Parts of animals

Mammals

Claw

curved nail on the toe of a bird or an animal:

•  Cats scratch at things to sharpen their claws.

Cloven hoof

the foot of an animal such as sheep that is divided into two toes:

• The religions permit to eat animals that have cloven hooves.

Fang

a long sharp tooth of an animal that is used for biting:

•  A snake uses its fangs to bite and inject venom.

Fleece

the woolen coat on a sheep:

Forefoot

the front feet of an animal. The plural form is forefeet. The front leg is called foreleg. 

• He tied the horse’s forefeet together.

Fur

the soft hair of an animal. The hair, wool, or fur of an animal is called coat. 

• the fox’s glossy fur 
• goat with a shaggy coat

Hackles

the hairs on the back of the neck of an animal, especially of a dog or a cat. 

• Animals raise their hackles when they are frightened.

Hind

the back foot (leg) of an animal is called hind foot (leg). The back foot is also called hindlimb. The back part of animal with four feet is called hindquarters. 

• The horses kick out with their hind legs when they are aggressive.

Horn

the hard, pointed structure on the head of some animals such as cattle:

• Goats are born with horns.

Hump

a round part on the back of an animal such as a camel: 

• Camels store fat in their humps.
• Camels with two humps inhabit in Central Asia.

Mane

the long hair that covers the neck of a male lion or a horse:

• The color of a lion’s mane indicates its health.

Muzzle

the nose, mouth, and jaw of an animal such as dog or horse:

Pad

the soft part under the paw of an animal such as cat or dog:

• Pads make cats’ movement quiet.

Paw

the soft foot of an animal such as cat or dog

• Tigers can kill a human with one paw swipe.

Pouch

a fold of skin on the stomach of some marsupial animals:

• Female kangaroos have a pouch to carry and feed their young.

Snout

the long nose, mouth, and jaw of an animal such as a pig or elephant seal:

• The Northern elephant seals have trunk-like snouts.

Tail

the flexible part at the back of an animal’s body: 

• Some monkeys use their tails to grasp tree branches.

Udder

the organ beneath the animal such as cow or goat, which produces milk:

• The udder hygiene is important in milk production.

Whisker

any of long, thick and stiff hairs that grow on the cheeks or above the eyes of some animals:

• The whiskers of cats are connected to their nervous system.

Parts of a horse

Fish and other water creatures

Fin

a thin vertical part of a fish, used for swimming and turning. A fin that is located on the back of a fish such as shark is called dorsal fin. 

• We saw the fin of a shark circling.

Gill

the organ on the side of a fish’s head: 

• Gills allow water creatures to breathe.

Pincer

the curved claw of a lobster or crab, used for attack prey and holding things:

• The lobsters have two different types of pincers.

Scale

one of the small rigid plates that cover the skin of fish and reptiles: 

• Scales of a fish protect its soft body.

Shell

the hard outer covering of an animal such as a tortoise or snail:

• Shell allows a turtle to move quickly through the water.

Parts of a fish

Birds

Beak

the hard pointed or curved external part of a bird’s mouth. The entire mouth of a bird is called a bill.

Breast

the front part of a bird’s body: 

• The American robin has reddish-orange breast.

Craw (also crop)

the part of a bird’s throat in which foot is stored temporarily:

• Look at the gull with a full craw.

Crest

a group of feathers along the top of the head of a bird:

• A Macaroni Penguin is easy to identify because of its orange crest.

Down

the soft feathers of a young bird:

• Goose down is used to fill pillows.

Feather

one of the plumages that cover most parts of the body of birds. 

• The bird ruffled its feathers to remove dust.

Mandible

one of the two parts of a bird’s beak. The beak has two parts: the upper mandible and the lower mandible.

Plumage

the layer of feathers. 

• I love birds with colorful plumage.

Wattle

the red skin that hangs from the throat or neck of some birds such as a rooster. 

• Adult male turkeys have a large red wattle.

Wing

one of the parts of a bird that is used for flying. 

• The eagle flapped its wings furiously.

Wool

the soft, fine hair that grows on some animals such as sheep:

• Wool is also used for carpeting.

Parts of a bird

Insects

Abdomen

the third body part of an insect after the thorax:

Antenna

one of the two long sense organs on an insect’s forehead. The plural form is antennae. They are also called feelers.

Thorax

the middle body part of an insect. The wings and legs are attached to the thorax in insects.

Parts of an insect