How safe would you feel hiding amongst an earth of foxes? Would an exaltation of skylarks be welcome to frolic and sing at your wedding? Have you ever watched a family of beavers build their lodge? Are you sneaky enough to watch a fesnying of ferrets play?
an earth of foxes, flickr
The fox is a remarkable animal. Because of its beautiful bushy tail, it is easy to recognize one of these canines when you spot it running through your field or sneaking out of your henhouse. A group of these long eared, narrow-muzzled animals is called an earth of foxes.
Why an earth? The place the female fox, or vixen, searches out to raise her young is called an earth. It could be a spot under your shed, or it could be a spot out in the woods. Wherever it is, the female will stay there with her cubs until they are weaned.
an escargatoire of snails, flickr
I’m sure that everyone recognizes the slow-moving mollusks that leave a trail of slime behind when they move. Snails fascinate some people, while others are grossed out by them. Some love them so much that they even have them for dinner. I’ve not been brave enough to try any yet.
An escargatoire of snails will cover their bodies with a thin layer of mucus to keep from drying out. In times of drought, these animals could face severe problems surviving.
Exaltation is lively or triumphant joy. To skylark is to play actively and boisterously. It is no wonder that a group of frolicsome skylarks, who are known for singing while flying, is known as an exaltation of skylarks.
a fall of woodcock chicks in the snow, flickr
The woodcock, as you can probably guess from its name, is a forest bird. Why is a group of them known as a fall of woodcocks? It could be because woodcocks are known for their frantic sky dances. They ascend to great heights as they are dancing, and then they descend rapidly. I have never seen this dance, but when they come back to earth, it probably looks as though they are falling from the sky.
A family is a basic social unit. It usually consists of two parents and one or more children. Whether or not they live together, they are considered to be a family. There are three different animals that use “family” as a group name.
a family of beavers, wikimedia commons
Beavers are rodents known for cutting through wood with their very sharp teeth. They use this wood to build dams across streams. They then build a home, known as a lodge, on the lake that forms. This is where you can find a family of beavers.
Otters are members of the weasel family and spend most of their time in the water. In North America, they can be found along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. A family of otters is very loving; a mother will often float on her back in the water while she nurses her young.
a family of sardines, wikipedia
The collective noun for a certain group of fish is also a family. A family of sardines is very large, and they are all probably related to each other somehow. For sardines, the family that swims together, stays together – even if they end up in the fisherman’s net.
Ferrets are close relatives of the skunk, the polecat, and the weasel. Many people keep these playful animals as pets. A group of these sneaky, thieving creatures is known as a fesnying of ferrets.
girl writing, etc.usf.edu
Writing Prompts
How could you make use of these collective nouns for animals in your writing?
An exultation of skylarks could be used to describe a group of children in a schoolyard.
What if there were an exaltation of skylarks for hire? At an outdoor wedding during the springtime, they would take off to the air as soon as the bride and groom sealed their marriage vows with a kiss.
A fesnying of ferrets could describe a group of thieves. Would this playful group of thieves be similar to the Fagin’s group of pickpockets in Oliver Twist? Would their leader recruit and train young children to work for him or her?
A family of sardines could be a family whose members stick so close together that individual members are never seen out alone.But what if one member developed claustrophobia and felt smothered? What if this one sardine wanted to break away from its family? The opportunity soon presents itself, and the little sardine swims away. Does being away from its family make this little sardine happy? Or does it realize that it needs the others it had become so sick of being around?
An earth of foxes could be a group of young mothers seeking out a place to raise their children in a savage land ripped apart by war. Foxes are quiet, sneaky animals. How do these young mothers prove themselves to be like foxes? What influence does living this way have on their children?.
Try writing one of these collective nouns down on a sheet of paper, maybe a family of beavers. Now write down everything you know about beavers and everything you know about how a family of beavers behave. You may be surprised at the ideas that this will give you for some wonderful stories.
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