While many animals display neutral colors to blend into their surroundings, there are creatures out there in every color imaginable. Some of the most colorful animals in the world even have several bright colors on their fur, feathers, scales, or skin.
Since animal appearances can range from one solid neutral color to a rainbow of shimmering colors, there are many colors named after animals. These colors use the names of popular animals to better describe their hues, including vibrant animals like peacocks and duller animals like camels. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting ones.
1. Flamingo Pink
Flamingo Pink
Hex #FC8EAC
RGB 252, 142, 172
CMYK 0, 44, 32, 1
Flamingo Pink is a color sometimes used to describe a light pink hue, similar to the pink feathers that appear on flamingos. It has also been used to describe a light red Crayola crayon color. Even though flamingos are known for their beautifully-colored plumage, they’re actually only pink because of their diets. They’re born white or gray and gradually turn pink because of the shrimp and algae they consume. Thus, some flamingos become much pinker than others, which is why the color Flamingo Pink can sometimes vary in shades.
2. Peacock Green
Peacock Green
Hex #17684F
RGB 23, 104, 79
CMYK 78, 0, 24, 59
Peacock Green typically describes a dark, muted green with a seafoam undertone. It’s meant to resemble some of the unique coloring found on peacock feathers. Since peacocks have a variety of greens and blues among their feathers, there are variations of Peacock Green, and there are even some colors named Peacock Blue. Only male peacocks display these gorgeous colors because they use them as a way to attract female peacocks.
3. Fawn
Fawn
Hex #E5AA70
RGB 229, 170, 112
CMYK 0, 26, 51, 10
Fawn is a light tan color with a hint of yellow. It’s commonly used to describe the color of clothing, furniture items, and dog coats. Yet, it was initially named after the color of a fawn (a young deer), which has very light brown fur. The color is warm and delicate, which perfectly replicates the sweetness of this baby animal.
4. Canary Yellow
Canary Yellow
Hex #FFFF8F
RGB 255, 255, 143
CMYK 0, 0, 44, 0
Canary Yellow has been used to describe a variety of light yellow hues. This one is on the paler side, but there are more vibrant versions, too. If you’ve ever seen a canary bird, you’ll know that this color isn’t an exaggeration. Canaries have vibrant yellow feathers that are hard to miss. Canary Yellow’s exact origins are unclear, but some sources state that it has been around since the Victorian era.
5. Manatee
Manatee
Hex #979AAA
RGB 151, 154, 170
CMYK 11, 9, 0, 33
Manatees might not have the most striking colors of mammals in the animal kingdom, but there’s a gray hue named after them. The color can be described as a soft, muted gray with a hint of blue. It’s a peaceful color that perfectly resembles the relaxed nature of manatees as they float around quietly.
6. Turtle Green
Turtle Green
Hex #75B84F
RGB 117, 184, 79
CMYK 36, 0, 57, 28
While most turtles aren’t as bright green as this color, it’s the perfect representation of the scales on a cartoon turtle. It’s most commonly used to describe a medium shade of green, but some paint companies have a darker olive green color of the same name, which is closer to the real green of a turtle’s scales.
7. Cardinal Red
Cardinal Red
Hex #C41E3A
RGB 196, 30, 58
CMYK 0, 85, 70, 23
Like canaries, cardinals are another bold bird species that’s easy to spot in nature, despite the bird’s small size. Cardinal Red is named after the birds, but the birds were named after the scarlet-red robes worn by Roman Catholic Cardinals. Today, this vivid color is more commonly associated with the birds than the robes. Like many bird species, males are the ones with bright red feathers, while females are light brown.
8. Camel
Camel
Hex #C19A6B
RGB 193, 154, 107
CMYK 0, 20, 45, 24
Many light brown shades have been named Camel after the hump-backed animal with brown fur. It was first used as a color name in the English language in 1916 to describe a light brown hue with a little yellow added. While not all camels are light brown, it’s the most common camel color, which is why the color name was inspired by the animal.
9. Timberwolf
Timberwolf
Hex #DBD7D2
RGB 219, 215, 210
CMYK 0, 2, 4, 14
Timber wolf is another name for the Eastern wolf, which is a large gray wolf that lives in forests. However, Timberwolf also depicts a light gray color inspired by the canine’s fur. There’s even a light gray Crayola crayon color with this name, making it the perfect hue for drawing wolves and other gray animals. Although in reality, Eastern wolves typically have more of a gray-brown color.
10. Green Lizard
Green Lizard
Hex #A7F432
RGB 167, 244, 50
CMYK 32, 0, 80, 4
Green Lizard is an extremely bright green color, much too vibrant to depict a real lizard. While some lizards are bright green, such as the green anole, plumed basilisk, and Mexican alligator lizard, none have scales that are quite this blinding to look at. It’s unclear what lizard species inspired this neon hue, but it’s a fun color to draw with, especially if you want to color in cartoon lizards.
11. Salmon
Salmon
Hex #FA8072
RGB 250, 128, 114
CMYK 0, 49, 54, 2
Salmon has been a color name since 1786, describing a pinkish-orange hue. Though the color name comes from the fish, it’s actually the color of salmon meat rather than the living fish. While certain species, such as the sockeye salmon, have a red exterior when alive, most salmon are gray or green, often with a hint of pink.
12. Drake’s Neck Green
Drake’s Neck Green
Hex #08B07C
RGB 8, 176, 124
CMYK 95, 0, 30, 31
Drake’s Neck Green may sound like a silly name, but it’s a bright, intense green that resembles the green neck of a drake (male duck), specifically mallard ducks. This color was first used as a dye in the 18th century, but the name is a lot less popular today. This is a pleasant color, but it’s even more impressive on real-life ducks whose necks have an iridescent quality to them, making them shimmer in the sunlight.
13. Elephant’s Breath
Elephant’s Breath
Hex #CDC3B7
RGB 205, 195, 183
CMYK 0, 5, 11, 20
Elephant’s Breath is a paint color you can decorate your walls with, but it doesn’t sound very appealing. The name was first paired with a color back in the 1500s when dressmakers commonly used bizarre names for colors to name a wide range of hues. Another odd name of that time was Goose Turd Green. Elephant’s Breath usually describes a light gray color with a hint of brown, which is similar to an elephant’s skin. So, it’s unclear why they named it Elephant’s Breath instead of simply Elephant, but the name certainly sticks in your mind.
14. Beaver
Beaver
Hex #9F8170
RGB 159, 129, 112
CMYK 0, 19, 30, 38
Beaver is a warm, medium-brown color that’s similar to beaver fur. However, beaver fur can be a wide range of browns, so the exact hue can vary slightly. It’s a popular Crayola crayon color that was introduced in 1998 and is still used today, as it’s a great color for drawing animals and other items found in nature.
15. Frog Green
Frog Green
Hex #99C68E
RGB 153, 198, 142
CMYK 23, 0, 28, 22
Since frogs are known for being green, there are several green colors like this one called Frog Green. Frog Green usually describes a pale, light green hue. Some color names are even more specific, such as a paint color called Tree Frog Green, named after the bright green skin of red-eyed tree frogs. While not all frogs are a vibrant green color, several frog species are, so it’s somewhat realistic.
16. Butterfly Blue
Butterfly Blue
Hex #38ACEC
RGB 56, 172, 236
CMYK 76, 27, 0, 7
Butterfly wings can be just about any color imaginable. Yet, blue is an iconic butterfly color because of the beautiful light blue wings on the blue morpho butterfly. This color is slightly darker than the butterflies’, but it’s still just as vibrant. It can be described as a bright, vivid sky blue.
17. Dark Dragonfly Teal
Dark Dragonfly Teal
Hex #1C4959
RGB 28, 73, 89
CMYK 69, 18, 0, 65
Like butterflies, dragonfly colors include almost every color of the rainbow. Dragonflies are most commonly seen as shades of blue, such as this dark blue-green. On dragonflies, colors shimmer, so Dark Dragonfly Teal is a paint color for cars that has a similar shimmery finish. It can make a vehicle feel whimsical like a colorful dragonfly.
18. Mouse Grey
Mouse Grey
Hex #6A6E6A
RGB 106, 110, 106
CMYK 4, 0, 4, 57
Mouse Grey is a color name sometimes used to describe a dark gray hue. It’s similar to the dusty gray color mice often appear in (although their fur often varies in shades of gray and brown). It’s a simple hue that pairs well with many other colors, making it a commonly used neutral paint color.
