25 of the Strangest Names For Groups of Animals
Check out this list of some of the craziest names for groups of common animals!
![Burrowing owl - Owls](https://www.farmersalmanac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Animal-Group-Names-Owls-i16726873-1184x630.jpg)
When animals congregate, interesting things happen. Even more interesting is that these groups have special and unusual names—some are real head-scratchers; some seem to make perfect sense. Take a look at these collective nouns for groups of common birds, mammals, and reptiles:
25 of the Strangest Names For Groups of Animals
- Alligators – a congregation
- Apes – a shrewdness
- Bats – a colony or cauldron
- Bears – a sleuth
- Cats – a clowder
- Crows – a murder
- Donkeys – a pace
- Ferrets – a business
- Fox – a skulk or leash
- Gerbils – a horde
- Giraffes – a tower
- Hippopotamuses – a bloat
- Hyenas – a cackle
- Leopards – a leap
- Martens – a richness
- Owls – a parliament
- Porcupines – a prickle
- Raccoons – a nursery or gaze
- Rats – a mischief
- Rhinos – a crash
- Skunks – a surfeit
- Squirrels – a dray
- Toads – a knot
- Turtles – a bale
- Whales – a pod
One more: Don’t believe what you read on the internet—a group of baboons is not a “congress” as has been circulating widely. The correct term is a “troop” of baboons. Now you know!
This article was published by the staff at Farmers' Almanac. Do you have a question or an idea for an article? Contact us!
Ostentation of peacocks
An exaltation of meadowlarks
A putrification of attorneys
You win the internet for today!
this is totally wacky and wild!!!
A fever of stingrays
Good one!
Fennec foxes are found in North Africa from Morocco to Egypt, south to north Niger and Sudan, east to Sinai Peninsula and Kuwait. A male fox is called a ‘reynard’, the female is called a ‘vixen’ and young are called ‘kits’. A group of foxes is called a ‘skulk’ or a ‘leash’.
Hi Caydee, that’s what we say in the article?
A group of pandas is known as an embarrassment.
a pandemonium of parrots
a loveliness of ladybirds
a flamboyance of flamingoes
Mynah birds? A rage of mynahs (suggestion)
A Flamboyance of Flamingos!
Politicians???
A box of chocolates for the best answer!
A Squabble
Sh*tload ?
Embarrassment
A group of zebras is a dazzle
The list is incomplete without a pandemonium of parrots
My guess is someone just referred to a particular session of Congress as “A Congress of baboons” (or buffoons, as Jus Lookn suggests, above) and it caught on and/or was misunderstood and misapplied to the poor baboons.
I believe a group of wild turkeys is called a rafter.
Jus Lookin Lol You are so right!!
Congress is a group of BaFoons!
A group of Spoonbills is called a “bowl”
A murder of crows got its name from its lookout. One crow is the lookout and if he fails at his job, the other crows will murder him.
Baboons—-A congress. How fitting is that name?
Nailed it
Ronald D. Sande, A group of baboons is called a “troop.” We think the name of “congress” started circulating on the internet incorrectly some time ago.
It would be interesting to know the origin of some of them. I can figure out some, but the rest defy logic.