Domestic Animals

This page is essentially for questions about animals (including birds and other phyla), that don't come under Natural History.  But see also Dogs, Horses, and Pets.

You probably wouldn't normally describe them all as domestic animals. But they have all served mankind in one way or another, even if they weren't bred for that purpose – in the case of the whale (for example) by providing the substance referred to in the question.

If you can think of a better title for this page, please let me know!

Rows of whiskers on a cat's face

4

Toes (claws) of a cat:

Front feet (each)		5
Hind feet (each)		4
Total		18

Compartments in a cow's stomach

4

Term used for the male parent of a domestic animal (particularly horses)		Sire
Term used for the female parent of a domestic animal (particularly horses)		Dam

Black, hornless beef cattle originating in Scotland		Aberdeen Angus
Channel Island cattle (Jerseys, Guernseys): once known as		Alderneys
South American relative of the llama, bred for its long, firm wool		Alpaca
Alternative name for the strawberry finch – a small Indian songbird, commonly caged and kept for fighting – a corruption of Ahmedabad		Amadavat
Waxy substance, produced in the intestines of sperm whales; traditionally used in perfumery		Ambergris
Mohair comes from the		Angora goat
Animal that accounts for more human deaths each year than any other (as a carrier of malaria)		Anopheles mosquito
Symbol of the RSPB (wading bird)		Avocet
National bird of the USA		Bald eagle
Named after the seaport in Java where first seen by Europeans		Bantam
Kept in an apiary; apiculture is the 'farming' of		Bees
The barra mite (discovered in Torbay in 1992) attacks
Sheep that leads a flock		Bellwether
Species of sturgeon, primarily found in the Caspian Sea and Black Sea, especially prized for its caviar		Beluga sturgeon
Breed of sheep that shares its name with a French composer		Bizet
Fallows, lutinos, opalines		Budgerigars
Mozzarella cheese comes from the		(Water) buffalo
Type of insect used in chaos theory to illustrate the notion that a small event can have a major effect somewhere else		Butterfly
Cinnamon Norwich, Lizard and Border are breeds of		Canary
Neutered cockerel (supposed to improve the flavour and texture of the meat)		Capon
Abyssinian, American Bobtail, American Curl, Australian Tiffanie, Balinese, Bambino, Bengal, Birman, Burmese, Calico, California Spangled, Chartreux, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Havana Brown, Maine Coon, Munchkin, Norwegian Forest, Persian, Ragdoll, Russian, British Shorthair, Oriental Shorthair, Siamese, Singapura, Somali, Russian Blue (originally known as the Archangel or Foreign Blue), Turkish Van: breeds of (domestic)		Cat
Cross between a bison and a domestic cow		Cattalo
Angus, Ayrshire, Belgian Blue, Blonde d'Aquitaine, Blue–Grey, Brahman, British White, Charolais, Criollo (a.k.a. Creole), Danish Red, Dexter, English Longhorn, Friesian, (Belted) Galloway, Guernsey, Hereford, Highland, Holstein, Jersey, La Reina (a.k.a. Creole), Simmental, Sussex, Texas Longhorn, Welsh Black: breeds of		Cattle
Dexter (originating in Ireland) is Europe's smallest breed of
Animal that the first vaccines came from – leading to the word vaccine (from its Latin name)
Brucellosis affects		Cattle (and goats)
The aurochs was a prehistoric ancestor of		Cattle (oxen)
Lion shot by American dentist Walter Palmer in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, July 2015 (he'd been tracked by Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit since 2008, as part of a larger study; he was used to vehicles and people, making him popular with tourists)		Cecil
European antelope, gives its name to a soft suede leather used for polishing, etc.		Chamois
Andalusian, Barnevelder, Brahma, Buff Orpington, Dorking, Faverolles, Jersey Giant, Leghorn, New Hampshire, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Scots Dumpy, Scots Grey, Sebright, Siciliana, Sicilian Buttercup, Silkie, Sussex (Brown, Buff, Light, Red, Speckled, Silver, White, Coronation) and Wyandotte are breeds of		Chicken
South American rodent, living at altitudes of up to 14,000 feet in the Andes: said to have the densest and softest fur of all land–dwelling mammals		Chinchilla
Freshwater fish not belonging to the salmon family (i.e. not a game fish)		Coarse fish
Dye obtained from the dried bodies of insects (coccus) gathered from cactus in Mexico, West Indies etc.		Cochineal
Silk is used by the silk worm to make a		Cocoon
Type of bird used to catch fish in China		Cormorant
Snail whose shell is traditionally worn by royalty in the Pacific islands, and has been used as currency in Africa and elsewhere		Cowrie
Vestigial digit on each foot of many animals (notably dogs)		Dew claws
Loose fold of skin that hangs down from the throat of a cow		Dewlap
Europe's smallest breed of cattle – originating in south–west Ireland		Dexter
Cutting off the tails of dogs or other animals (or part thereof)		Docking
The Alaskan Malamute, Australian Kelpie, Bichon Frisé, Bully Kutta, Finnish Spitz, Griffon, Kerry Blue, Lancashire Heeler, Lhasa Apso (Tibetan), Papillon, Schnauzer and Vizsla (Hungarian) are breeds of		Dog
The word 'palomino' can refer to a horse or a
The first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell (i.e. not a reproductive cell) – at the Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, in 1996 – died in 2003		Dolly the sheep
Reputedly the world's most expensive cheese, pule is made in Serbia from the milk of		Donkeys
Belgian, Breton, Dutch Heavy, Percheron, and Suffolk Punch are types of		Draught horse
Indian Runner, Khaki Campbell, Rouen (Foncé or Clair – dark or light–coloured), Silver Appleyard, Swedish Blue and Welsh Harlequin are domestic breeds of		Duck
A mahout is someone who keeps and rides		Elephants
Name given to a stoat in its white winter coat, or its fur which is traditionally used to trim the robes of peers and royalty (used generally for the animal in North America)		Ermine
Young hawk, taken from its nest and/or not fully trained		Eyas
A litter of pigs; or (as a verb, of pigs) to give birth		Farrow
Describes a domestic animal gone wild		Feral
Domesticated albino polecat		Ferret(s)
Pets for which you need a passport if bringing them into the UK: dogs, cats and
Velvet disease affects		(Aquarium) fish
Black tetra, silver tetra, neon tetra, Moorish idol		Fish (tropical)
Drosophila – widely used in the study of genetics		Fruit flies
Guga, considered a delicacy in the Outer Hebrides and controversially hunted annually in August, are young		Gannets
Mongolian jird		Gerbil
Young sow that has not borne young		Gilt
Cashmere (wool) and Morocco leather are obtained from		Goats
Takin		Goat (Himalayan)
All specimens now kept as pets are descended from one female and twelve young, captured in Syria in 1930		Golden hamster
Eagle that escaped from London Zoo twice in 1965		Goldie
Brecon Buff is a type of		Goose
Seabird droppings used as fertiliser (native South American word, from Quechuan)		Guano
Domestic cavy (kay–vee – a rodent, native to the Andes)		Guinea pig
Young cow, particularly one between one and three years old, that hasn't calved		Heifer
Measured in cran (37.5 gallons); kippers, bloaters and whitebait are all		Herring
Castrated pig		Hog
A sheep of one or two years of age, or its meat or wool (also the name of the farmer in Babe!)		Hogget
Polled cattle lack		Horns
Halflinger, Hanoverian, Percheron, Pinto and Waler are types of		Horse
Moon blindness, strangles, glanders: infectious diseases affecting		Horses
Pet cat of George W. Bush and family, from 1990 – died January 2009, 16 days before the end of his term of office		India
Term used for dentine (chiefly from elephants' tusks, but also from the hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth and narwhal) when used for art or objects		Ivory
European bird that can be taught to talk		Jackdaw
Falconry: short strap fastened around the bird's leg, to which a leash may be fastened		Jess
Novelty item created by the larva of the moth Cydia Saltitans inside the seed of the Sebastiana pavoniana tree		(Mexican) jumping bean
Local variety of a domesticated animal (or plant), which has developed naturally rather than through selective breeding; also used for some formal breeds of pig (e.g. American ... )		Landrace
Purified wax from sheep's wool, used with water as a base for ointments and cosmetics		Lanolin
Byron (allegedly) kept in his rooms at Cambridge		Leopard
Roosting boxes that racing pigeons are trained to return to		Lofts
Parts of a butchered animal that are referred to as 'lights' (for example when used in pet food) – in reference to their lack of weight		Lungs
The largest breed of domestic cat (Wikipedia)		Maine Coon
Reddle, raddle, or ruddle: used for		Marking sheep
Breed of sheep, noted for its fine, silky wool: imported to Spain from Morocco around the 12th century, refined in Australia and New Zealand from the 18th		Merino
Baroque pearl		Misshapen
Nacre is an alternative name for (naturally occurring substance used in jewellery, and as decoration in furniture, musical instruments etc.)		Mother of pearl
Staple diet of the silkworm		Mulberry leaves
Disease intentionally introduced in Australia, France, and Chile in the 1950s to control wild European rabbit populations (but with disastrous effects)		Myxomatosis
American Landrace, American Yorkshire (sic), Berkshire, British Lop, Chester White, Duroc, Forest Mountain, Gloucester Old Spot, Poland, Razorback, Saddleback, Tamworth, Wessex: types of		Pig
Only animal other than man that suffers from sunburn; a barrow is a castrated		Pig
Dragoon, Antwerp, Pouter, Tumbler, Horseman, Squeaker, YB (young bird), OB (old bird)		Pigeons
The fish sold in supermarkets as coley is a variety of (fish commonly found in British coastal waters)		Pollock
Connemara and Welsh cob are breeds of		Pony
Young chicken, turkey or other domestic fowl		Poult
Newcastle disease affects		Poultry
Young hen, especially from first laying to first moult		Pullet
Mature female cat, kept mainly for breeding		Queen
Blue of Ham (or Hem); Checkered Giant (known in the UK as the Giant Papillon); Dutch, English Spot, Flemish Giant, Florida White, Netherlands Dwarf; New Zealand White, Black and Blue; Rhinelander; Satin, Silver Fox, Standard Rex, Vienna White: breeds of		Rabbit
Coney is the name used for the fur of the
Mixture of enzymes, obtained from the stomachs of unweaned calves – used to curdle milk in the production of cheese		Rennet
Voted as Britain's "national bird", in a poll taken in 2015		Robin
Species of marten, native to the forests of Russia, Mongolia and neighbouring regions: historically hunted for its highly valued dark brown or black fur, now commercially farmed		Sable
Black pig with a white band round the shoulders and forelegs		(Wessex) Saddleback
Term used in the UK (and throughout the Commonwealth) for meat from the neck of a sheep or lamb		Scrag end
Fatal disease of sheep, affecting the nervous system, thought to be the origin of BSE in cattle		Scrapie
Reddish–brown pigment, obtained from the dried ink sacs of cuttlefish, and given the scientific name of its genus		Sepia
Skin once used commercially as sandpaper		Shark
Barbados Blackbelly, Blackhead Persian, Border, Clun Forest, California Red, Corriedale, Derbyhire Gritstone, Herdwick, Leicester, Blue Leicester, Llanwenog, Merino, Romney Marsh, Rylands, Scottish Blackface, Shropshire, South Down, Suffolk, Swaledale, Texel, Belgian Texel (Beltex), Blue Texel, Welsh Mountain: types of		Sheep
The karakul or qaraqul, the source of astrakhan fur, is a breed of
Luping ill affects
Catgut is nowadays usually obtained from
Roquefort cheese is made from the milk of
Sericulture is the breeding of		Silkworms
Fish with the scientific name Thyrsites atun – a species of snake mackerel – imported from South Africa and promoted (with limited success) by the UK Government, during World War II		Snoek
Young pigeon (particularly when used as food – e.g. in a pie)		Squab
Camelhair comes from		Squirrels
Male turkey		Stag
Bred at Abbotsbury, near Weymouth – the world's only managed colony		(Mute) swans
Ownership of British individuals is shared by the Crown and the Livery Companies of Vintners and Dyers
Rendered from beef or mutton (and occasionally pork) fat, used in the manufacture of soap and also formerly candles		Tallow
Term used for an un–castrated male sheep, and hence to mating in sheep and their mating season		Tup(ping)
The broad–breasted bronze is historically the most popular breed of		Turkey
Bubbly–jock is a Scots colloquial term for a
The flap of skin that hangs down from a turkey's neck		Wattle
Cricket–like insect, native to New Zealand, growing up to 4" in length – 8" including the legs – gives its name to the design and effects company whose most famous associate is Peter Jackson, and which was involved in his Tolkien films		Weta
Castrated male sheep		Wether
Pair or team of oxen		Yoke

© Haydn Thompson 2017–24