For some odd reason, groups of living creatures are identified by unique collective nouns — a practice that began more than 500 years ago.  The believed source stems from “The Book of St Albans,” published in 1486, by Julia Barnes, a nun.  Not much is known of her, but the collective names were believed to in existence before she collected them.  (The Book of St Albans, wikipedia.)

We may be familiar with many, of course, like a “herd” of cattle, or a “pack” of dogs, but we would never say a herd of turtles, or a pack of cats, as they have a unique group name of their own: namely, a bale of turtles and a clowder of cats, the latter not rising to the level of a “pride” of lions, though also cats.  How many cats make a clowder?  Well, two is a pair, more is a clowder.  

As I found that amusing and strange, I looked up the common noun names for other groups, and uncovered other unusual and humorous names.  Though long, the below list is merely a sampling:   

Mammals:

Troop of apes;
Sleuth of bears:
Coalition of cheetahs;
Rag of colts;
Pace of donkeys;
Leash of foxes
Thunder of hippopotamuses
Cackle of hyenas
Prowl of jaguars
Leap of leopards
Labor of moles
Raft of otters
Embarrassment of pandas
Drift of pigs
Prickle of porcupines
Turmoil of porpoises
Gaze of raccoons
Crash of rhinoceroses
Harem of seals
Bed of sloths
Scurry of squirrels
Gam of whales.

Birds, Reptiles, Insects:

Clutch of chickens
Murder of crows
Charm of finches
Gaggle of geese
Scold of jays
Parliament of owls
Squabble of seagulls
Quiver of cobras
Slaughter of iguanas
Rhumba of rattlesnakes
Shiver of sharks
Fever of stingrays
Knot of toads
Kaleidoscope of butterflies
Intrusion of cockroaches
Rout of snails
Cluster of spiders

Not to worry, if you cannot remember the proper collective group name, just say “group of ‘whatever’,”  lest folks look at you strangely.