Amazing Animals: Amazing Animals, List 3

Explore the world of animals with this collection of words that will make you go hog wild! From aardvarks to zebras, it's sure to be more fun than a barrel full of monkeys!

Here are links to our lists in the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3, A Vocabulary Bestiary
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. alligator
    an amphibious reptile related to crocodiles
    “An alligator will close its jaws on you and drag you to the bottom!” Merci Suárez Changes Gears
  2. ape
    any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all
    The zoo had recently acquired her; she was the first orangutan the zoo had, and was one of the first apes in England. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith
  3. badger
    sturdy carnivorous burrowing mammal with strong claws
    The badger sat down with her snout between her paws. Redwall
  4. bison
    a large humped animal having hooves and shaggy hair
    Yellowstone officials have repeatedly warned that the bull bison living at the park are wild and can be dangerous when approached. BBC (Jul 1, 2022)
  5. carp
    any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae
    In the deep center a large carp flipped its tail and then disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced. The Pigman
  6. chinook
    large Pacific salmon valued as food
    Those fishing at Ilwaco will still be allowed to catch one chinook in a two salmon daily limit. Seattle Times (Aug 13, 2014)
  7. cougar
    large American feline resembling a lion
    It seemed to be staring down at me the way a cougar watches a deer before it attacks. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two
  8. cricket
    leaping insect with long antennae
    The air was cold, heavy, wet, and filled with the sound of crickets. The Hot Zone
  9. ermine
    mustelid of northern hemisphere in its white winter coat
    Traditional robes are made from ermine, which is the white winter coat of the stoat. BBC (Sep 30, 2020)
  10. flounder
    a marine flatfish
    A run of flounder meant that a school of the tasty fish had come into shore far closer than usual; the waves even tossed fish right up on the beach. A Single Shard
  11. halibut
    a large, marine flatfish that is commonly used as food
    Maybe he’d gotten the halibut from a fishing boat that morning. The Omnivore's Dilemma
  12. husky
    a breed of heavy-coated Arctic sled dog
    “This is probably what Balto felt like!” cried Reginald, referring to the intrepid husky sled dog who had made the famous lifesaving medicine run from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Dog Squad
  13. kestrel
    a small falcon that hovers in the air against the wind
    Although kestrels seldom prey on anything bigger than a rat, they will sometimes attack young rabbits. Watership Down: A Novel
  14. krill
    small shrimp-like crustaceans
    David knew about plankton from biology—they were also called krill: millions of tiny, some almost microscopic, shrimp-like animals that filled the oceans of the world. The Voyage Of The Frog
  15. llama
    a cud-chewing, South American animal related to the camel
    The biggest animal in the Andes during Inka times was the llama, which typically weighs three hundred pounds. 1491
  16. magpie
    long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous call
    Nancy picked up a stone, throwing it at a magpie on a nearby fence post. The Milagro Beanfield War
  17. mole
    a small velvety-furred burrowing mammal
    Sheed burrowed deeper under his covers, like a mole in dirt. The Last Last-Day-of-Summer
  18. parrot
    a brightly colored tropical bird with a hooked beak
    Fred was delighted and led her up to his bedroom where a truly magnificent blue and yellow parrot sat in a tall cage. Matilda
  19. pterodactyl
    extinct flying reptile
    Pterosaurs, also sometimes referred to as pterodactyls, dominated the skies in the Mesozoic Era, 220-65 million years ago. BBC (Jan 20, 2011)
  20. salamander
    terrestrial amphibian that resembles a lizard
    Some aquatic animals, such as the salamander, have impressive regeneration skills, allowing them to regrow tissue, parts of major organs and even whole limbs. New York Times (Jan 25, 2022)
  21. shrew
    small mouselike mammal with a long snout; related to moles
    But beneath the forest floor is a world honeycombed with the tunnels and runways of small mammals — whitefooted mice, voles, and shrews of various species. Silent Spring
  22. sparrow
    a small dull-colored singing bird
    Like many birds, male white-throated sparrows use songs to signal where their territory is, and to attract mates. New York Times (Jul 2, 2020)
  23. terrier
    any of several breeds of small, short-bodied dog
    It was answered from behind Dr. Seward’s house by the yelping of dogs, and after about a minute three terriers came dashing round the corner of the house. Dracula
  24. vulture
    a large diurnal bird of prey feeding chiefly on carrion
    Upright, he saw what the larger group of vultures was circling: the corpse of a deer. Pax
  25. zebra
    a black-and-white striped animal related to a horse
    A zebra’s stripes might also help it blend into the background in dim light and stay safer from predators such as lions — but that might not be the stripes’ main advantage. Washington Post (Nov 28, 2021)
Created on Wed Jul 06 17:33:19 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Jul 08 11:02:37 EDT 2022)

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