Animals

1. köpek

   Dog

   Usage

   "Köpek beni ısırdı" means "a dog bit me". Turkish municipalities catch, neuter and release street dogs with an ear tag; tagged animals are considered calmer, but see a doctor if you are bitten

2. kedi

   Cat

   Usage

   Istanbul's street cats are looked after collectively by the neighbourhood and turn up in shops, bookshops and mosque courtyards. If you are allergic, say "Kedi alerjim var"

3. kuş

   Bird

   Usage

   The general word. Turkey sits on a major migration route, and the Bosphorus and Göksu delta are known birding spots. Birdwatching is "kuş gözlemciliği"

4. balık

   Fish

   Usage

   The same word covers the animal and the dish. A fish restaurant is a "balıkçı"; Istanbul's famous mackerel sandwich is "balık ekmek"

5. at

   Horse

   Usage

   Horse riding is "binicilik". Cappadocia's name is often glossed as "land of beautiful horses", and riding tours are still a staple there

6. eşek

   Donkey

   Usage

   Still used to carry loads in villages and on the islands. Aimed at a person it becomes an insult, so keep it to the animal

7. deve

   Camel

   Usage

   Camel rides ("deve turu") are offered in Cappadocia and the southwest. In the Aegean region winter camel-wrestling festivals ("deve güreşi") are held, the one at Selçuk being the best known

8. inek

   Cow

   Usage

   They wander onto rural roads. Cow's milk is "inek sütü"; the meat is a different word, "dana eti" (veal) or "sığır eti"

9. koyun

   Sheep

   Usage

   You will meet flocks all over Anatolia. On menus the meat almost always appears as "kuzu eti", lamb

10. keçi

    Goat

    Usage

    Common on mountain tracks and among ruins. Goat cheese is "keçi peyniri"; the Ankara-native angora goat, "tiftik keçisi", gives mohair

11. tavuk

    Chicken

    Usage

    The same word for the bird and the meat. "Tavuk göğsü" — chicken breast — is also the name of a traditional sweet pudding made with it

12. horoz

    Rooster

    Usage

    In village guesthouses it will wake you at dawn. The long-crowing Denizli rooster, "Denizli horozu", is the famous breed

13. ördek

    Duck

    Usage

    A park-pond and lakeside regular — you will see them around Bolu's lakes and the Manyas bird sanctuary

14. martı

    Seagull

    Usage

    They follow every Istanbul ferry ("vapur"). Cover your simit while you eat on deck or one will take it

15. güvercin

    Pigeon

    Usage

    They flock in mosque courtyards and squares. Cappadocia's "Güvercinlik Vadisi", Pigeon Valley, is named for the dovecotes carved into the rock so villagers could harvest the droppings as fertiliser

16. leylek

    Stork

    Usage

    From spring to summer they build huge nests on poles and roofs. Eskikaraağaç near Bursa is known as the stork village

17. tilki

    Fox

    Usage

    Widespread in woodland and on the edge of towns, usually seen at dusk. Not dangerous, but do not feed them

18. kurt

    Wolf

    Usage

    Present in the mountains of eastern Anatolia. Travellers rarely see one, but it is why the Kangal sheepdogs bark at strangers

19. ayı

    Bear

    Usage

    Brown bears live along the Black Sea coast and in the Kaçkar range. Before a hike, ask a local guide "Burada ayı var mı?" — are there bears here?

20. yaban domuzu

    Wild boar

    Usage

    Widespread in woods and farmland — keep away from a sow with young. The farm pig is just "domuz"

21. tavşan

    Rabbit

    Usage

    Seen in fields and scrub. Fortune-telling rabbits that picked a slip of paper — "tavşanlı fal" — were once a fairground fixture and still turn up in old photos

22. sincap

    Squirrel

    Usage

    Found in the Black Sea forests and in Istanbul's Belgrad Forest

23. fare

    Mouse / rat

    Usage

    Report one at reception with "Odada fare var" — there is a mouse in the room. The larger brown rat is "sıçan"

24. yılan

    Snake

    Usage

    They shelter in ruined walls and dry slopes. A venomous one is "zehirli yılan", typically a viper ("engerek"). If bitten, keep still and call 112

25. kertenkele

    Lizard

    Usage

    Common on sunny walls and archaeological sites. Harmless — no need to shoo them away

26. kaplumbağa

    Turtle / tortoise

    Usage

    Tortoises live in inland scrub; loggerhead sea turtles nest at İztuzu beach near Dalyan and at Belek. Beaches are closed at night during nesting season

27. kurbağa

    Frog

    Usage

    Heard at night around lakes, marshes and irrigation channels. Not eaten in Turkish cooking

28. akrep

    Scorpion

    Usage

    A real hazard in the dry southeast and at campsites — shake out your shoes before putting them on, and see a doctor if stung. The same word is used for the hour hand of a clock

29. örümcek

    Spider

    Usage

    House spiders are essentially harmless; a few outdoor species in dry country can give a nasty bite, so do not handle them

30. sivrisinek

    Mosquito

    Usage

    Worst on the summer coast and around lakes. Repellent is "sivrisinek kovucu"; "Odada sivrisinek var" tells reception there are mosquitoes in the room

31. sinek

    Fly

    Usage

    A nuisance at outdoor eateries. Say "Sinek var" and staff will bring a cover or a swatter

32. arı

    Bee

    Usage

    If you are allergic, say "Arı alerjim var". Turkey is a major honey producer — Black Sea pine honey ("çam balı") and Anzer honey are the prized ones

33. eşek arısı

    Wasp / hornet

    Usage

    Literally "donkey bee". The worst pest at late-summer outdoor meals. Swatting invites a sting, so stay still — and check inside your glass before drinking

34. karınca

    Ant

    Usage

    Report them to reception if they appear in the room or kitchenette, and keep food covered

35. hamam böceği

    Cockroach

    Usage

    Literally "bathhouse bug". Grounds for asking to change rooms: "Odamda hamam böceği var, oda değiştirebilir miyim?"

36. kene

    Tick

    Usage

    The insect to take most seriously in Turkey: ticks in central and northern grassland transmit Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. Check yourself after walking through grass, and if one is attached go to a hospital ("acil") rather than pulling it out yourself

37. denizanası

    Jellyfish

    Usage

    Literally "mother of the sea". Numbers rise in the Mediterranean and Aegean in summer. If stung, tell the lifeguard "Denizanası soktu"

38. yunus

    Dolphin

    Usage

    Sometimes visible from the Bosphorus ferries. The same word is also a male given name

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