Wednesday

 What Is It?

Check out these nicknames for common animals. What nicknames do you know? 

Mammals 

  1. Raccoon 

  1. trash panda: tendency to forage for trash and black patches around the eyes like pandas 

  1. Coyotes 

  1. yodel dogs; high-pitched “bark” sounds like a yodel 

  1. American jackal; similar to jackals in appearance and behaviors 

  1. White-tailed deer  

  1. Virginia deer; deer were abundant in Virginia, so when settlers moved west, they started calling the deer Virginia deer 

  1. Bobcat  

  1. wildcat; live in the wild  

  1.  

  1. Bison  

  1. buffalo; similar build, different species 

  1. Armadillos  

  1. tactical possums; similar size and build to opossums but can roll into their protective shell 

  1. Texas speed bumps; get run over often in Texas 

  1. pocket dinosaurs; Jurassic-look 

  1. armored pig; look like little pigs with a defensive shell 

  1. Deer mice 

  1. white-ankled mice; often have white feet and undersides 

  1. Skunk  

  1. polecat; first English settlers mistook skunks for polecats 

Fish 

  1. Channel catfish -  

  1. fiddler; for tendency to “fiddle” with bait 

    mudcat; gets confused with flathead catfish, people unaware the difference 

  1. Largemouth bass 

  1. bucketmouth; for their mouth that extends further than other bass  

  1. mossback; name for large, slow fish 

  1. Bass 

  1. hawg; large bass fight back similar to wild hogs 

  1. Hogzilla; combination of hogs and Godzilla for their size and aggression 

  1. Blue catfish 

  1. channel cat; similarity to channel catfish, people unaware of the difference 

  1. giant blue; for their ability to grow up to 100 pounds and 5 feet long 

  1. Gar 

  1. gator; alligator-shaped head and rows of teeth 

  1. sea needle; long slender body and sharp teeth 

  1. Snapper  

  1. bream; considered part of the bream family 

  1. porgy; American Indian name for fertilizer, which is what the fish were used for in colonial times 

  1. old man snapper; face looks like an old man 

  1. Speckled trout 

  1. speck; shortened 

  1. yellowmouths; mouths often have yellow coloring 

  1. Flounder 

  1. fluke; specific name for summer flounder 

  1. flatfish; bodies are flatter than other fish 

  1. Black crappie 

  1. papermouth; delicate mouth tissue 

  1. calico bass; light and dark speckled coloring 

  1. specks; referring to speckled coloring 

  1. sacalait; Cajun French for “milk bag” referring to either silver scales or milky colored flesh 

  1. Freshwater drum 

  1. gaspergou; Cajun name referring to black drum’s diet of mussels 

  1. sheepshead; misidentification 

  1. Flathead catfish 

  1. yellow cat; body coloring is pale yellow 

  1. opelousa cat (ops); named after a city in Louisiana 

  1. pied cat; due to various colorings 

  1. Mississippi cat; native to Mississippi River 

  1. mudcat; for muddy taste 

  1. shovelhead; broad and flattened head that looks like a shovel 

  1. White crappie 

  1. sacalait; Cajun French for “milk bag” referring to either silver scales or milky colored flesh 

  1. calico bass; light and dark vertical bars on coloring 

  1. Bluegills 

  1. bream; part of bream family 

  1. perch; regional name, not accurate 

  1. sunfish; part of sunfish family 

  1. gills; shortened 

  1. Striped bass 

  1. striper; stripes along body side 

  1. rockfish; tendency to hide in or under rocks and reef 

  1. lineside; again for stripes along their body side 

  1. White bass 

  1. sand bass; ability to spawn in sandy points in lakes 

  1. streaker; horizontal lines on the side of their bodies 

  1. silver bass; silver scale coloring 

  1. Red drum 

  1. redfish; for coppered-colored scales 

  1. bull red; nickname for large red drum 

  1. Sheepshead 

  1. sheephead; large sheep looking teeth 

  1. bay snapper; for it’s taste similar to red snapper 

 

Birds 

  1. Wild turkeys 

  1. thunder chicken; for their resemblance to chickens and loud, shrill gobble call 

  1. Ring-necked pheasant 

  1. ringneck; shortened 

  1. ditch parrot; colorful feathers and common appearances near roadsides 

  1. Scaled quail 

  1. cotton-top; white tuft of feathers on top of their head 

  1. blue quail; blue-gray feathers 

  1. Crested caracara 

  1. Mexican eagle; common folklore about the bird including a suspicion that the this is the bird on the Mexican flag 

  1. Turkey vulture 

  1. buzzard, turkey buzzard; early settlers mistook vultures for hawks, buzzard is the British term for hawk 

  1. Northern cardinal 

  1. redbird; refers to color of feathers 

  1. American coot 

  1. mud hen; for their love of marshes and ditches 

  1. pouldeau; Cajun name, means “water hen” 

  1. House sparrow 

  1. little brown birds; for their size and color 

  1. Downy woodpecker  

  1. sapsucker; drill holes in trees to let the sap come out, don’t actually suck sap 

  1. House finch 

  1. linnet; comes from latin for flax: linum, the finch likes to eat flax seeds 

  1. American robin 

  1. harbinger of spring; their migration patterns, more show up in early spring 

  1. wake robin; often the first birds singing at dawn in the springtime 

  1. American Goldfinch 

  1. goldie; shortened  

  1. King Harry; after King Henry VIII 

  1. Barred owl 

  1. hoot owl, eight-hooter owl; distinctive 8-9 note hooting call 

  1. Great blue heron 

  1. Marsh hen; often found in marsh areas

  1. Shag poke; perhaps for the shaggy appearance of their feathers

  1. Ol' Cranky; loud squawk,

  1. Yellow rumped warbler   

  1. butterbutt; bright yellow patch near their tail 

  1. Summer tanager 

  1. bee bird; eats bees and wasps 

Other 

  1. Snakes (in general) 

  1. danger noodle; noodle shape, perception of danger 

  1. Rattlesnake 

  1. rattlers; distinctive rattle noise from their tail 

  1. velvet-tail; distinctive black tail 

  1. Alligator 

  1. gator; shortened 

  1. swamp puppies; look like they could be cute/want scratches, actually very dangerous (do not pet) 

  1. Bats 

  1. flying rodents; fuzzy rodent-looking bodies plus wings 

  1. Crane fly 

  1. mosquito hawks; diet of mosquitoes 

  1. Silverfish 

  1. firebrats; preference of hot, humid environments like attics in the summer and furnaces in the winter 

  1. Copperhead snake 

  1. pilot; originally “pilot rattlesnake” because it was believed that they led the way for rattlesnakes and if you saw a copperhead, a rattlesnake was nearby 

  1. chunkhead; for their slow-moving 

  1. poplar leaf; for coloring that blends in with fallen leaves 

  1. Monarch butterflies 

  1. milkweed butterflies; female monarchs lay eggs in milkweed plants and their caterpillars feed on them

  1. harvester butterfly; the monarch’s return signaled the corn was ready to harvest 

7 comments:

  1. Outdoor Tips from Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine offers valuable insights for nature enthusiasts, providing expert advice on everything from wildlife observation to camping and fishing. It’s a great resource for staying informed about conservation efforts and discovering the best outdoor activities across Texas.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an intriguing post about "What Is It?"! I love topics that leave a bit of mystery and spark curiosity. It’s always fun to guess or learn something new, and I’m excited to see the answer unfold. Whether it’s a unique object or an interesting concept, these kinds of discussions always keep me engaged. On a similar note, if you’re ever looking to create personalized designs, an embroidery digitizer can turn your ideas into beautiful custom patches or logos. It’s the perfect way to add a creative touch to everyday items. Looking forward to more fun posts like this!


    ReplyDelete
  3. Get the best service From Data Savers data recovery singapore

    ReplyDelete
  4. Because of this blog, I know some nicknames that I didn't hear. local boston masonry and construction

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you are willing to purchase the House Number Signs you must visit bungalowsigns

    ReplyDelete
  6. The creative animal nicknames highlight unique traits, just as businesses can use the cheapest mass texting service to communicate effectively and quickly with customers, ensuring timely updates without high costs.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Students frequently enquire, "What Is It?" when they come across new ideas. When it comes to complicated subjects, CIPD Assignment Helpers give invaluable support, delivering direction and experience to guarantee comprehension and high-quality work, making it easier for students to succeed academically.

    ReplyDelete