Arguably, most people go on a Tanzania safari to get a glimpse of its rich wildlife. When going on a safari in Tanzania, you not only get to see the glorious Big Five but also other big and small mammals and hundreds of extraordinary bird species, making it a treat for animal lovers. But are you familiar with the many different animal group names?
You might have come across common animal group names like, pack of wolves, or litter of puppies. But there are many various collective nouns for animals out there that are much less well-known and which might sound strange and funny to you.
You might not have heard of most of the animal group names we have listed in this article because these terms are rarely used, even by scientists. So let’s take a look at the peculiar group names of the wildlife sharing our environment. We are sure you are going to love this list so make sure to use them in your conversation to get a few laughs and a lot of confused faces.
Peculiar Animal Group Names
The Tanzanian savannah is home to an enormous variety of wildlife species. With the amount of diversity Tanzania holds, it is no surprise that the wildlife comes with diverse, strange, and interesting terms to describe them. Listed below are our favorite collective nouns.
Test your knowledge after the list by taking the quiz we have created below. Keep track of your score and see how you rank!
Apes: a shrewdness
Badgers: a cete
Bats: a cauldron
Bees: a grist, hive, or swarm
Bitterns: a sedge
Buffalo: a gang or obstinacy
Caterpillars: an army
Cats: a clowder, pounce or glaring; for kittens: a kindle, litter or intrigue
Cheetahs: a coalition
Clams: a bed
Cobras: a quiver
Cockroaches: an intrusion
Coots: a cover
Cormorants: a gulp
Crabs: a consortium
Crocodiles: a bask
Crows: a murder or horde
Dogs: a litter (puppies), pack (wild), or cowardice (curs)
Donkeys: a pace
Dotterel: a trip
Doves: a dule or pitying (specific to turtle doves)
Ducks: a brace, team, flock (in flight), raft (on water), paddling or badling
Eagles: a convocation
Elephants: a parade
Elk: a gang
Finches: a charm
Fish in general: a draft, nest, run, school, or shoal
Flamingos: a stand
Flies: a business
Fox: a leash, skulk, or earth
Frogs: an army
Geese: a flock, a flamboyance, gaggle (on the ground), or skein (in flight)
Giraffes: a tower
Goats: a tribe or trip
Gorillas: a band
Grasshoppers: a cloud
Grouse: a pack (in the late season)
Hawks: a cast, kettle (in flight), or boil (two or more spiraling in the air)
Herons: a sedge or siege
Herring: an army
Hippopotamuses: bloat or thunder
Hyenas: a cackle
Jays: a party or scold
Jellyfish: a bloom, fluther, or smack
Lapwings: a deceit
Larks: an exaltation
Lemurs: a conspiracy
Leopards: a leap
Lions: a pride or sawt
Lobsters: a risk
Magpies: a tiding, gulp, murder, or charm
Moles: a labor
Monkeys: a troop or barrel
Mosquitoes: a scourge
Mules: a pack, span, or barren
Nightingales: a watch
Otters: a romp
Owls: a parliament
Oysters: a bed
Parrots: a pandemonium or company
Partridge: a covey
Peafowl: ostentation or muster
Pheasant: a nest, nide (a brood), nye, or bouquet
Pigs: a drift, drove, sounder, team, or a passel
Plovers: a congregation or wing (in flight)
Porcupines: a prickle
Porpoises: a pod, school, herd, or turmoil
Quail: a bevy or covey
Rabbits: a colony, warren, nest, down, husk, or herd (domestic only)
Ravens: an unkindness
Rhinoceroses: a crash
Sharks: a shiver
Snails: a hood
Snakes, vipers: a nest
Snipe: a walk or wisp
Sparrows: a host
Squid: an audience
Squirrels: a dray or scurry
Starlings: a murmuration
Storks: a mustering
Swans: a bevy, game, or wedge (in flight)
Teal: a spring
Tigers: an ambush or streak
Toads: a knot
Trout: a hover
Turtles: a bale or nest
Whales: a pod, gam, or herd
Wildebeest: a confusion
Wolves: a pack, rout, or route (when in movement)
Woodcocks: a fall
Woodpeckers: a descent
Zebras: a dazzle
Pretty wild collective nouns right? A cauldron of bats. A murder of crows. A flamboyance of flamingos. A conspiracy of lemurs. While these collective nouns are rarely used, animal group names that are oftentimes weird, funny, and incredibly colorful can be a subject that is both interesting and fun to know and talk about on safari.
Now that you know a little bit about weird and funny animal group names, can you guess the group names for the animals you’ll see on safari? Keep track of your score and see how you rank!
But before we take the quiz on peculiar animal group names, let us take a look at why animals often have such weird and funny collective nouns, shall we?
What’s up with these Collective Nouns?
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a Collective Noun is a noun that refers to a group of people or things. Common examples of collective nouns are “family” and “team.” Collective nouns are amazing because, through these collective nouns, we get a quick and easy description of a group of people, things, or animals.
When you come across a collective noun of a group of animals, you will immediately know what kind of animals they are.
It is the descriptiveness of the collective nouns of animals that make them so unique and fun. These nouns tell us something about the animal. Like, their behavior, shape, or form. This in turn gives us an insight into their natures and personalities. A great example of this would be the collective noun of Girrafes: “A tower.” Can you think of a better word that can describe a group of these lanky giants?
Now, For The Quiz
1. A _______ of Wildebeest Lions
Pack
Confusion
Pride
2. A _______ of Elephants
Parade
Band
Tribe
3. A _______ of Giraffes
Murder
Troop
Tower
4. A _______ of Lions
Flamboyance
Confusion
Pride
5. A_______ of Zebras
Dazzle
Yoke
Murder
THE ANSWERS
-
B. Confusion
-
A. Parade
-
C. Tower
-
C. Pride
-
A. Dazzle
HOW’D YOU DO?
0-2 correct: Great job! Maybe your collective noun vocabulary will improve once you go on a safari and spot the Big Five and other Tanzanian wildlife.
3-4 correct: Amazing work! Your answers show a familiarity with wildlife so we are sure you’ll love the Serengeti.
All 5 correct: You are an animal expert! And seeing how your guesses are spot on, we are sure you will turn out to be a seasoned safari lover.
Tuonane Wakati Ujao
Here’s hoping we helped you learn something new. If you liked our content, we recommend you check out all the other content we have talked about. And if you are interested in our services, and are considering going on a safari with us, then contact us! Until then, kwaheri!
