Obviously, you're going to want to run off and try this straight away in your actual Welsh,so here to help you are some dinky do-able animals to get you started ....
epa = ape asb =asp bele = pine marten carw = deer cath = cat ci = dog gafr = goat
gele = leech gwadd = mole llew = lion mul = donkey boda = buzzard brân = crow
cnut - knot ( a type of wading bird) ( because of Canute, who tried to hold back the tide), dryw= wren
eos = nightingale eryr = eagle ( and shingles ... sounds about the same) nico = goldfinch
pal = puffin titw = tit eog = salmon
These words are useful in other contexts. When you are being mugged by a low-life git you can now shout "llew" whilst pointing into the distance. Then you can knock him out with your handy copy of Y Geiriadur Mawr. Who says Welsh isn't useful ? Also, if your shoelace has come undone and you're carrying a mul and can't do it yourself, and you unfortunately don't know the name for that sort of knot, you can just use"cnut" instead and hope that your potential knot-making-person is both Welsh and an ornithologist. Sorted. Also, if you were at the Zoo ( Sw) and spotted an asp attacking an ape , you'd be able to summon the right sort of help. Plus, if you wanted to buy a goldfish from a pet shop but had forgotten what they were called in Welsh, why not just point to the cage of goldfinches and say " bron nico" and the assistant would realise straight away what you wanted.Swimming motions might help.
Enough of this silliness... let's have a look at an actual game exactly as it happened ... this time it's Rhys Mwyn in the left corner, and in the right corner 'tis Swci Boscawen. As you will see, some of the words are not animals, and some are animals. Some look like they might be animals, but they aren't. Ystrywog ! Plus, there's an "f" and an "n" and a "dd" which they left lying around at the bottom of the board.
RHYS MWYN SWCI BOSCAWEN
ddoe cadno
epa cacen
carlwm cnut
pa + arth arthes ( neat !)
ffured ffurff
eogau hebog
cod dacw
boda llinos
rhewi haf
mws sa + afal
I've not shown you the scores yet, but I will do so at the end. The animal words make quite a difference. Meanwhile, here's the excellent Huw M with "Swn y galon fach yn torri"
RHYS MWYN SWCI BOSCAWEN
ddoe 6 cadno 19
epa 19 cacen 22
carlwm 24 cnut 30
pa + arth 28 arthes ( neat !) 20
ffured 36 ffurff 33
eogau 18 hebog 32
cod 2 dacw 4
boda 22 llinos 22
rhewi 26 haf 9
mws 7 sa + afal 26
190 217
Go on, give it a go ...