How to Say 100+ Animal Names in Russian
From the majestic bears of Siberia to the graceful ballet of a swan on a tranquil lake, Russia is a country teeming with an incredible diversity of wildlife. If you’ve ever found yourself captivated by the beauty and mystery of the animal kingdom, then this article is for you.
In this comprehensive guide to animals vocabulary in Russian, I’m not just here to teach you the words for common animals you might encounter in Russia. No, we’re taking it a step further and explore the diverse fauna representatives of our planet.
Млекопитающие (Mammals)
медведь – bear
белый медведь – polar bear
волк – wolf
лиса, лисица – fox
заяц – hare
ёж – hedgehog
зебра – zebra
слон – elephant
жираф – giraffe
верблюд – camel
гиена – hyena
рысь – lynx
лев – lion
тигр – tiger
леопард – leopard
гепард – cheetah
пума – puma
пантера – panther
муравьед – anteater
броненосец – armadillo
барсук – badger
летучая мышь – bat
бобр, бобёр – beaver
выдра – otter
шимпанзе – chimpanzee
олень – deer
северный олень – reindeer
лось – elk
американский лось – moose
лама – llama
антилопа – antelope
газель – gazelle
конь (m.), лошадь (f.) – horse
пони – pony
мул – mule
осёл – donkey
вол – bullock
корова – cow
бык – bull
козёл; коза – goat
овца – sheep
свинья – pig
сурок – marmot
норка – mink
крот – mole
кот (m.), кошка (f.) – cat
собака – dog
мышь – mouse
крыса – rat
морская свинка – guinea pig
хомяк – hamster
панда – panda
утконос – platypus
хорёк – polecat
дикобраз – porcupine
енот – racoon
скунс – skunk
ленивец – sloth
белка – squirrel
ласка – weasel
бегемот – hippopotamus
носорог – rhinoceros
тюлень – seal
морж – walrus
дельфин – dolphin
кит – whale
A few words about animals in Russia.
The forests here are home to a wide variety of animals. These include large creatures like the brown bear, which is powerful and can be seen wandering in search of food. The Eurasian lynx, with its tufted ears, is a stealthy predator that moves silently through the forest. The red fox, known for its reddish fur, is clever and adapts well to different environments.
The wild boar is a common species in Russian forests. It is a robust and opportunistic omnivore, known for its tusks and its tendency to roam in groups called sounders.
There are also smaller creatures in the forest, such as squirrels that move quickly between trees and the European badger, known for its nocturnal habits.
I was recently walking in the park (mid-July) when I had an unexpected encounter with a squirrel. It started running towards me for some reason, and its boldness startled me.
Squirrels are commonly found in Russian parks, even in small forested areas, which are quite common in cities. However, the number of squirrels I saw in the area where I was walking was unlike anything I had ever seen before. In fact, it was so remarkable that I even took a photo of them.
Since the photo was taken from a distance, the visibility is poor, but I managed to capture approximately four squirrels in the same frame.
Here’s a close-up of one of them.
Squirrels compete for food with pigeons. People eagerly feed the squirrels and love to photograph them. After all, fauna in the middle of a big city is a gimmick.
Птицы (Birds)
воробей – sparrow
ворона – crow
кукушка – cuckoo
дятел – woodpecker
ласточка – swallow
стриж – swift
синица – tit
голубь – dove, pigeon
петух – rooster
курица – hen, chicken
цыплёнок – little chicken
индюк; индейка – turkey
гусь – goose
утка – duck
дикая утка – mallard
лебедь – swan
орёл – eagle
сокол – falcon
зяблик – finch
дрозд – robin
чёрный дрозд – blackbird
канарейка – canary
фламинго – flamingo
чайка – gull
ястреб; сокол – hawk
галка – jackdaw
сойка – jay
соловей – nightingale
поползень – nuthatch
сова; сыч; филин – owl
длиннохвостый попугай – parakeet
попугай – parrot
павлин – peacock
страус – ostrich
фазан – pheasant
аист – stork
альбатрос – albatross
пеликан – pelican
гриф – vulture
пингвин – penguin
See Also: Geographic Terms and Types of Landscapes in Russian
Рыба и мелкие морские обитатели (Fish and small sea inhabitants)
карась – crucian carp (the type of fish you can encounter in almost every Russian lake and river)
рыба – fish
карп; сазан – carp
треска – cod
угорь – eel
золотая рыбка – goldfish
палтус – halibut
окунь – perch
щука – pike
камбала – plaice
форель – trout
лосось; сёмга – salmon
пиранья – piranha
пила-рыба – sawfish
скат – ray
медуза – jellyfish
краб – crab
омар – lobster
акула – shark
креветка – shrimp
Насекомые (Insects)
жук – beetle
муравей – ant
пчела – bee
шмель – bumblebee
оса – wasp
бабочка – butterfly
гусеница – caterpillar
таракан – cockroach
стрекоза – dragonfly
комар – mosquitoes
In Russia, “комары” (mosquitoes) are a common pest, especially during the warmer months. Russia’s vast territory, with its numerous lakes, rivers, and marshlands, provides ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
These insects are known for their irritating bites, which can cause itching. Mosquitoes are most active during the summer evenings and nights, especially in regions with humid climates, such as the Russian Far East and parts of Siberia. People in Russia as applying insect repellents, using mosquito nets, and wearing long sleeves and pants when spending time outdoors.
муха – fly
овод, слепень – gadfly
кузнечик – grasshopper
божья коровка – ladybug/ ladybird
тля – aphid
блоха – flea
вошь – louse
мошка – midge
моль; мотылёк – moth
личинка – larva
куколка – nymph
Пресмыкающиеся (Reptiles)
пресмыкающееся, рептилия – reptile
змея – snake
ядовитая змея – poisonous / venomous snake
обыкновенный удав – constrictor snake
удав – boa
питон – python
анаконда – anaconda
ящерица – lizard
игуана – iguana
хамелеон – chameleon
крокодил – crocodile
саламандра – salamander
черепаха – tortoise, turtle
Земноводные (Amphibians)
земноводное – amphibian
лягушка – frog
тритон – newt
жаба – toad
Паукообразные (Arachnids)
паук – spider
паук-сенокосец – harvestman
тарантул – tarantula
скорпион – scorpion
Other animals
червяк – worm
земляной червь, дождевой червь – earthworm
пиявка – leech
слизень, слизняк – slug
улитка – snail
многоножка – millepede
