Animal Sounds: Funny Noises From Alligators to Zebras

Animals are fascinating, especially to kids. The animal kingdom is so vast and contains creatures we’ve just starting to understand. Sometimes, kids are fascinated by these animals because they resemble larger versions of their pets. The jaguar is basically a giant, murderous kitty, right? Kids read a lot about animals, but they like doing animal noises even more. Everyone can do a piggie and a doggie, but what about other, weirder animals? Here’s an A-Z list to help you crack some of the more difficult onomatopoeias in your kid’s growing sound-effect library. Some of these you know (bees, elephants, etc.) But some might be really helpful when you’re not 100 percent sure how a certain animal really sounds. (Do you know what an Ostrich sounds like? Yeah, we thought so.)

Now, on to the list!

Alligator

When the alligator gets riled up, it has a pretty scary roar.

Bee

The bee’s buzzing sound is so unique! Playing this video might cause your family to think a bee got into the house.

Cheetah

You would think that a cheetah would roar, but it actually sort of sounds like your house cat when it spots a bird. Cheetahs chirp instead.

Dolphin

Dolphins are incredibly intelligent and great at vocalizing. List to some dolphin calls from this mammal below.

Elephant

There’s no sound on earth like the elephant’s trumpet.

Frog

A frog’s call is both funny and soothing at the same time.

Gibbon

The gibbon’s long call sounds a lot like an ambulance’s siren.

Horse

A horse’s whinny is so expressive and hilarious. It almost sounds like a laugh.

Impala

Impala’s make a sound you would never expect. They warn each other a predator is coming with a noise that sounds like radio static.

Jaguar

This big cat has a great big roar.

Koala

You would think a koala would make a cute little squeak or chirping sound… but it has the opposite. It basically oinks, snorts and grunts.

Lyre

This bird can imitate nearly anything it can hear in the wild. In the video below, the lyre imitates a chainsaw, camera shutter and a car alarm.

Macaw

This Polly really wants a cracker, so much so that it’ll screech for it.

Nightingale

This bird is known for its beautiful song.

Ostrich

You would guess that the ostrich would have a mighty squawk, but that’s not the case. The Ostrich’s call sounds like a car engine revving and helium being let out of a balloon.

Possum

This Australian animal, the fluffy brushtail possum, has a laugh worthy of an evil villain.

Quetzal

The Quetzal’s song is pretty sad. It almost sounds like a whimpering animal.

Rattlesnake

This rattlesnake’s rattle might sound more like a sprinkle, but you’ll want to get the heck out of there if you ever hear it.

Sea Lion

While making this kind of noise, it’s impossible to take the sea lion seriously.

Toucan

Get this toucan a cough drop stat. The toucan sounds just a little like a pig.

Umbrella Bird

The umbrella bird’s call kind of resembles the sound your phone makes when it vibrates.

Vulture

These scavengers sound just about as terrible as they look.

Walrus

E.T. the walrus can make just about any sound! He can even whistle.

Xenops

There aren’t many animals whose names start the letter “x,” but the streaked xenops sings a pretty tune.

Yak

This sound is not that much different from the sound you make when you roll out of bed in the morning.

Zebra

This zebra’s call sounds so much like a laugh that it seems like it’s mocking whoever it’s near.