Animal Names in Spanish: 100+ Names in Spanish Vocabulary by Habitat (Pet, Zoo, Jungle...)

Learning animal names in Spanish is one of those vocabulary categories that's actually super useful, whether you're chatting with Spanish-speaking friends about your pet, planning a trip to the zoo in Madrid, or just trying to understand what people are talking about when they mention their gato or perro. Plus, animal vocab comes up constantly in everyday conversations, kids' books, and even Spanish idioms. This guide covers over 100 animal names in Spanish, organized by where you'd find them, from pets and farm animals to wild creatures in the jungle and ocean.🦊

Common pets in Spanish (mascotas)

Let's start with pets since these are probably the animals you'll talk about most often. If someone asks "¿Tienes mascotas?" (Do you have any pets?), you'll want to know how to answer.

Here are more pets you might have or encounter:

If someone asks "¿Cuántas mascotas tienes?" (How many pets do you have?), you can respond with "Tengo dos perros y un gato" or whatever applies to your situation. The word mascota itself comes from the French "mascotte" and is used across all Spanish-speaking countries, though you might also hear "animales domésticos" in more formal contexts.

Farm animals in Spanish (animales de granja)

Farm animals, or animales de granja, are essential vocab if you're learning Spanish to travel to Latin America or Spain, especially rural areas. The word granja means farm, and you'll see these animals if you visit any agricultural region.

The basics everyone should know:

The pronunciation of these words is pretty phonetic if you know basic Spanish sounds. The double "ll" in gallina and pollo makes a "y" sound in most dialects, so it sounds like "ga-YEE-na" and "PO-yo."

One thing that trips people up is that el pollo can mean both chicken (The animal) and chicken (The meat). Context usually makes it clear. If you're at a restaurant, "pollo" is definitely the food. If you're visiting a granja, it's the animal.

Farm animals also appear in tons of Spanish expressions. "Estar como una cabra" (To be like a goat) means to be crazy. "Cuando las ranas críen pelo" (When frogs grow hair) is like saying "when pigs fly" in English.

Zoo animals (animales del zoológico)

Are you planning on going to the zoo with some Spanish friends during a trip to Spain? You'll want to know these animal names. The word for zoo is el zoológico, though people often shorten it to el zoo.

Big mammals you'll find at any zoo:

Reptiles and other zoo creatures:

The Spanish language uses both masculine and feminine articles (el and la), and memorizing which one goes with each animal in Spanish is part of learning the vocab. Most animal names have a fixed gender regardless of whether the actual animal is male or female. When you need to specify, you can say "el león macho" (Male lion) or "la jirafa hembra" (Female giraffe).

Wild animals in the forest (animales del bosque)

Forest animals, or animales del bosque, include creatures you'd find in wooded areas across Spain and Latin America. These show up frequently in stories and nature documentaries.

Common forest dwellers:

Birds you'd find in forests:

Learning the names of forest animals helps when you're reading Spanish literature or watching nature content. These words come up way more than you'd think in everyday metaphors too. "Ser un zorro" (To be a fox) means being clever or sly.

Jungle and rainforest animal names in Spanish (animales de la selva)

The jungle, or la selva, hosts some of the most exotic animals. If you're learning Spanish to travel to Latin America, especially countries like Costa Rica, Peru, or Ecuador, you'll definitely want this vocabulary.

Jungle mammals:

Jungle primates:

Jungle reptiles and amphibians:

Tropical birds:

The word animales appears constantly when discussing wildlife. "Los animales de la selva tropical" (Rainforest animals) is a common phrase in educational content. Many Spanish-speaking countries have incredible biodiversity, so nature vocabulary is a big part of the culture.

Ocean and sea animals (animales marinos)

Marine life vocabulary is essential if you're visiting coastal areas or talking about seafood. These animal names in Spanish cover everything from tiny fish to massive whales.

Common sea creatures:

Knowing these names helps when you're ordering food too. "Camarones al ajillo" (Garlic shrimp) is way easier to order when you know what camarón means. Same with pulpo (Octopus), which is super popular in Spanish cuisine.

Desert animals in Spanish vocabulary (animales del desierto)

Desert animals, or animales del desierto, survive in some of the harshest environments. Spain has some arid regions, and many Latin American countries have significant desert areas.

Desert dwellers:

Desert vocabulary overlaps with some zoo and wild animal categories. Many desert animals adapt to extreme temperatures and scarce water, which makes them fascinating to learn about in Spanish nature documentaries.

Birds and insects (pájaros e insectos)

Beyond the birds already mentioned, here's a broader list of bird names and common insects you'll encounter.

More birds:

Common insects:

The word list of animal names gets pretty extensive when you include insects. These smaller creatures appear constantly in daily life, so knowing their names in Spanish is practical vocabulary.

Tips for learning names of animals in Spanish

Here's the thing about memorizing all these Spanish words: you need a system. Just reading through lists doesn't stick. The best approach combines several methods.

Anyway, if you're serious about building your Spanish vocabulary beyond just animals, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up any word instantly while watching Spanish shows or reading articles. You can save words you want to remember and review them later with spaced repetition. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

Learn Spanish with Migaku

Are you looking to start talking about your pet in language learning?

If you've got some ideas on why you need to learn Spanish animal names, then memorizing the terms will become way more relatable. For example, if you have the need to share your moments with your pets online, then focus heavily on the pet section and learn phrases like "Mi perro está enfermo" (My dog is sick) or "¿Cuánto cuesta la comida para gatos?" (How much is cat food?). Someone who loves marine biology will remember ocean animals faster than farm animals from related documentaries.

Start with what interests you.