Dottivo
Riddles for kids, with answers

Animal riddles

Pets, farm animals and wild ones, from easy to tricky.

Ages 5 to 7Kindergarten to 2nd grade

No. 1Ages 5 to 7

I have big flappy ears and a long trunk for a nose. I spray water with it to keep cool. What am I?

an elephant

No. 2Ages 5 to 7

I hop and hop on my strong back legs. My baby rides in a pocket on my tummy. What am I?

a kangaroo

No. 3Ages 5 to 7

I live on a farm. I eat grass all day long and I say moo. What am I?

a cow

No. 4Ages 5 to 7

I carry my house on my back. I move very slowly and leave a shiny trail behind me. What am I?

a snail

No. 5Ages 5 to 7

I'm black and white with stripes from head to hoof. I look like a horse in pajamas. What am I?

a zebra

No. 6Ages 5 to 7

I have eight long legs. I spin a sticky web to catch bugs for lunch. What am I?

a spider

No. 7Ages 5 to 7

I start life as a tadpole in a pond. Then I grow legs, jump on lily pads and say ribbit. What am I?

a frog

No. 8Ages 5 to 7

I'm the tallest animal of all. I stretch my long neck to eat leaves from the treetops. What am I?

a giraffe

Ages 8 to 103rd to 5th grade

No. 9Ages 8 to 10

I ask 'Who? Who?' all night long, but I never wait for an answer. I can turn my head almost all the way around. What am I?

an owl

No. 10Ages 8 to 10

I can change my color. My eyes can look two different ways at once, and I catch bugs with a super long, sticky tongue. What am I?

a chameleon

No. 11Ages 8 to 10

My name says I'm a star and a fish, but I'm not really either one. I have five arms and live in the sea. What am I?

a starfish

A starfish, also called a sea star, is not a fish at all.

No. 12Ages 8 to 10

People call me a bear, but I'm not a bear at all. I live in the trees of Australia and munch eucalyptus leaves all day. What am I?

a koala

Koalas are often called koala bears, but they are marsupials, like kangaroos.

No. 13Ages 8 to 10

I'm a horse you can never ride, because I live in the sea. In my family, the dad carries the babies. What am I?

a seahorse

No. 14Ages 8 to 10

I chirp on warm summer nights by rubbing my wings together. My ears are on my front legs, just below my knees. What am I?

a cricket

No. 15Ages 8 to 10

I have no legs, but I can climb a tree. I smell with my tongue, and when my skin gets too tight, I wriggle right out of it. What am I?

a snake

Ages 11 to 126th grade and middle school

No. 16Ages 11 to 12

I have a bill like a duck, a tail like a beaver and fur like an otter. I'm a mammal, but I lay eggs. What am I?

a platypus

No. 17Ages 11 to 12

I'm a small animal with a long tail. Spell my name backward and you get the sticky black stuff used to build roads. What am I?

a rat

Rat spelled backward is tar.

No. 18Ages 11 to 12

I have whiskers like a cat, but I have never said meow or chased a mouse. I spend my days near the bottom of a river. What am I?

a catfish

No. 19Ages 11 to 12

I'm the fastest runner on land. Say my name out loud and it sounds like someone who breaks the rules of a game. What am I?

a cheetah

Cheetah sounds like cheater.

No. 20Ages 11 to 12

Mix up the letters of the word FLOW and you will find me. I live in a pack and howl at the moon. What am I?

a wolf

FLOW and WOLF use the same four letters.

The printable riddle pack

All 200 riddles as cut-out cards with the answers upside down, six ready-made treasure hunts with a set-up sheet each, and an answer key. One PDF to print at home, as often as you like.

  • 200 riddle cards, sorted by age
  • 6 treasure hunts: indoor, garden, birthday, Easter, Halloween, Christmas
  • An answer key with the explanations

More riddles

Liked these?

Our picture-puzzle practice for ages 5 to 9 trains the same kind of thinking: patterns, numbers and shapes.

Try the practice puzzles