tortuga – turtle
Example sentence:
La serpiente está en el árbol. (The snake is on the tree.)
Insects and Small Creatures (Insectos y pequeños animales)
- abeja – bee
- avispa – wasp
- hormiga – ant
- mariposa – butterfly
- mariquita – ladybug
- escarabajo – beetle
- grillo – cricket
- saltamontes – grasshopper
- mosquito – mosquito
- araña – spider
Example sentence:
La mariposa es muy bonita. (The butterfly is very beautiful.)
Learning animals in Spanish is not only fun, it’s also practical. These 100 words give you a wide vocabulary that you can use in conversations, at the zoo, when traveling, or even when reading books and watching movies in Spanish.
By practicing these words daily and using them in sentences, you will strengthen your Spanish vocabulary and improve your pronunciation. Remember: vocabulary grows when you use it actively, so don’t just read—say the words out loud.
Practice Spanish Animal Vocabulary with Videos
Here we bring you two special videos to practice the pronunciation and spelling of animal names in Spanish. You will hear the same words in two different accents: one in Latin American Spanish and the other in Castilian Spanish (Spain). Listen carefully, repeat out loud, and compare the accents to strengthen both your vocabulary and listening skills.
Latin American Spanish Version
In this video, you will learn the pronunciation of more than 200 animals in clear and neutral Latin American Spanish. Perfect for learners who want to get familiar with the accent most widely spoken across Latin America.
Castilian Spanish Version
This version features the same list of animals but pronounced with a Castilian (Spain) accent. It will help you understand regional differences and broaden your listening comprehension.
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