Wildlife Groupings
A gathering of porcupines has this deceptively gentle name, despite their spines.
What is a prickle?
This North American bird can rotate its head up to 270 degrees thanks to having twice as many neck vertebrae as humans.
What is the owl?
This species can lower its heart rate from 50 beats per minute to as low as 9 during hibernation.
What is the brown bear?
This mammal has the densest fur of any species in the world — up to 1 million hairs per square inch.
What is the sea otter?
This elusive feline is the most widespread wild cat in North America.
What is the mountain lion?
A group of otters floating together on their backs is charmingly called this kind of “collective.”
What is a raft?
This Arctic mammal grows hollow, transparent hairs that scatter light, giving the illusion of white fur — a key camouflage adaptation.
What is the polar bear?
This tiny mammal has the highest metabolism of any vertebrate and must eat up to three times its body weight daily.
What is the shrew?
This animal's front teeth never stop growing, and they are harder than steel — literally able to bite through metal wire.
What is the beaver?
This apex predator has one of the strongest bite forces among land mammals and can crush large bones to reach nutrient-rich marrow.
What is the wolf?
A group of bats are called this.
What is a cauldron?
This desert-dwelling rodent never needs to drink water; it gets all its moisture from seeds.
What is the kangaroo rat?
What bird has the fastest recorded dive speed of any animal on Earth—over 240 mph?
What is the peregrine falcon?
Known as the fastest bird in level flight, this species can reach speeds of over 60 mph while chasing prey.
What is the golden eagle?
This animal uses specialized whiskers to detect fish vibrations and can close its nostrils to chase prey underwater.
What is the river otter?
A group of bears — rarely seen — is called this term, possibly referencing how they move.
What is a sleuth? (Will also accept "sloth")
This lizard can squirt blood from the corners of its eyes as a defense mechanism, sometimes reaching several feet.
What is the horned lizard?
This mammal has the fastest sustained long-distance running ability of any species on Earth, capable of trotting more than 50 miles in a day.
What is the pronghorn?
This small bird migrates farther than any other animal on Earth, traveling up to 44,000 miles annually between polar regions.
What is the arctic tern?
This carnivore has a specialized resistance to porcupine quills, enabling it to hunt prey that most avoid entirely.
What is the fisher?
Bobcats and other wild cats in a group are called this eerie, ghost-like word.
What is a clowder? (Clutter, or pounce, are also acceptable)
This animal can freeze solid over winter — its heart stops, it stops breathing — and then thaw back to life.
What is the wood frog?
The tongue of this animal can extend more than one-third of its body length — and even wraps around its skull when not in use.
What is a woodpecker?
This mammal spends more time sleeping than any other North American species, averaging up to 20 hours per day.
What is the opossum?
This carnivore’s jaws can open nearly 180 degrees, one of the widest gapes of any North American mammal, aiding in its powerful crushing bite.
What is the wolverine?