Three male lions rest on the hood of a car.

From Perro to Pulpo: Learn the Names of 107 Animals in Spanish

Maria Claudia Alvarado Published on November 12, 2024

From blue whales to pandas, there are so many wonderful animals out there. But, you don’t need to know the Spanish name of every single creature in the animal kingdom! If you’re a beginner learner, learning 107 animal names in Spanish is a good place to start. To help you with the essentials, I’ve broken down the animals into different categories to create the ultimate list of animals in Spanish. We’ll explore the oceans, jungles, and even some common pets you might have in your own home.

Animales Domésticos en Español: Domestic Animals in Spanish

Los animales domésticos or “domestic animals” in English are those animals that you can keep at home as pets. Whether you want to talk about your furry friends or simply visit the pet store, knowing the names of pets in Spanish is a great way to increase your Spanish vocabulary. In this list, you’ll find the names of 12 common domestic animals in Spanish:

Spanish	English
El perro	Dog
El gato	Cat
El hámster	Hamster
El pez	Fish
El conejillo de Indias/El cuy	Guinea pig
El conejo	Rabbit
El loro	Parrot
El perico	Parakeet
El camaleón	Chameleon
El hurón	Ferret
La cacatúa	Cockatoo/Cockatiel
La tortuga	Turtle

Animales de Granja en Español: Farm Animals in Spanish

By learning the names of los animales de granja or “farm animals” in English, you can turn your next visit to the farm into a Spanish exercise. Below, you’ll find the names of 15 common farm animals in Spanish:

Spanish	English
La vaca	Cow
El toro	Bull
La oveja	Sheep
El chancho	Pig
La cabra	Goat
El pato	Duck
El pollo	Chicken
La gallina	Hen
El gallo	Rooster
El caballo	Horse
El pavo	Turkey
El ganso	Goose
El burro	Donkey
El ternero	Calf
El potro	Foal

Animales del Bosque in Spanish: Forest Animals in Spanish

Even if you’re not planning to go on a hike or camp out in the woods, knowing the names of the different animales del bosque or forest animals can help you stay on the right track to Spanish fluency. Below, you’ll find a table with 16 common forest animals and their Spanish names:

Spanish	English
El venado	Deer
El alce	Moose
El oso	Bear
El zorro	Fox
La ardilla	Squirrel
El zorrillo	Skunk
El lobo	Wolf
El halcón	Hawk
El mapache	Raccoon
El sapo	Toad
El búho	Owl
La liebre	Hare
El castor	Beaver
La comadreja	Weasel
El topo	Mole
El tejón	Badger

A deer stands in between wild flowers and dry grass.

Animales Salvajes in Spanish: Wild Animals in Spanish

While some of them are really cute, you don’t want to bring any animales salvajes, or wild animals, into your home! In the list below, you’ll see the Spanish names of 32 different animals you’ll likely find in the jungle, savannah, or even in your next trip to the zoo:

Spanish	English
El león	Lion
El tigre	Tiger
El jaguar	Jaguar
La pantera	Panther
El leopardo	Leopard
El gorila	Gorilla
El chimpancé	Chimpanzee
El babuino	Baboon
El macaco	Macaque
La zebra	Zebra
El antilope	Antelope
La gacela	Gazelle
El bisonte	Bison
La jirafa	Giraffe
El elefante	Elephant
El rinoceronte	Rhinoceros
El hipopótamo	Hippopotamus
La avestruz	Ostrich
El pavo real	Peacock
El cisne	Swan
El cuervo	Crow
La paloma	Dove
Los pelicanos	Pelican
El flamenco	Flamingo
El oso hormiguero	Giant anteater bear
El capibara	Capybara
El murciélago	Bat
El panda	Panda
La anaconda	Anaconda
El cóndor	Condor
El cocodrilo	Crocodile
El lagarto/El caimán	Alligator

Animales Marinos: Marine Animals

Whether you’re planning a day at the beach, visiting the aquarium, going scuba diving–or even eating out at a seafood restaurant, knowing the names of these 18 animales marinos, or marine animals in English, can come in handy:

Spanish	English
La ballena	Whale
El tiburón	Shark
El delfín	Dolphin
La orca	Killer whale
El pulpo	Octopus
La esponja de mar	Sea sponge
El caballito de mar	Sea horse
El león marino	Sea lion
La foca	Seal
La morsa	Walrus
La mantarraya	Stingray
La medusa	Jellyfish
La estrella de mar	Starfish
La almeja	Clam
La anguila	Eel
La tortuga de mar	Sea turtle
El cangrejo	Crab
La langosta	Lobster

A group of jellyfish swim in the dark ocean.

Insectos en Español: Insects in Spanish

Los insectos might not be as popular as other animals, but that doesn’t make them any less special. Since they’re an essential part of our ecosystem, it’s likely that you’ll come into contact with many of the 14 insects you’ll see below.

Spanish	English
La araña	Spider
La oruga	Caterpillar
La mariposa	Butterfly
La hormiga	Ant
El escorpión	Scorpion
La cucaracha	Cockroach
El caracol	Snail
La mosca	Fly
El gusano	Worm
La abeja	Bee
La polilla	Moth
El mosquito	Mosquito
La babosa	Slug
La pulga	Flea

Learn Spanish with Langoly!

I hope you’ve had fun learning the names of animals in Spanish! Now, you’re ready to surprise your friends and family with your new Spanish animal vocabulary. Remember that the best way to make sure you don’t forget what you’ve just learned is to practice using your new language skills.

If you’d like to learn more about animals in Spanish-speaking countries, you can listen to episode 05 of the Siempre Spanish podcast. Or, if you want to learn Spanish with structured lessons, I recommend you study with an online course. We created the Siempre Spanish course to teach you Spanish the way it’s spoken in real life. Forget about memorizing words and learn to use the language in context. Study with native speakers and take your Spanish skills to the next level!

Maria Claudia Alvarado

Maria Alvarado is a content writer and translator from Lima, Peru. She graduated from the Savannah College of Arts and Design in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Writing. She is fluent in Spanish and English, has intermediate knowledge of French and German, and is learning Japanese. She hopes to bring consciousness about the importance of language learning through her articles and aspires to learn as many languages as possible.