1. Animal groups & roles

• mammals – animals that usually have hair or fur and produce milk for their babies.
  Humans, dogs and whales are all mammals.
• rodents – small mammals with strong front teeth, such as mice, rats, hamsters and squirrels.
  Rodents like hamsters and gerbils are popular pets for children.
• reptiles – cold-blooded animals with dry, scaly skin, for example snakes, lizards and turtles.
  We saw lots of reptiles in the special section of the zoo.
• predator – an animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals.
  Wolves are natural predators of deer.
• prey – animals that are hunted and eaten by predators.
  The lion watched its prey quietly before attacking.
• scavenger – an animal that eats dead animals or plants instead of hunting live prey.
  Vultures are scavengers that clean up dead bodies in the wild.
• pest – an animal or insect that damages crops, spreads disease or annoys people.
  Farmers often have problems with pests eating their vegetables.

2. Species & special terms

• extinct species – an animal type that no longer exists anywhere on Earth.
  The dodo is a famous example of an extinct species.
• endangered species – a species that is in serious danger of becoming extinct.
  Tigers are an endangered species and need strong protection.
• rare species – a species that is very uncommon and not often seen.
  We were lucky to see a rare species of bird in the forest.
• species – a group of animals or plants that are similar and can have babies together; the same word is used for singular and plural.
  This lake is home to many different fish species.
• guinea pig – a small rodent often kept as a pet; also a person used to test an idea or product.
  I asked my friend to be my guinea pig and try my new cake recipe.

Note: species always ends in -s, even when we talk about only one species.

3. Places & habitats

• the wild / wilderness – areas of land where animals live naturally and people do not usually live or farm.
  Seeing elephants in the wild is very different from seeing them in a zoo.
• nature reserve – a protected area where animals and plants are looked after and cannot be hunted.
  The nature reserve near the town has over 600 species of butterflies.
• animal sanctuary – a safe place where animals are protected and can live or breed in peace.
  She volunteers at an animal sanctuary that rescues horses and donkeys.
• animal shelter – a place where lost, homeless or badly treated animals are looked after.
  They adopted their dog from an animal shelter.
• kennel – a place where dogs are kept, bred or looked after while their owners are away.
  We left our pets at a kennel during the holidays.

4. Animal issues & protection

• animal welfare – the idea that animals should be healthy, cared for properly and free from suffering.
  The organisation works to improve animal welfare on farms.
• animal trade / animal trafficking – the illegal buying, selling and transporting of animals.
  Many charities are trying to stop animal trafficking across borders.
• overhunting – hunting too many animals so their numbers become very low.
  Overhunting caused a big drop in the local bird population.
• overfishing – catching too many fish so there are not enough left in the water.
  Overfishing in the sea has reduced the number of tuna.
• poaching – illegally hunting or catching wild animals, especially protected ones.
  The men were arrested for poaching elephants for their tusks.
• fur trade – the business of buying and selling animal fur for clothes and accessories.
  Many people refuse to support the fur trade because it is cruel.
• animal testing – using animals to test medicines, cosmetics or other products.
  Some companies are looking for alternatives to animal testing.
• shrinking habitat – a natural environment that is becoming smaller, usually because of human activity.
  The frogs are losing their homes because of their shrinking habitat.
• captivity – the state of being kept in a cage or enclosure and unable to live freely.
  The lion spent most of its life in captivity.
• cruelty-free – describing products that are made without testing on animals.
  I prefer to buy cruelty-free make-up and skincare products.

5. Verbs & verb phrases

• breed (animals) – to keep animals and help them have babies, often to produce more of the same type.
  The farmer breeds a rare kind of sheep on his land.
• tame (an animal) – to train a wild animal so it becomes calm and used to people.
  It took months to tame the horse after it was rescued.
• put down (an animal) – to end an animal’s life because it is very ill or dangerous.
  Sadly, the vet had to put down the dog because it was suffering.
• slaughter – to kill animals, usually for meat or other products.
  The farm tries to slaughter its animals in the most humane way possible.
• nest – (of a bird) to build and use a nest as a home and a place for eggs.
  We must not disturb the birds while they are nesting in the trees.
• lay eggs – (of a bird or some animals) to produce eggs.
  Our hens lay eggs every morning, which we sell at the market.

These verbs help you describe how animals live, how humans treat them and what happens to them in nature and on farms.