Motley zoo

Happy Saturday! Yesterday, we asked for three five-letter animals from among the hundreds of possible Blossom words. The three we had in mind were LLAMA, MAMBA, and SABLE, but readers went wild spotting ones we hadn't counted on! When plurals are considered, LAMBS and TEALS (a type of bird) fit the bill. There's nothing fishy about BETTA as an answer, but SMELT doesn't pass the smell test because it lacks the central A. And while BEAST isn't an animal, per se, it's no burden to count it as correct since we applaud thinking outside the (b)ox. Thanks to everyone who answered the call of nature (so to speak)! Special shout-outs to Sharon Miller in St. Petersburg, FL; Donna Hartnett in Chester Springs, PA; Jeff Lerner on Long Island, NY; and Shirley Marriott in Lecanto, FL for quickly rounding up the critters.

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May 30, 2026 9:04am EDT

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May 30, 2026

Happy Saturday! Yesterday, we asked for three five-letter animals from among the hundreds of possible Blossom words. The three we had in mind were LLAMA, MAMBA, and SABLE, but readers went wild spotting ones we hadn't counted on!

When plurals are considered, LAMBS and TEALS (a type of bird) fit the bill. There's nothing fishy about BETTA as an answer, but SMELT doesn't pass the smell test because it lacks the central A. And while BEAST isn't an animal, per se, it's no burden to count it as correct since we applaud thinking outside the (b)ox.

Thanks to everyone who answered the call of nature (so to speak)! Special shout-outs to Sharon Miller in St. Petersburg, FL; Donna Hartnett in Chester Springs, PA; Jeff Lerner on Long Island, NY; and Shirley Marriott in Lecanto, FL for quickly rounding up the critters.