Animal Riddles for Kids with Answers
Read each clue before opening the answer. These riddles practise careful listening and explaining a guess. They are animal clues rather than jokes with punchlines; some play with a word that has two meanings.
Twelve animal riddles
Riddle 1
I have feathers, webbed feet and a bill that is not a request for money. I often say quack. Who am I?
Show answer 1
A duck. Here, bill means a beak.
Riddle 2
I have a very long neck and a coat with patches. My head can reach leaves high in a tree. Who am I?
Show answer 2
A giraffe. The long neck and patches work together as clues.
Riddle 3
I have a trunk, but I am not a car or a suitcase. I use it to smell and pick things up. Who am I?
Show answer 3
An elephant. An elephant's trunk is its long nose.
Riddle 4
I have a mane, hooves and a neigh. I can trot or gallop. Who am I?
Show answer 4
A horse. The sound neigh distinguishes the horse from other animals with manes.
Riddle 5
I have fins instead of feet and gills for breathing in water. Who am I?
Show answer 5
A fish. Fins and gills are the important clues.
Riddle 6
I have black-and-white stripes, hooves and a mane. I look a little like a horse. Who am I?
Show answer 6
A zebra. The stripes make this different from the horse riddle.
Riddle 7
I wear a shell on my back. I have four legs and no need to pack a suitcase for it. Who am I?
Show answer 7
A turtle or a tortoise. Both answers fit these clues. A riddle can have more than one reasonable answer.
Riddle 8
I am a bird with flippers for swimming. I cannot fly, but I can move through the water. Who am I?
Show answer 8
A penguin. Swimming flippers and being a bird point to a penguin.
Riddle 9
I have eight arms, and I live in the sea. I am not eight friends holding hands. Who am I?
Show answer 9
An octopus. The eight arms are the key clue.
Riddle 10
I am a baby goat. My name is also a word for a child. What am I called?
Show answer 10
A kid. Kid has two meanings in this riddle.
Riddle 11
I have soft paws, whiskers and a meow. I might curl up in a sunny spot. Who am I?
Show answer 11
A cat. The meow helps narrow down the answer.
Riddle 12
I can have long ears and a short fluffy tail. I hop, and I am often pictured beside a carrot. Who am I?
Show answer 12
A rabbit. The ears, tail and hopping are clues; the carrot is a familiar picture, not a feeding guide.
Explain your guess
After guessing, point to two clues that helped. If another answer could also fit, explain why. Try writing one extra clue to make the answer more specific.
For funny questions and answers, visit animal jokes for kids. Explore tricky words in our animal pun guide, or use the printable wordplay worksheet.
Explore the real animals
Learn more about the clues: giraffe necks and coat patterns at San Diego Zoo, octopuses and their eight arms at Monterey Bay Aquarium, and penguins at San Diego Zoo.