Do You Know the Spanish Names for These Animals?

ANIMALS

By: Staff

6 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Would you describe yourself as an animal expert? What if you walked into a zoo and a mother was describing a lion to her son but wasn't calling it a lion? Would you be confused? Would you accept what she was saying or ask why she changed the name of the animal? This is the reality in many parts of the world where English is not the primary language, and it can throw you off if you're not prepared. 

After all, if you grew up in the English-speaking world, then you are used to hearing English. It makes sense that you would expect everyone to come to a consensus on what an animal's name is, but other regions around the world have completely different names for animals. That's definitely the case in Spanish-speaking regions, and Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. 

Do you know the Spanish names of these animals, from everyday critters to more exotic creatures? Can you pass this quiz where we show you the animal and you give us the Spanish name? Here's your chance to find out. If you are up for the challenge, get started and show everyone both your knowledge of animals and your ability to learn multiple languages!

What is the Spanish name of this playful creature?

Cats are popular pets, coming in at the second most popular pets, behind dogs, in the U.S. What's not popular about cats? Those nasty hairballs. Did you know the technical term for a hairball is "bezoar"?

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Do you know the Spanish name of this magnificent creature?

The gorgeous tail feathers of this bird make up sixty percent of its body size! A peacock's tail feathers are called coverts and are used for mating purposes.

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Do you know the Spanish name of this creature?

While a gibbon might be small in stature, it has some big cousins. The gibbon is closely related to the gorilla and is a small ape. The gibbon grows between 17 and 25 inches and weighs less than 20 lbs., often half that. Its long arms, flexible shoulders and strong legs are ideal for living in the trees.

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Do you know the name of this warm-weather animal... in Spanish?

The rhino iguana is named for the two (sometimes three) horn-like bumps protruding from directly above its nostrils. This species is native to Haiti and the Dominican Republic (Hispaniola) and can grow to more than four feet in length.

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What is the Spanish name of this popular pet?

Dogs have been helpers and companions to man for such a long time that some of us almost think of them as human. Their sense of smell is anything but human, since they have up to 60 times more scent glands than humans do. No wonder they can smell us coming a mile away!

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We love this marsupial. Do you know its name in Spanish?

The platypus is one of the world's favorite animals. With distinctive traits, such as egg laying, a pouch and a duckbill, who wouldn't be obsessed with this creature? Did you know the platypus's bill also gives it a sixth sense that detects electric fields generated by all living creatures?

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What is the Spanish name for this playful sea animal?

Dolphins are one of the most enjoyed sea animals. They have high intellect and are playful. While the bottlenose dolphin may be what you think of when you hear the name "dolphin," there are about 40 different species, including the killer whale.

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They were mistaken for mermaids - do you know their Spanish name?

Manatees prefer warmer climates and shallow waters. However, despite their size and fatty appearance, they have relatively little fat to protect them from cold climates. Their large bodies are mostly made up of stomach and intestines.

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Do you know the Spanish name of this cute little creature?

Although all mice may look similar, there are actually hundreds of different species of mice. They are mostly nocturnal, which helps them stay away from their many predators.

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Do you know the Spanish for this floppy-eared animal?

Bunnies are cute creatures that usually are non-imposing, as they feed on grass and other plants and keep to themselves. They have a high reproduction rate and only live about three years in the wild - but can live much longer when domesticated.

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One of the most interesting animals on the planet, do you know its Spanish name?

A seahorse is an interesting creature which may not look like a fish but actually is. It may also be one of the most loving creatures. Seahorses mate for life, with mating dance rituals that can last for up to eight hours.

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Do you know the Spanish for this pesky creature?

Rats are animals that usually come with strong feelings attached - you love them or hate them. They are smart and can make good pets, but they are also the cause of infestations, feces on your carpet and food being taken from your kitchen.

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Perhaps one of the funnest animals around, do you know the Spanish name?

Did you know that goats were one of the first animals that humans tamed? They can even be called by name, like dogs! Although goat meat is not as popular in the U.S., it is the most widely eaten meat per capita in the world.

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This is an Aussie animal, but do you know the Spanish name?

The wallaby is similar to a kangaroo, but smaller. This jumping animal gives birth to its young when the joey is only about the size of a jelly bean. The joey will then spend the rest of its childhood growing in the mother's pouch. Due to its size, the Wallaby is prey for many animals, from birds to snakes, humans and other wild animals.

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Cute and they love the mud - what is the Spanish name for this animal?

It is no wonder some people do not like to eat pork, knowing what pigs feed on all day long. Pigs will eat any kind of scraps- corn cobs, old veggies, bugs and anything else you want to put in the compost bin!

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These are similar to rats, people love this animal much more. Do you know the Spanish for it?

Ferrets are all about "business," which also happens to be their animal group name. These weasel-like animals sleep between 14 and 18 hours a day and are a fairly popular pet in America. But all you need to know about them is in their name. Mustela putorius furo, Latin for ferret, means "smelly little thief."

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A cluck cluck here and a cluck cluck there... What is the Spanish name of this animal?

Chickens have provided humans with nutrition for many centuries. Their eggs and meat are popular in almost any cuisine, including Chinese, German and Mexican food!

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Do you know the Spanish name for this popular milk-producing animal?

Why do cows chew on their cud? It's a part of how they digest their food. Their stomachs have four parts, and after the food enters the first part, cows burp it back up and chew on it to make it more easily digestible for the second part of their stomach.

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Kids of the '90s loved its game. Do you know the Spanish name for this adorable creature?

A hedgehog may be one of the cutest animals on the planet, and in recent years they have grown in pet popularity. However, they are still illegal to be owned as a pet in six states - Maine, Arizona, California, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Hawaii - and in New York City. Hedgehogs got their name because they love to hang out around garden hedges and they make a grunting pig-like noise.

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Oh deer! Do you know the Spanish word for this a-deer-able animal?

Most Americans are familiar with the white-tailed deer, which is either considered a delight or a pest to many homeowners. Other breeds of deer are common around the world, and they all share similar eating habits, herd instincts and strong flight instincts.

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Do you know this African animal's name in Spanish?

Aardvarks are an interesting mesh of several other animals, sseeming to have a pig's snout, a kangaroo's tail and rabbit ears. However, aardvarks have little relation to any of those other animals. While they do enjoy a nice meal of ants with their foot-long tongue, the African-based aardvark is a different species than the South American-based anteater.

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Can you name this creature that dominates the water?

There are over 25,000 known species of fish on our planet, but many more yet to be discovered and categorized. They've been on Earth longer than the dinosaurs.

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What's the Spanish word for this slithery creature?

Salamanders are similar to lizards, but have shorter, wider snouts, which make them way cuter than most other amphibians. The Spanish word for salamander is the same as a specific genus of the whole group of salamanders. There are currently six known species of Salamandra - the most recent of which was officially discovered in 1988!

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Do you know the Spanish name for this creepy-crawly?

Although some people classify spiders along with flies and mosquitoes, they are not insects, but rather arachnids. Did you know that there are no spiders on Antarctica?

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Can you name the Spanish word for this adorable woodland creature?

The fox is an omnivorous mammal, known for its triangle-shaped face and long bushy tail. Zorros often live about two to three years, although occasionally they can live up to a decade. Many different colors of fur exist.

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They love coconuts - do you know what to call them in Spanish?

Coconut crabs are big. No, we mean really big. As the largest land-living arthropod, these crabs can reach a length of three feet leg-to-leg. How did they get their name? Well, they eat coconuts, of course! Over several days, the crabs dig away at the coconut's fibrous outer shell. Studies show that crabs with access to coconuts grow nearly twice as big as crabs without access to them.

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He's a sneaky canine; do you know the Spanish for this animal?

Jackals are scavengers; however, they have also been known to take down their own prey. They use a complex set of vocals, such as a yell, yap and siren-like howl, which can be used to communicate and alert other Jackals to the location of a kill.

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Do you know the Spanish for this toothy sea animal?

Sharks! These swift swimmers have terrified the public for decades, but are the great tiburón really that dangerous? Just like cows, horses, dogs and cats, sharks rarely attack people, and many attacks are seen to be provoked by humans. Usually, sharks are the scaredy-cats of the sea!

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Do you know the Spanish for this animal?

Toads, unlike frogs, don't need to live near water. They have dry, bumpy skin which people compare to warts.

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This animal has colorful feet. What is its Spanish name?

Arguably the most famous bird in the Galapagos Islands, nearly 50 percent of the world's breeding blue-footed booby pairs live here. Their blue feet are a stunning color, similar to beaches throughout the Caribbean. They use their feet to keep their eggs warm.

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This animal provides a warning before it attacks. What would you call it in Spanish?

Rattlesnakes are one of the most dangerous snakes in the world; however, despite popular belief, they prefer not to attack humans. Instead, they use their rattle to notify you that you should walk away because they are feeling uncomfortable. Since they cannot regulate their own body temperature, they are often underground in the summer and only seen in the fall or spring.

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This fella will wake you in the morning. Do you know its Spanish name?

Cockfighting is a historic spectator sport where two roosters were put together and made to fight. It is illegal in the U.S., but is popular in Spanish-influenced countries.

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Most people are afraid of this creature. Do you know what it is called in Spanish?

Perhaps people are so scared of snakes because they are sometimes poisonous, or it could be due to their slithering nature. Or maybe, because they swallow their food whole. Yikes!

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O-boy! Do you know the Spanish word for this nocturnal marsupial?

Opossum is the largest order of marsupial in the world. These adorable nocturnal animals are not often the first woodland creatures that come to mind, but they are plentiful. These mammals often give birth to broods of 10-20 infants! That's a lot of mouths to feed!

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Ah-Rooooo! Can you recall the Spanish for this fuzzy pack animal?

The wolf! This creature has fascinated and frightened people for millennia. Most people have nothing to fear from this creature though; packs of lobo usually prefer to stay away from humans, unless they are "nice" enough to feed them. Only cattle and puppy dogs should be worried. Otherwise, these animals are more terrified of you than you should be of them!

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Considered one of the animals closest to humans, do you know the Spanish name for it?

Have you ever wished that you could sleep while standing? If you were a horse you could do just that; horses sleep while laying down and while standing up. Horses have big teeth and big eyes. In fact, their eyes are the largest of any land mammal.

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Can you remember the Spanish for this adorable infant?

Fun fact: baby monkeys are referred to as infants, just like human babies! Monkeys are really important to cultures around the world. In fact, the monkey is the ninth animal in the Chinese Zodiac, out of only 11 other animals in the 12 year cycle.

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What is the name of this pack animal?

Similar to a wolf, this animal is the terror of garbage dumpsters and chicken coops alike! North Americans often consider these animals to be pests, as they sometimes prey upon small household pets.

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Do you know the Spanish name of this well-known dessert animal?

Camels can weigh up to 1,500 pounds. Their humps actually store fat for nourishment, not water.

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Ribbit- ribbit - what's this one called in Spanish?

Frogs are largely a carnivorous species, meaning they eat animals. Their tongues have specially adapted to catch quick-moving insects out of the air. How terrifying for something so adorable!

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