Neat-O-Facts

about animals


There are so many neat facts about animals. The staff and volunteers at TOC would like to share some of our favorites.

Common Names for the Sexes, Young, Groups and Birthing of Various Animals

Animal

Male

Female

Young

Group
Ant colony
Antelope buck doe kid herd
Badger kit, cub cete
Bear boar sow cub sloth
Beaver boar sow pup colony
Bees drone queen larva swarm
Bird cock/stag hen fledgeling/nestling flock
Bison bull cow calf herd
Bobcat tom lioness/queen kitten litter
Butterfly male female caterpillar swarm/rabble/roost
Caterpillar army
Cattle bull cow/heifer calf herd/drove
Chicken rooster/cock hen/pullet chick flock/peep
Crow murder
Deer buck/stag doe fawn herd
Duck drake hen duckling flock
Elk bull cow calf gang
Fox reynard vixen cub/pup earth/skulk
Frog army
Goat billy/buck nanny kid trip
Goose gander goose gosling gaggle/flock
Hog boar sow/gilt piglet herd/drove
Horse stallion/stud mare/dam foal/colt/filly stable/herd
Lark exaltation
Lion lion/tom lioness/she lion cub pride/flock
Locust plague
Owl owl jenny/howlet howlet/ flock/parliament
Rabbit buck doe kitten colony
Rat buck doe colony
Raven unkindness
Sheep buck/ram ewe/dam lamb/lambkin flock
Starling chick murmuration
Toad male female tadpole knot
Turkey tom hen poult flock/rafter
Whale bull cow calf/cub/pup herd/pod
Wolf he-wolf she-wolf cub/pup pack/route


 

Are a buffalo and bison are the same animal or is there a difference?

The name bison is only applicable to the American bison and the European bison; the buffaloes are the African buffalo, the Asian water buffalo, the tamarou, and the anoa.

How many buffaloes did Buffalo Bill shoot?
One! He shot a water buffalo that had escaped from a travelling circus, all the rest of the animals he shot were bison.

 

How much can a caterpillar eat?

From hatching to the time a caterpillar becomes a chrysalis, the caterpillar may increase its body size more than 3,000 times. If we ate that much from the time of our birth, we would weigh the same as a full size school bus.

 

Have a Neat-O Fact for us? Send it to us at: toc@state.sd.us. We'll give you credit on our website!

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