Italian Animals A to Z: Names, Articles & Plurals

Animals that start with A in Italian include l’ape (bee), l’anatra (duck), l’aquila (eagle), l’asino (donkey), and l’agnello (lamb). The lists below follow each animal's Italian spelling. Cat belongs under G as gatto, dog under C as cane, and bird under U as uccello. Every entry includes its article, grammatical gender, and plural: m. means masculine and f. means feminine. Ignore il, lo, la, and l’ when choosing a letter. Italian's traditional alphabet has 21 letters; J, K, W, X, and Y also appear in loanwords and names. This guide gives all 26 lookup sections and labels the less familiar answers.

The core animal words, with audio

Vocabcord's Italian corpus carries 43 animal-themed phrases across its A1, A2 and C2 packs, graded against the same CEFR-based method behind every language on the site, from gatto (cat) at A1 to apiario (apiary) at C2. The sixteen below are the A2 core set. Tap the play button on any row to hear the word spoken, then find each one under its Italian first letter in the sections that follow.

Animals that start with A in Italian

• l’agnello (m.): lamb; plural gli agnelli.
• l’anatra (f.): duck; plural le anatre.
• l’ape (f.): bee; plural le api.
• l’aquila (f.): eagle; plural le aquile.
• l’asino (m.): donkey; plural gli asini.

All five use l’, so the article alone hides gender in the singular. Learn un asino and un’ape alongside them. The apostrophe appears in feminine un’ape; masculine un asino has none.

The original Vocabcord example Un’ape si è posata sul fiore means “A bee landed on the flower.” Another useful sentence is Le anatre nuotavano nello stagno, “The ducks were swimming in the pond.” It shows the feminine plural article le and the ending -e in anatre.

L’animale (m.; plural gli animali) is the general word “animal.” It begins with A but names the whole category. If a letter game requires a particular kind of animal, ape or anatra is a clearer answer.

Animals that start with B in Italian

• la balena (f.): whale; plural le balene.
• il bruco (m.): caterpillar; plural i bruchi.
• il bue (m.): ox; plural i buoi.
• il bufalo (m.): buffalo; plural i bufali.

B offers more than balena. Bruco is useful in a garden, and the H in bruchi preserves the hard K sound before I. Bue / buoi is an irregular pair worth learning separately. It identifies an ox, while toro, under T, means bull.

Animals that start with C in Italian

• il cane (m.): dog; plural i cani.
• il canguro (m.): kangaroo; plural i canguri.
• la capra (f.): goat; plural le capre.
• il cavallo (m.): horse; plural i cavalli.
• il cervo (m.): deer, especially a stag; plural i cervi.
• il cinghiale (m.): wild boar; plural i cinghiali.
• il coccodrillo (m.): crocodile; plural i coccodrilli.
• il coniglio (m.): rabbit; plural i conigli.
• il criceto (m.): hamster; plural i criceti.

This section includes useful pet and farm vocabulary. The C in cane and capra has a K sound, while the initial C in cervo and cinghiale has a ch-like sound. The spelling around C matters. Porto a spasso il cane, from the original article, means “I walk the dog.”

Animals that start with D in Italian

• il delfino (m.): dolphin; plural i delfini.
• il dromedario (m.): dromedary, or one-humped camel; plural i dromedari.

Delfino is a recognizable D answer. Both entries show the common masculine -o / -i plural pattern. Keep the final Italian vowels audible when practicing rather than dropping them as an English speaker might.

Animals that start with E in Italian

• l’elefante (m.): elephant; plural gli elefanti.

Elefante ends in E and is masculine, giving un elefante and gli elefanti. Its ending alone is insufficient to predict gender: Italian has both masculine and feminine nouns ending in E. Learning the article and plural with each word avoids that guessing game.

Animals that start with F in Italian

• il falco (m.): falcon or hawk; plural i falchi.
• la farfalla (f.): butterfly; plural le farfalle.
• la foca (f.): seal; plural le foche.
• la formica (f.): ant; plural le formiche.

Farfalla and formica are useful garden words. Foca / foche and formica / formiche retain a hard K sound by adding H before E. For falco, a more precise English bird name depends on the species being discussed; the general word spans familiar hawk/falcon usage.

Animals that start with G in Italian

• la gallina (f.): hen; plural le galline.
• il gallo (m.): rooster; plural i galli.
• il gatto (m.): cat; plural i gatti.
• il giaguaro (m.): jaguar; plural i giaguari.
• la giraffa (f.): giraffe; plural le giraffe.
• lo gnu (m.): wildebeest; plural gli gnu.
• il gorilla (m.): gorilla; plural i gorilla.
• il gufo (m.): owl; plural i gufi.

Gallo and gallina make rooster and hen explicit. Giaguaro explains why an English “jaguar” answer moves to G. Gnu takes lo, with gli in the plural, because of its initial GN sound. Gorilla keeps the same noun form in the plural despite ending in A.

Animals that start with H in Italian

No common everyday H animal is selected here. Italian normally spells familiar animals without initial H: hamster is il criceto and hippopotamus is l’ippopotamo. H still has important spelling jobs elsewhere, including preserving the hard consonant in foche and formiche.

Animals that start with I in Italian

• l’iguana (f.): iguana; plural le iguane.
• l’ippopotamo (m.): hippopotamus; plural gli ippopotami.

Use un’iguana and un ippopotamo to reveal the different genders. The general word l’insetto (m.; plural gli insetti) means “insect.” It works when a question allows broad groups and covers animals such as l’ape, la formica, and la farfalla.

Animals that start with J in Italian

No core J animal is selected here. Jaguar has the established Italian form il giaguaro, under G. Historical spellings and foreign breed names may supply J answers in some games, but those need agreed rules. The absence of a common J entry is a useful spelling lesson in itself.

Animals that start with K in Italian

• il koala (m.): koala; plural i koala.

Koala is a dictionary-listed loanword. Treccani also records coala, which would go under C. The noun stays unchanged in the plural, so il versus i shows number. Borrowed origin does not prevent a word from being useful learner vocabulary.

Animals that start with L in Italian

• il leone (m.): lion; plural i leoni.
• il leopardo (m.): leopard; plural i leopardi.
• la lepre (f.): hare; plural le lepri.
• la lontra (f.): otter; plural le lontre.
• il lupo (m.): wolf; plural i lupi.

Leone and lepre both end in E, yet their genders differ. Both form their plurals in I. Learn lepre with coniglio, under C, to distinguish hare and rabbit. Lontra adds a useful water-associated mammal to the group.

Animals that start with M in Italian

• il maiale (m.): pig; plural i maiali.
• la medusa (f.): jellyfish; plural le meduse.
• la mosca (f.): fly; plural le mosche.
• la mucca (f.): cow; plural le mucche.

Mosca / mosche and mucca / mucche preserve the hard K sound in the plural. Mucca is a natural everyday cow word. Maiale is masculine despite ending in E, so keep il attached when you learn it.

Animals that start with N in Italian

• il nandù (m.): rhea; plural i nandù.
• il narvalo (m.): narwhal; plural i narvali.

These are useful wildlife words rather than first-priority pet vocabulary. Nandù refers to a South American flightless bird; it retains the final accent and stays unchanged in the plural. Narvalo offers a recognizable second answer and follows the regular -o / -i pattern.

Animals that start with O in Italian

• l’oca (f.): goose; plural le oche.
• l’orso (m.): bear; plural gli orsi.
• l’ostrica (f.): oyster; plural le ostriche.

The plural articles make the hidden genders visible: le oche, gli orsi, le ostriche. Both oche and ostriche need H to preserve their hard consonant. Bear belongs here because the Italian noun orso begins with O.

Animals that start with P in Italian

• il pappagallo (m.): parrot; plural i pappagalli.
• la pecora (f.): sheep; plural le pecore.
• il pesce (m.): fish; plural i pesci.
• il piccione (m.): pigeon; plural i piccioni.
• il pinguino (m.): penguin; plural i pinguini.
• il pipistrello (m.): bat; plural i pipistrelli.
• il polpo (m.): octopus; plural i polpi.

Pesce names a broad group, while pinguino identifies a bird and pipistrello a mammal. The double consonants in pappagallo, piccione, and pipistrello deserve attention in pronunciation. Polpo is a useful word both for the animal and in food contexts.

Animals that start with Q in Italian

• la quaglia (f.): quail; plural le quaglie.

Quaglia gives Q a straightforward animal answer. The initial QU has a kw sound. Il quadrupede (m.; plural i quadrupedi) means “quadruped,” an animal that walks on four feet. That category word appears in the original article and remains useful when the question permits groups.

Animals that start with R in Italian

• il ragno (m.): spider; plural i ragni.
• la rana (f.): frog; plural le rane.
• il ratto (m.): rat; plural i ratti.
• il riccio (m.): hedgehog; plural i ricci.
• il rinoceronte (m.): rhinoceros; plural i rinoceronti.
• il rospo (m.): toad; plural i rospi.

Rana and rospo distinguish frog and toad; they are different animal words rather than a male/female pair. Ragno contains the GN sound, similar to the middle sound in “canyon.” Riccio usually means hedgehog in this context; riccio di mare means sea urchin.

Animals that start with S in Italian

• la scimmia (f.): monkey or ape; plural le scimmie.
• lo scoiattolo (m.): squirrel; plural gli scoiattoli.
• il serpente (m.): snake; plural i serpenti.
• lo squalo (m.): shark; plural gli squali.
• lo struzzo (m.): ostrich; plural gli struzzi.

Scoiattolo, squalo, and struzzo take lo because S is followed by another consonant. Serpente takes il because S is followed by a vowel. Scimmia is feminine and takes la; the IL/LO choice concerns masculine articles.

Animals that start with T in Italian

• la tartaruga (f.): turtle or tortoise; plural le tartarughe.
• la tigre (f.): tiger; plural le tigri.
• il topo (m.): mouse; plural i topi.
• il toro (m.): bull; plural i tori.

Tigre is feminine in normal modern usage, including when the individual animal is male. Say una tigre maschio when that distinction matters. Tartaruga covers turtles and tortoises; tartaruga marina identifies a sea turtle and tartaruga terrestre a tortoise.

Animals that start with U in Italian

• l’uccello (m.): bird; plural gli uccelli.
• l’usignolo (m.): nightingale; plural gli usignoli.

Uccello is the useful general bird word. Usignolo is a more specific answer for a birdwatching question or a game that excludes broad categories. Both are masculine, giving un uccello and un usignolo, without an apostrophe after un.

Animals that start with V in Italian

• la vespa (f.): wasp; plural le vespe.
• il vitello (m.): calf; plural i vitelli.
• la volpe (f.): fox; plural le volpi.
• il vombato (m.): wombat; plural i vombati. An adapted name, mainly useful for Australian-wildlife topics.

Vespa pairs with ape for wasp and bee. Vitello names a calf and also appears in food contexts for veal. Volpe is a feminine noun ending in E. Vombato explains the alternative spelling discussed in the W section.

Animals that start with W in Italian

• il wombat (m.): wombat; plural i wombat. An unadapted loanword.

WordReference records both wombat and the adapted Italian vombato. These refer to the same kind of marsupial. For a letter game, check whether its dictionary accepts the borrowed W spelling; the adapted form belongs under V. Neither is a first-week pet-vocabulary priority.

Animals that start with X in Italian

• lo xenopo liscio (m.): African clawed frog; plural gli xenopi lisci. Specialist zoological vocabulary.

This documented Italian name gives a precise X answer. ISPRA uses it for Xenopus laevis. It is a specialist name, so its inclusion answers a narrow letter question without implying that it is as common as rana. The masculine article is lo before X.

Animals that start with Y in Italian

• lo yak (m.): yak; plural gli yak.

Italian keeps this borrowed noun unchanged in the plural. Its initial sound resembles English Y in “yes.” Learn lo yak / gli yak as a pair, rather than adding an English plural S.

Animals that start with Z in Italian

• la zanzara (f.): mosquito; plural le zanzare.
• la zebra (f.): zebra; plural le zebre.

Zanzara is useful everyday vocabulary, particularly in summer. Una zanzara mi ha punto il braccio, from the original article, means “A mosquito bit my arm.” Both Z entries are feminine, so they use la, even though masculine nouns beginning with Z take lo.

Letters with few or no common animal names

The traditional Italian alphabet runs A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, Z. This guide adds J, K, W, X, and Y in their familiar lookup positions to cover borrowed names and explain gaps.

H and J have no core animal entry here. K has koala, W has a labeled borrowing, and X has a specialist answer. Q needs no obscure substitute because quaglia is available. Category words such as animale, insetto, and quadrupede remain useful, with their broader meaning made explicit.

How to learn these animal names

Learn the article with the noun

Practice il cane, lo squalo, l’orso, and la tigre. IL and LO both mark masculine nouns; the following sounds determine which form you use. Feminine la becomes l’ before a vowel, as in l’ape. Grammatical gender does not automatically tell you an animal's sex.

Keep plural patterns and exceptions together

Common patterns are gatto / gatti, capra / capre, and cane / cani. Feminine tigre / tigri also changes E to I. Some nouns stay unchanged: i koala, i gorilla, i nandù, and gli yak. Bue / buoi needs separate attention. The article often helps reveal the number.

Use spelling to guide pronunciation

GN in ragno is a palatal nasal, roughly like “ny” in “canyon.” GLI in coniglio has a palatal L sound, roughly like the middle of “million.” These are approximations. Hold the doubled T in gatto or L in cavallo longer than a single consonant. Keep the hard sounds in foche and tartarughe.

Make one short sentence work harder

Il mio gatto dorme molto, retained from the original article, means “My cat sleeps a lot.” Change it to I miei gatti dormono molto, “My cats sleep a lot.” The noun, article, possessive, and verb all show the plural. With an unchanged noun, try Il koala dorme / I koala dormono: the surrounding words carry the change.

Common questions

What animals start with A in Italian?

L’ape (f., bee), l’anatra (f., duck), l’aquila (f., eagle), l’asino (m., donkey), and l’agnello (m., lamb).

What animals start with B in Italian?

La balena (whale), il bruco (caterpillar), il bue (ox), and il bufalo (buffalo). Their plurals are le balene, i bruchi, i buoi, and i bufali.

What animal starts with Q in Italian?

La quaglia, meaning quail, with plural le quaglie. Il quadrupede is a broader category word for a four-footed animal.

Are there Italian animals starting with W or X?

Il wombat is a documented loanword, also called il vombato. Lo xenopo liscio is the specialist Italian name for the African clawed frog. Both need their usage caveats in a beginner list.

What animal starts with U in Italian?

L’uccello (m., bird) and l’usignolo (m., nightingale). Their plurals are gli uccelli and gli usignoli.

Is tiger masculine or feminine in Italian?

The everyday form is la tigre, plural le tigri. Grammatical gender stays feminine when referring to a male tiger: una tigre maschio.

Does every Italian animal name change in the plural?

No. Koala, gorilla, nandù, and yak stay unchanged. Learn the plural articles too: i koala, i gorilla, i nandù, gli yak.