About animals
Scientists sort animals into groups by their features. Vertebrates have a backbone: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Invertebrates don't: insects, spiders, crabs, octopuses and many more. Invertebrates make up the vast majority of all known animal species.
The Animal kingdom list includes creatures from many of these groups, and the Science words list covers the vocabulary children meet when they study classification, food chains and habitats. Every word on this page is explained below.
Did you know?
An octopus has three hearts and blue blood.
The cheetah is the fastest land animal, reaching speeds of around 100 km/h (about 60 mph) in short bursts.
Wombats produce cube-shaped droppings. Scientists think the shape helps the droppings stay put on rocks and logs, where wombats leave them as territory markers.
A giraffe has seven bones in its neck, the same number as a human. Each one is just much longer.
Butterflies taste with their feet, using sensors that tell them whether a leaf is a good place to lay eggs.
Words in this puzzle 51
Animal kingdom 20 words
- bat
- The only mammal that can truly fly. Many bats find food in the dark using echoes.
- beetle
- An insect with hard front wings that fold over and protect the flying wings underneath.
- butterfly
- An insect with large, often colourful wings. It starts life as a caterpillar.
- cheetah
- A big spotted cat from Africa, built for speed. It is the fastest land animal.
- crocodile
- A large reptile with tough, scaly skin and powerful jaws, living in rivers and swamps.
- dolphin
- A smart, playful sea mammal that breathes air through a blowhole.
- eagle
- A large bird of prey with sharp eyesight, a hooked beak and strong talons.
- elephant
- The largest land animal, with a long trunk, big ears and tusks. Elephants live in Africa and Asia.
- flamingo
- A tall wading bird whose pink colour comes from the food it eats.
- frog
- An amphibian that starts life as a tadpole in water and grows legs to live on land and in water.
- giraffe
- The tallest animal, with a very long neck for reaching leaves high in trees. Giraffes live in Africa.
- kangaroo
- An Australian marsupial that hops on strong back legs. Mothers carry their babies, called joeys, in a pouch.
- koala
- An Australian marsupial that lives in eucalyptus trees, eats their leaves and sleeps for most of the day.
- octopus
- A soft-bodied sea animal with eight arms, three hearts and no bones.
- owl
- A bird of prey that mostly hunts at night, with large eyes and nearly silent flight.
- penguin
- A seabird that cannot fly but swims superbly. Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.
- salamander
- An amphibian with a long tail and smooth, damp skin. It looks a little like a lizard.
- shark
- A fish with a skeleton made of cartilage instead of bone. Many sharks are skilled hunters.
- tortoise
- A slow-moving reptile with a domed shell, living on land.
- wombat
- A sturdy Australian marsupial that digs burrows. Its pouch faces backwards so it doesn't fill with dirt.
Farmyard friends 11 words
- bear
- A large, heavy animal with thick fur. Some bears sleep through much of the winter.
- cat
- A small furry animal kept as a pet, known for purring.
- cow
- A large farm animal kept for milk or meat.
- dog
- A pet animal that barks, wags its tail and is often called our best friend.
- duck
- A water bird with webbed feet and a flat bill.
- fox
- A wild animal related to dogs, with a bushy tail and pointed ears.
- goat
- A farm animal with horns that is good at climbing and will try to eat almost anything.
- hen
- A female chicken. Hens lay eggs.
- lion
- A big cat that lives in groups called prides. Males have a thick mane.
- pig
- A farm animal with a flat snout and a curly tail.
- seal
- A sea mammal with flippers that swims well and rests on beaches and ice.
Science words 20 words
- amphibian
- An animal that usually starts life in water and lives on land as an adult, like frogs and salamanders.
- arachnid
- An animal with eight legs and two body parts, like spiders and scorpions.
- camouflage
- Colours or patterns that help an animal blend into its surroundings.
- carnivore
- An animal that eats mainly meat.
- crustacean
- An animal with a hard outer shell and jointed legs, like crabs, lobsters and shrimp.
- endangered
- At serious risk of dying out completely.
- habitat
- The natural home of an animal or plant, where it finds food, water and shelter.
- herbivore
- An animal that eats only plants.
- hibernate
- To spend the winter in a deep, sleep-like rest to save energy.
- insect
- A small animal with six legs and three body parts: head, thorax and abdomen.
- invertebrate
- An animal without a backbone, such as an insect, worm or jellyfish.
- mammal
- An animal with hair or fur that feeds its babies milk. Humans are mammals.
- migrate
- To travel a long way to another place at a certain time of year, often to find food or warmth.
- mollusc
- A soft-bodied animal, often with a shell, like snails, clams and octopuses. Spelled mollusk in the US.
- nocturnal
- Active at night and resting during the day.
- omnivore
- An animal that eats both plants and meat.
- predator
- An animal that hunts other animals for food.
- prey
- An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.
- reptile
- A cold-blooded animal with dry, scaly skin, like snakes, lizards, turtles and crocodiles.
- vertebrate
- An animal with a backbone.
Three animal lists, three levels
Animals are the topic children ask for most, so this page gives you three original lists. Farmyard friends has 12 short words like cat, hen and goat for early readers. Animal kingdom has 20 creatures from around the world: mammals, birds, reptiles, an amphibian, a fish, a mollusc and insects. Science words turns the puzzle into a vocabulary lesson, with terms like herbivore, camouflage and invertebrate.
Every puzzle is built fresh when you press the button, and the definitions further down this page double as a quick reference. Ask children to find a word, then read what it means, or to sort the animal kingdom words into groups after they solve the puzzle.
Classroom ideas
- Science warm-up: print the Science words puzzle before a unit on habitats or classification.
- Sort it out: after solving, students sort the Animal kingdom words into mammals, birds, reptiles and so on.
- Fact hunt: each student picks one animal from their puzzle and finds a fact about it.
- Early finishers: keep a stack of easy and medium puzzles ready all year.
Printing
Choose Letter or A4, then print the puzzle and the answer key separately. Ready-made Medium and Hard PDFs are just below the generator. Everything runs in your browser.
Questions people ask
Which animal word search is best for young children?
Farmyard friends: 12 short words like cat, hen and goat in a 10×10 grid, with words only across and down.
Is there a science version?
Yes. The Science words list includes herbivore, predator, camouflage, vertebrate and more, with a definition for each further down this page.
Can I add my own animals?
Yes. Edit the list in the options, one word per line. Every word is placed, or you'll be told which ones need a bigger grid.
Does it come with an answer key?
Yes. The answer key prints on its own page with every word outlined.
What is in the Medium and Hard PDFs?
Medium is the 20-word Animal kingdom puzzle on an 18×18 grid with diagonals. Hard is the 20-word Science words puzzle on a 20×20 grid in all eight directions. Both have answer keys.