Create a New Animal Alphabet Book

birdsandbats

birdsandbats

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
You know those animal alphabet books that you have as young child? Well you have been placed in charge of creating the animal alphabet book that the next generation will be raised on. Pick an animal for each letter of the alphabet to make the ABC animals of the future!

Rules:

  • All letters of the English alphabet must be included.
  • Try to represent animal diversity.
  • Animals do not have to be at species level (you could do "B is for Butterfly" or "F is for Frog" if you wish).
  • Each animal must be only one word (you can't do "S is for Sumatran Rhino" or "A is for Association Europeenne pour l'Etude et la Conservation des Lemuriens' Sportive Lemur"). You can use animals with a hyphen in their name (if you wish, you may do "A is for Aye-Aye" or "M is for Mata-Mata").
  • Try to include some threatened species so your book has a conservation message.
 
Antelope
Babirusa
Cheetah
Dromedary
Elephant
Fennec
Gundi
Hippopotamus
Indri
Jackal
Kea
Lemur
Mongoose
Nyala
Octopus
Pig
Quetzal
Raccoon
Shoebill
Tiger
Uakari
Wallaby
Xenophora (the only exception using a scientific name because I can't find an English common name after struggling my brain a lot)
Yak
Zebra
 
What about an unusual - but reasonably interesting for the average person, I hope - list? A little hard to do with just one word animals and trying to dodge mammals, but I'll try:

Axolotl
Babirusa
Cassowary
Dugong
Echidna
Fennec
Gharial
Hyrax
Indri
Jerboa
Kiwi
Lionfish
Mata-mata
Narwhal
Okapi
Pteropus (I wish I could use "Megabat", but Mata-mata was the only fitting Testudines I could think of. TT^TT Of course, I wish I could use "Flying fox" too.)
Quokka
Roadunner
Seadragon
Tuatara
Uakari
Vinegaroon
Wombat
Xenopus
Yak
Zorse
 
Aye-Aye
Babirusa
Capybara
Dingo
Elephant
Fisher
Giraffe
Hirola
Impala
Javelina
Llama
Maleo
Narwhal
Okapi
Paddlefish
Quokka
Raccoon
Saola
Tuatara
Uguisu
Vulture
Walrus
Xona
Yak
Zebu
 
A xona is a small land snail.

Here is my animal list

Aye-aye
Bilby
Colocolo
Dugong
Eel
Flea
Graptolite
Halosaur
Indri
Jaguarundi
Knifefish
Linsang
Madrepore
Narwhal
Olingo
Petromure
Quokka
Rockfowl
Spookfish
Thylacine
Unau
Viperfish
Xenurus
Yapok
Zorro
 
Mine is a little different - it was done from memory, but I then checked on some of the spellings. I confess that I have cheated a little on one of the, can you tell which?
Anomalurus
Boa
Callochromis
Daubentonia
Egernia
Fratercula
Gorilla
Halichoerus
Irena
Jordanella
Kobus
Leontopithecus
Manis
Necturus
Otaria
Pongo
Quelea
Rusa
Symphysodon
Tenrec
Uaru
Vini
Wallago
Xenotoca
Yssichromis
Zoogoneticus
 
Kakapo said:
Maybe Yssichromis? At least is the only one that I don't know from memory, if that's what you mean with "cheat".
Click to expand...
Yes, I think it's currently usually treated as a subgenus of Haplochromis: the late Humphrey Greenwood created it when he revised that super-sized genus. Many years ago I kept some elderly specimens of Haplochromis (Yssichromis) pyrrhocephalus from Chester Zoo, to give them more space for the next generation of the species. They were enchantingly colourful and graceful mid-water planktivores, quite unlike the average East African 'haps'.
 
Arowana
Bison
Chiru
Dhole
Elasmotherium
Flamingo
Gigantspinosaurus
Hammerhead
I'iwi
Jabiru
Kakapo
Loris
Microorganism
Nilgai
Orthocone
Pirarucu
Quetzalcoatlus
Rook
Saiga
Therizinosaurus
Upupa
Vicuña
Vervet
Xiongguanlong
Yinlong
Zuniceratops
 
Oldish thread but I think this is a really cute idea! I don't quite know why but I love mashing human first names with alliterative animal names to see which combination fits best (i.e. Emily Elephant and Anna Ant)

If I had to do something like this I would probably actually do a series of smaller books (a la. Mr. Men), with one for each letter (and sometimes a combination like XYZ), and Sesame-Street style I would have as much of the word be represented at every opportunity. Pictures would be brightly coloured and have some clear depictions of lesser-known species, the stories also probably would be set in some kind of anthropomorphic city. Examples:

"Lara Leopard loves her lava lamp. She loans it to Lisa Lemming but she loses it on Leonard Lion's Lawn."
"Chelsea Cheetah and Charlie Chimp are best friends. They play catch in the garden but accidentally throw their ball into the cranky Mr. Cranston Crocodile's Cabbage Patch"

Idk why I just love that aesthetic
 
Last edited:
gonna try with all American birds (don't think I can without using latin)
Albatross
Bobwhite
Caracara
Dowitchee
Eider
Flicker
Grosbeak
Hoopoe (accidental haha)
Ibis
Junco
Killdeer
Longspur
Murre
Noddy
Osprey
Phoebe
Quail
Redpoll
Scaup
Titmouse
Uria (Ok needed latin)
Verdin
Whip poor will
Xenus (more latin)
Yellowlegs
Zenaida (ok another latin)

well I came close

gentle lemur said:
Mine is a little different - it was done from memory, but I then checked on some of the spellings. I confess that I have cheated a little on one of the, can you tell which?
Click to expand...
yssichromis?
 
gentle lemur said:
Yes, I think it's currently usually treated as a subgenus of Haplochromis: the late Humphrey Greenwood created it when he revised that super-sized genus. Many years ago I kept some elderly specimens of Haplochromis (Yssichromis) pyrrhocephalus from Chester Zoo, to give them more space for the next generation of the species. They were enchantingly colourful and graceful mid-water planktivores, quite unlike the average East African 'haps'.
Click to expand...
Daktari JG said:
yssichromis?
Click to expand...
 
Daktari JG said:
gonna try with all American birds (don't think I can without using latin)
Albatross
Bobwhite
Caracara
Dowitchee
Eider
Flicker
Grosbeak
Hoopoe (accidental haha)
Ibis
Junco
Killdeer
Longspur
Murre
Noddy
Osprey
Phoebe
Quail
Redpoll
Scaup
Titmouse
Uria (Ok needed latin)
Verdin
Whip poor will
Xenus (more latin)
Yellowlegs
Zenaida (ok another latin)

well I came close


yssichromis?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't call a hoopoe or Xenus American birds.
 
Aracari
Binturong
Cotinga
Dugong
Eagle
Fennec Fox
Gharial
Hartebeest
Iguana
Junco
Kakapo
Lungfish
Matamata
Numbat
Oropendola
Pangolin
Quokka
Ringtail
Serval
Tamandua
Uakari
Vulture
Wombat
Xenops
Yak
Zebu
 
Neil chace said:
Aracari
Binturong
Cotinga
Dugong
Eagle
Fennec Fox
Gharial
Hartebeest
Iguana
Junco
Kakapo
Lungfish
Matamata
Numbat
Oropendola
Pangolin
Quokka
Ringtail
Serval
Tamandua
Uakari
Vulture
Wombat
Xenops
Yak
Zebu
Click to expand...
Good job, although "Fennec Fox" is two words and therefore against the rules.
 
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