What a Strange Group

Now you would think that buffalo
would gather in a herd.
But really that’s what rabbits do.
At least that’s what I’ve heard.

Yeah, buffalo make up a gang.
You know I kid you not.
And camels form a caravan
when there are quite a lot.

And owls have a parliament
because they look so wise.
While rats live in a colony.
Not really a surprise.

Some names of groups make sense to me,
like leopards called a leap.
But shrewdness for a bunch of apes
is digging kind of deep.

And parrots can make quite a squawk:
a pandemonium.
Unkindness is a raven’s crowd,
which sounds unfair to some.

We’ve all seen how flamingos stand,
so stand becomes their word.
And gaggle is a bunch of geese,
most fitting for that bird.

A convocation’s what it’s called
when eagles gather ‘round.
And moles are in a labor camp
when they are under ground.

You may have seen a porcupine,
and if there’s two or more,
well, they are in a prickle then.
A term they like, I’m sure.

And if you are in Africa,
just floating in a boat,
you may see hippopotami
together in a bloat.

And on that far off continent
there are more beasts to see.
Rhinoceroses roam around,
a crash, so let them be.

We all have watched The Lion King
so pride’s a term we know.
But did you know that elephants
parade as if for show?

You’ve seen those zebras on TV,
some lion’s hopeful meal.
But they are in a panicked state.
They’re galloping with zeal.

And jaguars are the fastest ones
that you may ever spy.
So fast that you may only see
a shadow passing by.

And here’s one that will make you smile.
I know it did for me.
Can you guess what a tower is?
Giraffes just roaming free.

Hyenas can be scary when
they cackle in a group.
While monkeys like to travel in
a barrel or a troop.

And if you set sail out to sea,
a gam of whales may pass.
While sharks are in a shiver there
when they swim by en masse.

And here’s another one for fun.
I like this one as well.
A group of skunks is called a stench,
You know… because they smell.

Those snakes that you may come across
all huddle in a nest.
Beware a clan of badgers, too.
I think that’s for the best.

A group of tigers can be called
an ambush or a streak.
If you get caught up in that crowd
then you’ll be up the creek.

Now kangaroos jump all around,
a mob will wear you out.
And wolves are in a pack, of course.
There isn’t any doubt.

Those ferrets must be serious.
They travel business class.
Some fish will travel in a school,
like rainbow trout and bass.

And frogs must have some discipline.
They’re in an army now.
But toads are tied up in a knot.
They got confused somehow.

A drove of donkeys is a must
when you must carry stuff.
While oxen form a team to plough.
Their day is long and tough.

Wild turkeys travel in a gang,
a very scary name.
If West Side Story was recast,
it wouldn’t look the same.

You see some squirrels all the time.
They scurry to and fro.
And pigs will form a drift or drove.
Well, that’s before they grow.

Those older pigs are in a team,
or sounder is used too.
And jellyfish are called a smack.
I’m asking you, who knew?

The otters have a family.
Yeah, just like you and I.
But turtles congregate in bales,
although I don’t know why.

And if you’re talking crows you know
there’s murder in the air.
And you might find a charm of fox,
well, almost anywhere.

A murmuration’s what you get
when starlings are in flight.
(My cousin Ellen told me that.
I hope she got it right.)

So now you’ve heard of all these groups,
some trivia for sure.
Hey, maybe you’re ahead of me
and you know several more.