Collective Nouns for Mammals

Have you ever wondered what to call a group of lions, or how to describe a gathering of kangaroos? Welcome to the fascinating world of collective nouns special terms used to describe groups of animals, people, or things.

What Are Collective Nouns?

A collective noun is a word that represents a group of individuals or things as a single unit. In the animal kingdom, these nouns often have historical or descriptive origins, and many are both poetic and specific to the animal’s behavior.

Example:

A pride of lions
A pack of wolves

List of Common Collective Nouns for Mammals

Collective Noun	Meaning	Example Sentence
A pride of lions	Group of lions	We spotted a pride of lions resting under an acacia tree.
A herd of elephants	Group of elephants	A massive herd of elephants crossed the savanna at dawn.
A pod of dolphins	Group of dolphins	A playful pod of dolphins followed our boat.
A troop of monkeys	Group of monkeys	A noisy troop of monkeys swung through the rainforest canopy.
A pack of wolves	Group of wolves	The haunting howls came from a pack of wolves hunting at night.
A crash of rhinoceroses	Group of rhinos	Tourists watched in awe as a crash of rhinoceroses wallowed in the mud.
A tower of giraffes	Group of giraffes	A graceful tower of giraffes browsed on acacia leaves.
A bloat of hippopotamuses	Group of hippos	A bloat of hippopotamuses kept cool in the river.
A shrewdness of apes	Group of apes	Researchers observed a shrewdness of apes using tools.
A cete of badgers	Group of badgers	A cete of badgers emerged from their sett at dusk.
A colony of bats	Group of bats	A large colony of bats flew out of the cave at sunset.
A sloth of bears	Group of bears	A sloth of bears gathered at the salmon run.
A gang of buffalo	Group of buffalo	A dangerous gang of buffalo stampeded across the plain.
A clowder of cats	Group of domestic cats	A lazy clowder of cats sunned themselves on the porch.
A destruction of wild cats	Group of wild cats	A destruction of wild cats prowled through the jungle.
A herd of cattle	Group of cows	The rancher moved his herd of cattle to fresh pasture.
A coalition of cheetahs	Group of cheetahs	A rare coalition of cheetahs hunted together.
A quiver of cobras	Group of cobras	The snake charmer handled a dangerous quiver of cobras.
A rake of colts	Group of young male horses	A spirited rake of colts played in the field.
A herd of deer	Group of deer	A timid herd of deer grazed at the forest edge.
A pack of dogs	Group of dogs	A noisy pack of dogs chased after the bicycle.
A kindle of kittens	Group of young cats	The children played with a cute kindle of kittens.
A leap of leopards	Group of leopards	A stealthy leap of leopards moved through the shadows.
A pride of peacocks	Group of peacocks	A colorful pride of peacocks strutted across the lawn.
A romp of otters	Group of otters	A playful romp of otters splashed in the river.
A parliament of owls	Group of owls	A solemn parliament of owls watched from the trees.
A prickle of porcupines	Group of porcupines	A cautious prickle of porcupines waddled through the underbrush.
A coterie of prairie dogs	Group of prairie dogs	An alert coterie of prairie dogs stood watch over their burrows.
A gaze of raccoons	Group of raccoons	A mischievous gaze of raccoons raided the campsite.
A colony of rabbits	Group of rabbits	A busy colony of rabbits dug new warrens in the field.
A herd of seals	Group of seals	A contented herd of seals basked on the rocky shore.
A shiver of sharks	Group of sharks	Divers nervously watched a shiver of sharks circle below.
A flock of sheep	Group of sheep	The shepherd guided his flock of sheep through the gate.
A scurry of squirrels	Group of squirrels	A frantic scurry of squirrels gathered nuts for winter.
A streak of tigers	Group of tigers	A powerful streak of tigers patrolled their territory.
A sounder of wild boars	Group of wild pigs	A dangerous sounder of wild boars rooted through the forest.
A pod of whales	Group of whales	An enormous pod of whales migrated along the coast.
A zeal of zebras	Group of zebras	A striking zeal of zebras drank at the waterhole.
A husk of hares	Group of hares	A swift husk of hares raced across the meadow.

The English language is rich with colorful and imaginative collective nouns—especially when it comes to mammals. Whether you’re writing a story, studying for a test, or just having fun with words, these terms add charm and precision to your language.

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