Learn the most important animal parts in English. This vocabulary helps you talk about animals in more detail, whether you’re describing, studying, or just being curious. Each section includes example sentences for context.

Body Parts

These are the main parts of an animal’s body that apply to most animals.

English	Example Sentence	Example Sentence (Singular)	Example Sentence (Plural)
head	The animal lifted its head.	The camel has a long head.	The lions have large heads.
body	The body is covered in fur.	The bird’s body is small.	The elephants have huge bodies.
leg	The animal has four legs.	The dog injured its leg.	The horses have strong legs.
tail	The cat flicked its tail.	The monkey’s tail is long.	The foxes have bushy tails.
wing	The bird spread its wings.	The eagle’s wing was injured.	The bats have leathery wings.
fur	The animal’s fur is soft.	The rabbit has white fur.	The wolves have thick fur.
claw	The cat sharpened its claws.	The eagle’s claw is sharp.	The bears have powerful claws.
skin	The animal’s skin is rough.	The elephant’s skin is thick.	The snakes shed their skins.
beak	The bird used its beak to eat.	The parrot has a curved beak.	The toucans have colorful beaks.
eye	The animal closed its eye.	The owl has large eyes.	The fishes have small eyes.

Specific Animal Parts

These parts are specific to certain types of animals.

English	Example Sentence	Example Sentence (Singular)	Example Sentence (Plural)
whiskers	The cat’s whiskers help it sense.	The mouse has long whiskers.	The cats have sensitive whiskers.
antenna	The insect’s antenna moved slowly.	The butterfly has two antennae.	The ants have tiny antennae.
shell	The turtle’s shell is hard.	The snail carries a spiral shell.	The crabs have sturdy shells.
scale	The fish’s scales shine in the light.	The snake has smooth scales.	The fishes have overlapping scales.
fin	The dolphin’s fin cuts through water.	The shark has a tall dorsal fin.	The fishes have pectoral fins.
hoof	The horse’s hooves are strong.	The deer has cloven hooves.	The goats have hard hooves.
tusk	The elephant’s tusks are large.	The walrus uses its tusks for defense.	The boars have sharp tusks.
mane	The lion’s mane is thick and golden.	The horse’s mane flows in the wind.	The lions have impressive manes.
muzzle	The dog’s muzzle is wet.	The wolf has a strong muzzle.	The foxes have pointed muzzles.
pouch	The kangaroo carries its baby in a pouch.	The opossum has a pouch for its young.	The marsupials have protective pouches.

Complete the sentence: The turtle’s ___ is hard.

claw

shell

scale

fur

shell

The correct answer is "shell" because turtles have hard shells that protect their bodies.

Insect Parts

These are common parts found on insects and other small creatures.

English	Example Sentence	Example Sentence (Singular)	Example Sentence (Plural)
leg	The insect has six legs.	The ant’s leg is tiny.	The spiders have eight legs.
wing	The butterfly’s wings are colorful.	The bee’s wing beats fast.	The dragonflies have transparent wings.
antenna	The beetle’s antennae are long.	The cricket has short antennae.	The moths have feathery antennae.
eye	The fly has compound eyes.	The mosquito’s eye detects movement.	The insects have multifaceted eyes.
body	The insect’s body is divided into segments.	The grasshopper’s body is green.	The ants have segmented bodies.
claw	Some insects have tiny claws on their legs.	The mantis uses its claw to catch prey.	The beetles have strong claws.
proboscis	The butterfly uses its proboscis to drink nectar.	The mosquito’s proboscis pierces skin.	The moths have coiled proboscises.
shell	The ladybug’s shell is red with black spots.	The beetle has a hard shell.	The cicadas have protective shells.
mouthpart	The insect’s mouthparts vary by species.	The grasshopper’s mouthparts chew leaves.	The flies have specialized mouthparts.
abdomen	The bee’s abdomen stores honey.	The wasp’s abdomen is slender.	The ants have flexible abdomens.

Bird Parts

These are parts found on birds that help you describe them more accurately.

English	Example Sentence	Example Sentence (Singular)	Example Sentence (Plural)
beak	The bird uses its beak to build a nest.	The woodpecker has a strong beak.	The seagulls have sharp beaks.
wing	The bird’s wings are wide.	The falcon’s wing is powerful.	The pigeons have short wings.
feather	The bird’s feathers are colorful.	The peacock has iridescent feathers.	The ducks have waterproof feathers.
claw	The bird’s claws grip the branch.	The eagle’s claw is deadly.	The owls have silent claws.
tail	The bird’s tail helps with balance.	The swallow’s tail is forked.	The parrots have vibrant tails.
crest	The bird’s crest rises when it’s excited.	The cockatoo has a white crest.	The birds have decorative crests.
talon	The hawk’s talons catch prey.	The falcon’s talon is sharp.	The eagles have powerful talons.
eye	The bird’s eye is bright and alert.	The owl has large, round eyes.	The sparrows have small eyes.
plume	The exotic bird has a long plume on its head.	The quetzal’s plume is green and red.	The peacocks display colorful plumes.
crop	The bird fills its crop with food.	The pigeon’s crop stores seeds.	The doves have full crops before feeding young.

What part do birds use to build nests and eat?

feather

beak

claw

wing

beak

Birds use their beaks for tasks like building nests and eating, making it the correct answer.

Marine Animal Parts

These parts are commonly found in sea creatures.

English	Example Sentence	Example Sentence (Singular)	Example Sentence (Plural)
fin	The shark’s fin cuts through the water.	The dolphin has a curved fin.	The fishes have dorsal fins.
tentacle	The octopus uses its tentacles to grab.	The jellyfish has long tentacles.	The squids have multiple tentacles.
shell	The crab’s shell is hard and protective.	The clam lives inside a shell.	The mollusks have various shells.
scale	The fish’s scales shine underwater.	The seahorse has tiny scales.	The fishes have overlapping scales.
flipper	The seal uses its flippers to swim.	The sea turtle has large flippers.	The penguins have strong flippers.
barb	The stingray has a sharp barb on its tail.	The lionfish’s barb is venomous.	The catfish have multiple barbs.
whisker	The seal’s whiskers help it sense prey.	The catfish has long whiskers.	The sea lions have sensitive whiskers.
spine	The sea urchin has sharp spines.	The lionfish’s spine is dangerous.	The echinoderms have protective spines.
beak	The squid uses its beak to bite.	The parrotfish has a strong beak.	The cuttlefish have sharp beaks.
gill	The fish breathes through its gills.	The shark’s gills are visible.	The fishes have multiple gill slits.

This vocabulary list covers the most common and useful animal parts across different types of animals.

What part helps sharks move through water?

whisker

fin

shell

tentacle

fin

Fins help sharks and other marine animals swim and steer in the water.

Flashcards (1 of 50)

Example Sentence: The animal lifted its head.
Example Sentence (Singular): The camel has a long head.
Example Sentence (Plural): The lions have large heads.

English: head

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025