A

Aberration - deviation from a normal state.
Abiotic - something that was never alive, such as a rock.
Aboral - situated on either side of the mouth.
Abyssal - on or near the ocean floor in the deep ocean which is completely bereft of light, extremely high water pressure, low nutrient availability, and continuous cold (3 degrees C).
Acacia - any of numerous leguminous trees or shrubs with round white or yellow flower clusters and often fernlike leaves.
Acerbic - acid in temper, mood or tone.
Achromatic - giving an image almost free from extraneous colors.
Acoustic - uses sound to communicate (such as Gibbons).
Adapt - the ability to change in the structure or functioning of an organism to make it better suited to its environment.
Adhesion - sticking to a surface.
adipose tissue - also called fatty tissue or fat is loose connective tissue and its main role is to store energy, although it also cushions and insulates the body.
Aerobic - requiring oxygen to survive (compare Anaerobic).
Aestivate/Estivate - to enter a state of dormancy in seasonal hot, dry weather as some frogs might - similar to hibernate.
Afield - away from home.
Afrikaans - a language developed from the 17th century Dutch that is one of the official languages of the
Republic of South Africa.
Agar - a jellylike substance extracted from red algae and is used to grow bacteria cultures.
Agnostic - behaviour between individuals of the same species that may involve aggression, appeasement, or avoidance.
Agricultural - living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture.
Albino - a person or animal lacking in coloring matter in the skin, hair and eyes.
Albumin - the white of an egg.
Alga (plural Algae) - any of a group of plants having chlorophyll but no vascular system and includes seaweeds and related fresh water plants.
Alopecia - baldness.
Allee effect - a situation where the density of the animal's population is so low as to cause adverse effects to the population - e.g. Adult animals being unable to find mates.
Allele - one of the forms of a given gene.
Alloparent - an animal behaving parentally towards infants or young that are not it's own.
Allopatric - a situation where populations of different species are geographically separated (compare Sympatric).
Alluvial - soil which has been deposited by running water.
Alpine - conditions similar to those found in the Alps or higher mountains (above 1500 meters or 4900 feet).
Altricial - young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state and are unable to feed or care for themselves, e.g. Baby birds or kangaroos. (compare Precocial).
Amphibious - able to live on both land and in the water.
Anadromous - fish that live primarily in salt water but must migrate to fresh water in order to breed e.g. Salmon.
Anaerobic - can live without free oxygen (compare Aerobic).
Anatomy - the physical make up of an animal, the structure of living things.
Antarctic Convergence - the region between 50 and 55 degrees south where the Antarctic surface water sinks beneath the less dense and southward flowing subantarctic water. 
Antarctica - the southernmost continent which sits astride the South Pole.
Anterior - the part of an animal or position of a structure oriented toward the front in normal locomotion.
Anti-predator behaviour - actions a prey animal takes to keep predators from eating it.
Aposematic - having coloration that serves to protect function for the animal, primarily used to describe colors displayed to warn predatory animals of toxicity.
Appendage - is an external body part, or natural prolongation, that protrudes from an organism's body, such as a vertebrate's limbs.
Ameliorate - to make or grow better, improve.
Amphibian - able to live both on land and in the water.
Appendage - a body part that sticks out, like a leg or arm or antenna.
Apiary - a place where bees are kept.
Aquatic - growing, living in or frequenting water.
Arachnid - a species in a class of arthropods which includes mostly air-breathing invertebrates, including spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks.  They have a body comprised of two segments, ahead and an abdomen, and lack the insects thorax.  They all have four pairs of legs and no antennae.
Arboreal - an animal that lives in the trees.
Archipelago - a group of islands.
Arctic Ocean - The body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America which occurs mostly north of the Arctic Circle.
Arid - a climate or habitat characterized by little precipitation, evaporation exceeding precipitation, and sparse vegetation, e.g. desert or tundra.
ARKS - Animal Record Keeping System
Arthropod - any of a phylum of invertebrate animals comprising those with segmented bodies and jointed limbs (ex insects, spiders, crabs).
Articulate - in bones, coming together and touching.
Artificial island - an island created by man.
Artiodactyl - even-toed ungulates including cattle, pigs, and ruminants).
Asexual - lacking sex or sex organs.
Asphyxia - a lack of oxygen in the body.
Atoll - a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon.
Atrophy - wasting away or decrease in size of a bodily part or tissue.
Avocet - Any of several long-legged shore birds with webbed feet and slender upward-curving bills. 
Australian - Living in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, New Guinea and associated islands.
Autotomize - the shedding of a body part, such as the tail in lizards.

Badlands - a region marked by intricate erosional sculpturing and scanty vegetation.
Baleen - a horny substance, commonly known as whalebone, that grows in plates from the upper jaws of certain whales and forms a fringelike filter for extracting plankton such as krill from seawater.
Barnacle - any of numerous small marine crustaceans free-swimming when young but fixed (as to walls, rocks whales etc) when adult.
Beforested - 
Benthic - occurring in the bottom of a body of water.
Benign - 
Benign introduction - an attempt to re-establish a species for the purpose of conservation outside of its recorded distribution but within and appropriate habitat and eco-geographical area.
Besotted
Bicephalic sperm - sperm with two heads.
Biodegradation - helps break down a decompose dead plants or animals.
Biomass - measure of the abundance of an animal in terms of the mass (weight) of the animals.
Biotic - something that is, or was, alive.
Bipedal - referring to an animal that walks on two legs, e.g. human.
Blowhole - the opening of the nostril(s) of a whale located on the top of its head and through which it breathes and a spout is produced.
Blubber - a layer of fat beneath the skin.
Bog - a wetland area rich in accumulated plant material and with acidic soils surrounding a body of open water.  Common flora include sedges, heaths, and sphagnum.
Boreal - refers to northern regions, specifically the region south of the Arctic Circle and north of lat. 50 deg. N.  The term may also refer to an area dominated by coniferous forest.
Bovid - a family which includes cows, bison, buffalo, antelope, gazelle, sheep, muskoxen, and many others.
Brachiate - to move around in trees by arm-swinging from branch to branch e.g. gibbons.
Brackish water - areas with salty water, usually in coastal marshes and estuaries.
Breaching - the act of leaping from the water, usually referring to whales.
Breech birth - feet first birth.
Bromeliad - a family of American epiphytic herbaceous plants including the pineapple and Spanish moss.
Brood - the offspring of a single clutch of eggs or any young being cared for by an adult.  Also to incubate eggs.
Brood parasite - lays eggs in the nest of another bird and leaves the offspring to be cared for by that nests parents.
Browser - an herbivore that feeds on shoots and leaves of trees and/or shrubs as opposed to grasses (compare Grazer).
Buccal - relating to the mouth or oral cavity.
Burrow - a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion.
Bycatch - fish taken from the wild which are not the intended species of harvest e.g. dolphins when fishing for tuna.

C

CITES - the Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.  Founded in 1973 and originally signed by 85 countries, by 1998 the number of countries grew to 144.  Designed to promote conservation of endangered species while allowing trade of species of wildlife that can with stand the pressures, CITES has three categories of protection.
Appendix I - commercial trade is generally prohibited, and is strictly allowed only for research or display purposes and require both an import and an export permit.
Appendix II - animals that are not listed as endangered but merit monitoring and may be traded only with an export permit from the country of origin.
Appendix III - allows countries gain international cooperation in protecting native species. Any country may place a native plant or animal on Appendix III making the species conditionally tradable.Cache - a hidden store of food for future use, e.g. squirrels storing food for the winter.
Calcified - becoming hardened through the addition of calcium salts or becoming converted to calcium carbonate (bone).
Canid - a member of the family Canidae, including wolves, foxes, dogs, and jackals.
Cannibalism - is the act of one individual of a species consuming all or part of another individual of the same species as food.
Canopy - a relatively continuous layer in forests comprised of intermingled branches.
Capacity building - the training of local people to work in conservation so the efforts can succeed and be carried on long-term
Carapace - the exoskeletal shell that covers the head and at least some of the thorax of an animal
Carinate - having a keeled breast bone, as in birds.
Carnivore - eating mostly meat.
Carrion - the flesh of dead animals.
Cartilage - hardened connective tissue made up mostly of collagen.
Cathemeral activity - activity that takes place at irregular intervals throughout a 24 hour cycle.
Caudal gland - an enlarged skin gland near the base of the tail.
CAZPA - Canadian Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums
Cellulose - comprising the cell wall of all green plants, it is tough and fibrous and is the principal structural material of plants.
Cerrado - a dry savannah region in central Brazil dotted with patches of sparsely wooded vegetation.
Cervid - a member of the mammalian family Cervidae, including deer, caribou, moose, reindeer, elk and others.
Cetacean - a member of the mammalian order Cetacea, including whales, porpoises and dolphins.
Chaco - lowland plains area in Bolivia and Paraguay containing soils carried down by rivers and streams from the Andes.
Chapparel - coastal areas between 30 and 40 degrees Lat. In areas with a Mediterranean climate.  Vegetation is comprised mostly of dense, spiny shrubs, with tough and often waxy evergreen leaves.  
Chemical - uses smells or other chemicals to communicate e.g. many female moths emit pheromones to attract mates which can be picked up using the male's antennae.
Chemosensory - referring to the sensation of chemical sensors, the portion of the nervous system devoted to detecting and interpreting these signals.
Chitin - a material similar to cellulose and comprises the exoskeletons of many insects.
Choruses - to jointly display, usually with sounds, as the same time as two or more other individuals of the same or differing species e.g. wolves howling.
Chromatophores - pigment containing cells of many vertebrates, crustaceans, and molluscs. Pigment granules condense or disperse so the animal can better match its surroundings e.g. a chameleon changing color to match the leaves around it.
Chrysalis - a pupa of an insect enclosed in a firm cocoon and used for purposes of metamorphosis, a protected stage of development.
Cirrus - a kind of high-altitude, wispy cloud from the Latin word meaning tuft or lock of hair.
CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Clone - a group of organisms that are all derived from a single parent or ancestor through asexual reproduction.
Cloud forest ? moist, high-altitude forest characterised by dense understory growth, an abundance of ferns, mosses, orchids and other plants on the trunks and branches of trees.
Clutch - a set of eggs laid at any one time.
Coastal - the land near a coast or shoreline.
Cocoon - a protective mass of silk or similar fibrous material spun by the larvae of moths and other insects that serves as a covering for the pupal stage.
Colonial - loosely describes any group of organisms living together or in close proximity to one another.
Competition - interaction between two or more organisms seeking a limited source they both need.
Compound eye - eyes of insects or crustaceans which are composed of multiple visual units, e.g. the eye of a fly.
Concertina movement - a form of animal locomotion that consists of the animal extending its head as far as possible and dragging the rest of it behind.
Congenor - members of the same genus.
Coniferous - relating to cone-bearing trees.
Continental island - an island found in a body of water on a continent.
Conservation Action Plans (CAPS) - all the efforts of the TAGS integrated together by geographical regions (See TAGS)
Conspecific - relating to the same species.
Contractile - capable of shortening the muscle fibers in order to produce force.
Convergence - evolutionarily, occurs when animals that are descended from different ancestors evolve to look similar to each other.
Cooperative breeder - helps provide assistance in raising young that are not their own.
Copepod - a small marine crustacean only a few millimetres in diameter.
Coprophage - an animal that eats the dung of itself or other animals.
Copulation - the act in which the male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals) enters the female reproductive tract.
Cordillera - a system of parallel mountain ranges often consisting of a number of more or less parallel chains.
Crepuscular - active at dawn and dusk (compare Nocturnal and Diurnal).
Cretaceous Period/Era - a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period, (145.5 ± 4 million years ago to the beginning of the Paleocene Period,65.5 ± 0.3 million years ago.
Crustacean - a member of the class within Arthropods, Crustacea have 5 pairs of legs, two pairs of antennae, head and thorax are joined and have calcareous deposits in the exoskeleton, e.g. lobsters, shrimp and crabs.
Cryptic - having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its own environment.
Cryptodira - most living tortoises and turtle who lower their neck and pull the head straight back into the shell.  (compate to Pleurodira).
CBSG - The Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, the brainchild of Ulie S. Seal and is a specialist group of the ICUN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).  
Cud - the food brought back into the mouth from the stomach of ruminants to be chewed again to assist in digestion.
Cursorial - to be specialized for running e.g. cheetah.
Cuticle - the outer layer of arthropods and plants that helps prevent water loss.

D

Deciduous - relating to seasonal loss of leaves or teeth that are replaced by others.
Decomposer - an animal or microbe which assists in the decomposition of biologic material.
Deforestation - the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land for use such as arable land, pasture, urban use, logged area, or wasteland.
Delayed fertilization - a substantial delay takes place between copulation and fertilization of the egg e.g. bees.
Delayed implantation - in mammals, a condition in which a fertilized egg reaches the uterus but delays its implantation, sometimes for several months.
Den - a shelter, natural or created, used for sleeping, giving birth and raising young and/or to provide shelter for winter.
Desert or dunes - unpredictable and low (less then 30 cm per year) rainfall.
Desiccation - the process of drying up.
Detritivor -eats mainly decomposed plants/animals.
Detritous - particles of decayed organic material.
Diadromous - fish which must migrate between fresh and salt water at some point in their life cycle e.g. salmon.
Diapause - a period of time when growth and development of an insect is suspended and can usually only be ended my the correct environmental stimulus.
Differentiate - the examination of what makes each animal individual as a species.
Digit - a finger or toe.
Digitigrade - an animal that walks on its toes (compare Plantigrade).
Dimorphism - the occurrence of two distinct forms of structure, size, coloring, or other characteristic. 
Dioecious - where an individual is either male or female.
Dislocate - to remove something from where it is normally found.
Diurnal - the actions of an animal that is active during the daytime (compare to Nocturnal)
Domestic - the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to the provision and control of other plants or animals.
Dominant - controlling or prevailing over all others.
Duodenum - the first loop of the small intestine.
Duplex retina - a retina consisting of both rod cells and cone cells.
 

E

Ecdysis - the shedding process that removes the epidermis made up mostly of keratin, like our hair or fingernails.
Echolocation - non-human animals emitting sound waves and listening to the echo in order to locate objects or navigate. 
Ecological footprint - a sum total of all the land needed to produce all of the resources required to sustain our lifestyle - food, energy, and materials - and to absorb all of the waste that we generate.
Ectotherm - Cold-blooded animals are now called ectotherms, a term which signifies that their heat (therm) comes from outside (ecto) of them.
Emergent - an unpredictable rearrangement of the already existing entities. 
Emit - to release.
Enrichment - the practice of providing animals under managed care with stimuli such as natural and artificial objects.
ESSP - Euopean Species Survival Program - under this program, individuals of species in the collections of participating zoos are bred according to the recommendations of a species co-ordinator, who draws on a studbook data to ensure the greatest possible genetic diversity in the captive population of the endangered animal.
Excrete - the process of eliminating waste products of metabolism and other non-useful materials.
Ex situ research - research focussed on the animals in zoos.
Eyot - an island in a river of lake.

F

Fauna - all animal life occurring in an area or time period, especially the naturally occurring or indigenous plant life.
Flora - all plant life occurring in an area or time period, especially the naturally occurring or indigenous plant life.
Forage - food for animals esp. when taken by browsing or grazing
Fossorial - spend much of their time underground (ie. naked mole rats).
Fragmentation - to be separated from others
Free contact - an elephant management technique stating keepers and elephats should be in constant close contact with a hands-on program (see also Restricted contact)
Frugivorous - fruit eating.

G

Gestation - the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female.

H

Hatchling - is the newborn of animals that develop and emerge from within eggs.
Hemacytometer Counting Chamber - a grid used to count cells in a sample of fluid (ex sperm cells in a semen sample or red blood cells in a drop of blood)
Herbavore - eating only plant life.
Hibernate - is a state of regulated hypothermia undergone by some animals to conserve energy during the winter.

I

IUCN - the International Union for Conservstion of Nature and Natural Resources, the international body of scientists and conservationists that administer CITES and regulatesthe trade of endangered and threatened species.
Imbricate - overlapping scales.
Incubate - sitting on or brooding eggs in order to hatch them through warmth from the parent's body.
Infrared - electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of terahertz radiation and microwaves.
Insectivorious - eating mostly insects.
In situ research - fieldwork done outside the zoo.
International Species Information System (ISIS)  - the group that ulimately links all the zoos and aquariums together, along with other organizations that care for exotic, threatened, or endangered species into one big group.  ISIS was formed in 1974 with SS members and has grown to include more than 600 institutions in 70 countries and covering 6 continents.  ISIS tracks all the animals kept in those institutions.  It has data on over 1.65 million animals representing over 10 000 species.  ISIS is currently developing its 4th generation of software at a cost of $10 million.  It will be web-based in real time and will allow zoos to organize SSP's on a global basis.  It also tracks all the vet records for individual animals.  (See also SSP) 
Invertebrate - an animal lacking a vertebral column.
ISIS - International Species Inventory System
IUCN - International Union for Conservation and Natural Resources.  An independent international organization, consisting of member states and govenmental and non-governmental agencies, founded in 1948 under the auspices of the United Nations.  Provides international leadership for promoting effective conservation of nature and natural resources. 

J

Jacobsen's organ - a chemoreceptor organ which is completely separated from the nasal cavity the majority of the time, being enclosed in a separate bony or cartilaginous capsule which opens into the base of the nasal cavity. 
Juxtaposed - side by side.

K

Keeled - a scale that is raised in the center, or the middle of the chest of a bird.
Kinetic - moveable

L

Landscape immersion - a combination of naturalistic and realistic imitation of natural habitats to better conform to the psychological needs of captive animals.
Lateral undulatory method - a form of animal locomotion which comprises of "S" curves where the curves hit the ground and push the animal forward.
Lentils - a plant originated in the Near East, and has been part of the human diet since the aceramic Neolithic, being one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East.
Limnologist - a scientist who studies freshwater lakes and rivers.

M

Malthusian rule - species always reproduce at rates greater than their habitat can support them.  The result is extra individuals, especially in the youngest age class.
Megalosperm - sperm with abnormally giant heads.
Melatonin - a naturally occuring hormone in many animals including humans.  It allows the animal to enter a period of sleep.
Mental - the collective aspects of intellect and consciousness.
Microsperm - sperm with abnormally tiny heads.
Migrate - involving seasonal movements to an area for breeding.
Mouflon - thought to be one of the two ancestors for all modern domestic sheep breeds.

N

Native - naturally found in a geographic area.
Nictitating membrane - a transparent or translucent third eyelid present in some animals that can be drawn across the eye for protection and to moisten the eye while also keeping visibility.

O

Oceanic island - an island found in any of the oceans or seas.

P

Palate - the roof of the mouth in humans and vertebrate animals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity and is divided into two parts, the anterior bony hard palate, and the posterior fleshy soft palate or velum.
Parchment - a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin.
Parietal eye - also known as a parietal organ or third-eye is a part of the epithalamus present in some animal species. The eye may be photoreceptive and is usually associated with the pineal gland, regulating circadian rhythmicity and hormone production for thermoregulation.
Parthenogenesis -the ability to reproduce by oneself.
Pectoral girdle - the set of bones which connect the upper limb to the axial skeleton on each side and consists of the clavicle and scapula in humans and, in those species with three bones in the pectoral girdle, the coracoid.
Phenology  science of the cycles of plant bloomings and fruit production.
Physical - The nature (physicality) of an animal.
Plastron - The plastron is the nearly flat part of the shell structure of a turtle or tortoise, what one would call the belly.
Pleurodira - a group of southern-hemisphere turtles called side-necked turtles, because in order to hide their heads in their shells, they must fold their neck to the side, instead of withdrawing it directly under their spine as in Cryptodira.
Pleurodont - a formation of the teeth that are fused (ankylosed) by their sides to the inner surface of the jaw bones.
Prehensile - the quality of an organ that has adapted for grasping or holding.
Pyriform sperm - sperm with heads like inverted pyramids.

Q

R

Rabies - is a viral zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that causes acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in mammals.
Raucus - boisterous and loud.
Rectilinear - a form of animal locomotion which allows it to move in a relatively straight line.
Red Data Book - A comprehensive list of endangered species, together with information about their past and present distribution, compiled by the IUCN.  Fouf volumes have been published: Mammalia, Aves, Amphibia & Reptilia, and Pisces
Renal portal system - an adaptation to a snake's or lizard's cardiovascular systemthat mammals lack.  With this type of system, blood from the animal's tail passes through the kidney first before returning to general body circulation.  When certain drugs are injected into a reptile's tail or rear leg, this system may cause the medication to lose some of its effectiveness, so injections must be done in the forst 1/3 of the body. 
Restricted contact - an elephant management technique stating that keepers shouldn't be near the elephants unless they are separtated by bars or is in some sort of restraint mechanism.

S

Salivary gland - are exocrine glands that produce saliva.
Scute - a horny, chitinous, or bony external plate or scale, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodiles, or the feet of some birds.  Also the short but very wide scales that cover the belly of a snake and are integral to the snake's ability to move.
Side winding method - a form of animal locomotion which allows the animal to hold as much of its body off the ground as possible.
Soil erosion - the carrying away or displacement of solids (sediment, soil, rock and other particles) usually by the agents of currents such as, wind, water, or ice by downward or down-slope movement in response to gravity or by living organisms (in the case of bioerosion).
Spectacle - a transparent scale that protects the snake's eye and is sloughed off along with its skin during ecdysis.
Splay - to spread one's body out.
Sprawl - similar to "splay", a wide bearing.
Stance - refers to a particular standing posture.
Sternum - a long, flat bone located in the center of the thorax (chest)
Studbook - A list of all registered specimens of a particular species of captive zoo animal, their sex, parentage, location and, where applicable, date and place of death.  Its most important function is to prevent inadvertant inbreeding and to facilitate the arrangement of breeding programs that promote genetic diversity.
Submerge - to be underwater

T

Tapetum lucidum - a layer of tissue in the eye of many vertebrate animals that lies immediately behind or sometimes within the retina.  It reflects visible light back through the retina, increasing the light available to the photoreceptors and improves vision in low-light conditions.
Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGS) - SSP's are organized into TAGs where experts from zoos are asked to make recommendations about breeding and conservation regarding similar groups of animals.
Taxonomy - is the practice and science of classification.
Tectonics - the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere.
Telemetric egg - a fake egg with a sensor inside that records temperature and turning rate, coupled with a radio transmitter that sends a steady stream of data to a computer.
Torpor - a (usually short-term) state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually characterized by a reduced body temperature and rate of metabolism.
Triassic Period/Era- is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 miilion years ago. 
Terrestrial - an animal that lives on the land.
Tropical Zone - This area is centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere, at approximately 23°26' (23.4°) N latitude, and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at 23°26' (23.4°) S latitude.

U

Undulate - a back and forth motion.
Ungulate - several groups of mammals most of which use the tips of their toes, usually hoofed, to sustain their whole body weight while moving.

V

Variance - changing
Vertebra - a singular backbone (multiple Vertebrae)
Vestigial - an organ or body part that has been rendered useless or nearly useless through evolution.  ie - the appendix in humans.
Vulnerable species - a species which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve. 

W
 

X

Y

Z 

Zoonotic diseases - diseases that can cross from one species to another.  

Animal Group Names

Scientists give groups of animals names such as a pride of lions or a crash of rhinoceros.
Listed below are all the animal group names we could think of, however, if you can
think of some we've missed let us know and we'll be happy to add them!

  A group of        Is called a (an)

  Alligators              Congregation
  Apes                     Troop
  Antelope               Herd
  Auks                     Colony, flock or raft
  Baboons                Troop
  Badgers                Cete, colony, set or company
  Barracudas           Battery
  Bats                      Colony or cloud (in flight) 
  Beavers                Colony or family
  Bees                     Grist, hive, swarm (in flight) or nest 
  Birds (chicks)       Brood or clutch
  Birds (game)         Volary, brace, plump or knob
  Birds (ground)       Flock
  Birds (sea)           Wreck
  Camels                  Caravan or train
  Caterpillars          Army
  Cheetahs              Coalition
  Chinchillas            Colony
  Cobras                Quiver
  Cormorants          Gulp
  Coyotes               Band
  Crocodiles           Bask or float (in water)
  Crows                  Murder
  Dolphins               Pod
  Eagles                  Convocation or aerie
  Elephants            Herd, family or memory
  Elk                      Gang or herd
  Emus                   Mob
  Falcons                Cast
  Flamingoes          Stand or flamboyace (in flight)
  Giraffes             Tower
  Gorillas               Band or troop
  Gulls                    Colony or screech (in flight)
  Hawks                 Cast, kettle (in flight) boil (spiraling)
  Hippopotamus      Bloat
  Hornets              Nest or swarm (in flight)
  Hummingbirds     Charm
  Hyenas               Cackle
  Jellyfish             Smack or brood
  Kangaroos           Troop or mob
  Leopards             Leap
  Lions                   Pride
  Lizards               Lounge
  Locusts               Plague
  Mice                   Mischief
  Otters                Romp, bevy, family or raft (in water)
  Owls                   Parliament or stare
  Oysters              Bed
  Parrots               Company or pandemonium (in flight)
  Peacocks            Muster, ostentation or pride
  Pelicans              Pod
  Penguins             Colony, rookery or huddle
  Pheasants          Nest, nye or bouquet (taking off)
  Pigs                   Drift or drove
  Porcupines         Prickle
  Porpoises           Pod
  Prairie dogs       Coterie
  Ptarmigan          Covey
  Quail                 Bevy or covey
  Rabbits             Colony, warren, bury, trace or trip
  Raccoons           Gaze
  Rats                  Colony, pack, plague or swarm
  Rattlesnakes     Rhumba
  Rhinoceros        Crash
  Salmon              Run
  Sandpipers        Fling
  Scorpions          Bed or nest
  Seals                 Pod, bob, harem, herd or rookery
  Sharks              Shiver, school or shoal
  Squirrels           Dray or scurry
  Sparrows           Host
  Spiders             Cluster or clutter
  Stingrays          Fever
  Storks              Muster
  Swans               Bevy, bank or wedge (in flight)
  Termites           Colony, nest, swarm, brood
  Tigers               Streak or ambush
  Trout                Hover
  Turkeys            Rafter, gang or posse
  Turtles             Bale, nest, turn or dole
  Vultures            Venue
  Walruses          Herd or pod (swimming)
  Wasps              Nest or swarm (in flight)
  Weasels           Gang, colony or pack
  Wolves             Pack
  Wombats         Wisdom
  Woodpeckers   Descent
  Worms             Bed, clew, bunch or clat
  Zebras             Herd