Fauna: Definition, Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：animal life of a region (fauna)

fauna 🔊

/ˈfɔːnə/

All the animals that live in a specific area or during a particular time in history.

Fauna illustration: diverse animals like monkeys and birds in a tropical rainforest habitat

animal life of a region 🔊

➕

/ˈænɪməl laɪf əv ə ˈriːdʒən/

Refers to all the animal species inhabiting a particular area or historical period.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'Fauna', the Roman goddess of animals and the earth.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'fauna' like 'fawn', a young animal, to recall it refers to all animals.

📖 Example

When we visited the national park, we were amazed by the diverse fauna, from tiny insects to large mammals. 🔊 During our visit to the national park, we were astonished by the wide variety of animal species, from insects to mammals.

🔗 Collocations

native fauna – animals indigenous to a specific area

fauna and flora – animals and plants of a region

diverse fauna – a wide variety of animal species

🔄 Synonyms

wildlife (n.) – animals living in their natural environment

animal kingdom (n.) – all animals collectively

zoology (n.) – the scientific study of animals

🚫 Antonyms

flora (n.) – all the plants of a specific area or period

🌱 Derivatives

faunal (adj.) – relating to the animal life of a region

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'Fauna', often paired with 'flora' in ecology to denote animal and plant life respectively.