Wild animals vocabulary in Spanish, covering common species, habitats, behaviors, and key terms to describe animals found in nature.

Learning Spanish vocabulary for wild animals opens up the ability to talk about nature, wildlife, and ecosystems more confidently. In this section, we'll cover essential animal names, habitats, behaviors, and descriptive words.

Common Wild Animals

Here are some of the most common wild animals you might encounter or hear about in Spanish-speaking regions. These foundational words will help you name creatures in forests, jungles, deserts, and more.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
el león	los leones	the lion	the lions	El león es el rey de la selva.	The lion is the king of the jungle.
el tigre	los tigres	the tiger	the tigers	El tigre tiene rayas naranjas y negras.	The tiger has orange and black stripes.
el elefante	los elefantes	the elephant	the elephants	Los elefantes tienen largas trompas.	Elephants have long trunks.
el oso	los osos	the bear	the bears	El oso come bayas y miel.	The bear eats berries and honey.
el lobo	los lobos	the wolf	the wolves	Los lobos viven en manadas.	Wolves live in packs.
el mono	los monos	the monkey	the monkeys	El mono salta de árbol en árbol.	The monkey jumps from tree to tree.
el ciervo	los ciervos	the deer	the deer	El ciervo tiene grandes astas.	The deer has big antlers.
el zorro	los zorros	the fox	the foxes	El zorro es muy astuto.	The fox is very clever.
la serpiente	las serpientes	the snake	the snakes	La serpiente se arrastra silenciosamente.	The snake slithers silently.
el cocodrilo	los cocodrilos	the crocodile	the crocodiles	El cocodrilo vive en ríos y pantanos.	The crocodile lives in rivers and swamps.

El ___ come bayas y miel.

What is the Spanish word for 'bear'?

lobo

oso

tigre

zorro

oso

The Spanish word for 'bear' is 'oso'. The sentence means 'The bear eats berries and honey.'

Habitats

Understanding where wild animals live is key to describing their environments. Here are Spanish terms for common habitats and places you might find animals in the wild.

Singular	Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
la selva	las selvas	the jungle	the jungles	La selva está llena de animales exóticos.	The jungle is full of exotic animals.
el bosque	los bosques	the forest	the forests	Vamos a caminar por el bosque.	Let's walk through the forest.
el desierto	los desiertos	the desert	the deserts	Los camellos viven en el desierto.	Camels live in the desert.
la montaña	las montañas	the mountain	the mountains	En la montaña hay cabras salvajes.	There are wild goats in the mountain.
la sabana	las sabanas	the savannah	the savannahs	Los leones cazan en la sabana.	Lions hunt in the savannah.
el río	los ríos	the river	the rivers	Muchos animales vienen a beber al río.	Many animals come to drink at the river.
el pantano	los pantanos	the swamp	the swamps	Los cocodrilos viven en pantanos.	Crocodiles live in swamps.
el ártico	—	the Arctic	—	Los osos polares viven en el Ártico.	Polar bears live in the Arctic.
la pradera	las praderas	the prairie	the prairies	En la pradera pastan muchos ciervos.	Many deer graze in the prairie.
el océano	los océanos	the ocean	the oceans	Las ballenas nadan en el océano.	Whales swim in the ocean.

Behaviors

Describing animal behaviors helps you talk about what animals do in the wild. Here are some common actions and activities you’ll find in nature.

Singular	Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
cazar	—	to hunt	—	Los leones cazan en manada.	Lions hunt in groups.
migrar	—	to migrate	—	Muchas aves migran en invierno.	Many birds migrate in winter.
hibernar	—	to hibernate	—	Los osos hibernan en invierno.	Bears hibernate in winter.
acechar	—	to stalk	—	El tigre acecha a su presa silenciosamente.	The tiger silently stalks its prey.
alimentarse	—	to feed oneself	—	Los ciervos se alimentan de pasto.	Deer feed on grass.
construir	—	to build	—	Los castores construyen represas.	Beavers build dams.
volar	—	to fly	—	Las águilas pueden volar a gran altura.	Eagles can fly at great heights.
nadar	—	to swim	—	Los cocodrilos nadan con facilidad.	Crocodiles swim easily.
trepar	—	to climb	—	Los monos trepan los árboles rápidamente.	Monkeys quickly climb trees.
rugir	—	to roar	—	El león puede rugir muy fuerte.	The lion can roar very loudly.

Descriptive Terms

Use these descriptive words to talk about wild animals’ size, appearance, and other characteristics in Spanish.

Singular	Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
grande	grandes	big	big (pl.)	El elefante es un animal grande.	The elephant is a big animal.
pequeño	pequeños	small	small (pl.)	El colibrí es un pájaro pequeño.	The hummingbird is a small bird.
rápido	rápidos	fast	fast (pl.)	El guepardo es muy rápido.	The cheetah is very fast.
fuerte	fuertes	strong	strong (pl.)	El gorila es un animal fuerte.	The gorilla is a strong animal.
salvaje	salvajes	wild	wild (pl.)	Los animales salvajes no son domesticados.	Wild animals are not domesticated.
peludo	peludos	furry	furry (pl.)	El oso es un animal peludo.	The bear is a furry animal.
venenoso	venenosos	poisonous	poisonous (pl.)	Algunas serpientes son venenosas.	Some snakes are poisonous.
nocturno	nocturnos	nocturnal	nocturnal (pl.)	Los búhos son animales nocturnos.	Owls are nocturnal animals.
peligroso	peligrosos	dangerous	dangerous (pl.)	El cocodrilo es un animal peligroso.	The crocodile is a dangerous animal.
astuto	astutos	clever	clever (pl.)	El zorro es muy astuto.	The fox is very clever.

El cocodrilo es un animal ___.

What is the Spanish word for 'dangerous'?

astuto

peligroso

salvaje

peludo

peligroso

The Spanish word for 'dangerous' is 'peligroso'. The sentence means 'The crocodile is a dangerous animal.'

Additional Topics

If you want to explore more advanced wild animal vocabulary, here are some topics that can help you expand:

Animal classification: mamíferos (mammals), reptiles, aves (birds), anfibios (amphibians), insectos (insects).
Animal parts: las garras (claws), el pelaje (fur), las alas (wings), la cola (tail), los dientes (teeth).
Conservation terms: en peligro de extinción (endangered), proteger (to protect), conservar (to conserve), el hábitat (habitat), la especie (species).

Studying these wild animal vocabulary lists will give you a solid foundation for talking about wildlife, nature, and ecosystems in Spanish. If you have any questions or want more specific topics, just ask!

Flashcards (1 of 40)

English Singular: the lion
English Plural: the lions
English Example: The lion is the king of the jungle.

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Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025