History Analysis / NationalAnimalStereotypes

* {{Canada|Eh}} is strongly associated with some of its typical wildlife: including '''beavers''', '''moose''', '''black bears''', '''grizzly bears''', and '''polar bears''' (which is featured on the toonie), and '''Canada geese'''.

* It's not as popular as the bear or tiger, but Russia is sometimes associated with the '''grey wolf''', due to the stereotype of [[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong Russians being tough as all hell]], and the fact that there is a fairly large population of grey wolves in Russia. Whether this association is used to portray Russians as [[NobleWolf brave and fearless]] or [[SavageWolf cruel and ruthless]] depends on the author's opinion of Russia.

* Some Australian states and territories have their own animal stereotypes: Queensland has the '''cane toad''' (an introduced invasive species) and, along with the Northern Territory, the '''saltwater crocodile'''; South Australia has the '''crow'''; Tasmania the '''[[VolatileTasmanianDevil Tasmanian devil]]''' and the now-extinct '''thylacine''' (also nicknamed the [[CallASmeerpARabbit "Tasmanian tiger" or "Tasmanian wolf"]]); and Western Australia the '''black swan''', which was first discovered in what is now known as the Swan River, Perth's main watercourse, and occasionally the '''numbat''' (the official state animal) or the '''quokka''' (especially for Rottnest Island). The Australian Capital Territory is sometimes represented by a ''Griffin''', especially a burly one, as a pun on Lake Burley-Griffin in Canberra. A full list of Australian state animals, birds and fish [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_symbols_of_states_and_territories_of_Australia can be found here]].

* Some Australian states and territories have their own animal stereotypes: Queensland has the '''cane toad''' (an introduced invasive species) and, along with the Northern Territory, the '''saltwater crocodile'''; South Australia has the '''crow'''; Tasmania the '''[[VolatileTasmanianDevil Tasmanian devil]]''' and the now-extinct '''thylacine''' (also nicknamed the [[CallASmeerpARabbit "Tasmanian tiger" or "Tasmanian wolf"]]); and Western Australia the '''black swan''', which was first discovered in what is now known as the Swan River, Perth's main watercourse, and occasionally the '''numbat''' (the official state animal) or the '''quokka''' (especially for Rottnest Island). A full list of Australian state animals, birds and fish [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_symbols_of_states_and_territories_of_Australia can be found here]].

* Sometimes, Koreans are portrayed as '''dogs''', due to their infamous but largely disappearing stereotype of eating dog-meat.

* The '''rooster''' (specifically a brown rooster decorated with swirls and hearts, known as the Rooster of Barcelos) is widely recognised as a symbol of Portugal, although for some reason this has not led to Portugese roosters being common in media.

* Older depictions often associate the Irish with '''wolves''', both due to [[SavageWolves an image as savages]] and to reflect wolves being more common [[NobleWolf and sacred]] in Ireland than in Britain.[[note]]The Irish word for wolf translates literally as "son of the land".[[/note]] As the native wolf population was driven to extinction this became largely a DeadHorseTrope, but a remnant can be seen in the national dog breed -- the '''Irish Wolfhound''' -- being one bred to fight them. Another dog breed associated a lot with Ireland is the '''Irish Setter''.

* The Japanese may be represented by '''beetles''', especially '''Japanese beetles'''. America examples in 40s, 50s, and 60s cartoons often have Japanese facial features. UsefulNotes/WorldWarII era examples liken the invasive status of the Japanese beetle in North America to Imperial Japan as a threat to the [=USA=]] at the time. Also, Japanese as beetles is common enough to spawn the JapaneseBeetleBrothers trope.

* The animals that are most commonly associated with China are '''pandas''', which are native to the country, and their iconic appearance makes them ideal for a national mascot (and a good opportunity for [[PandaingToTheAudience exploiting their cuteness]]).

* ''Aquatic creatures'' in general may be shown as representing Japan.

* '''Axolotls''' sometimes show up in media, but unless it is a Mexican work, they are not portrayed as Mexican, let alone specifically Chilango, that much, despite being native to UsefulNotes/MexicoCity.

*** UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor, being a family of Welsh origin, is generally associated with the red dragon (see below). Henry VII, the founder of the royal dynasty, was strongly associated with the greyhound, as the greyhound is a symbol of Richmond, and he had been the Earl of Richmond prior to becoming King of England.
*** UsefulNotes/RichardIII was associated with the white boar, which earned him much derision from his detractors (who called him a "hogge").

* To state the obvious, '''[[KangaroosRepresentAustralia kangaroos]]''' [[KangaroosRepresentAustralia represent Australia]], but '''koalas''' aren't far behind. Occasionally '''dingoes''', '''emus''', '''cassowaries''', and '''saltwater crocodiles''' will also make the cut.

* Sometimes, Japan may be associated with the '''octopus''', due to Japan being an [[UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan expansionist empire]] before and during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, not to mention [[AllAnimeIsNaughtyTentacles certain stereotypes about erotic anime]]. Another (more tame) reason is that octopus meat is an occasional ingredient in sushi, and a main ingredient in takoyaki, a popular Japanese street food. The fact that octopi are sea animals may also play a part, as Japan is an island nation with a large fishing industry.

* Egyptians will often be represented by the various animals that were venerated in {{Ancient Egypt}}ian [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Mythology]] as certain animal-headed gods; including '''cats''' (Bastet), '''jackals'''/'''dogs''' (Anubis), '''falcons''' (Ra and Horus), '''Nile crocodiles''' (Sobek), '''hippopotami''' (Tawaret), and '''ibises''' (Thoth), the latter two also being characteristic Nile River animals [[note]]Albeit ones mostly not living in Egypt; the ibis rarely appears in Egypt today, since the species of ibis most associated with ancient Egypt (African sacred ibis) are now locally extinct in Egypt, and crocodiles are only present in a small part of the south[[/note]]. '''Hamadryas baboons''' used to be found in Egypt, and due to serving a major part in ancient Egyptian culture, they may be used to represent the country.

** '''Asian elephants''', which dwell in both jungles and human settlements, and some have been tamed as beasts of burden for physical labor. The Hindu god Ganesh is known for having an elephant-like head.

* Scotland has the '''Rough Collie''', '''Scottish Terrier''', and '''Scottish Deerhound''' as typical dog breeds, they will be portrayed speaking with a Scottish accent, and occasionally fitting the BraveScot or ViolentGlaswegian stereotypes. The Scottish Deerhound will occasionally be confused with the Irish Wolfhound below (as [[{{Scotireland}} Scotland and Ireland are often conflated together]]). Another Scottish dog breed, the '''golden retriever''', on the other hand, is rarely portrayed as Scottish, though this is likely because their incredible popularity as pets throughout the Anglosphere (especially in the United States) causes people to see them as culture-neutral.

* Older depictions often associate the Irish with '''wolves''', both due to [[SavageWolves an image as savages]] and to reflect wolves being more common [[NobleWolf and sacred]] in Ireland than in Britain.[[note]]The Irish word for wolf translates literally as "son of the land".[[/note]] As the native wolf population was driven to extinction this became largely a DeadHorseTrope, but a remnant can be seen in the national dog breed -- the '''Irish Wolfhound''' -- being one bred to fight them.

* Africa is well-known for being home to numerous species of Old World monkeys, apes, and other primates (including but not limited to the aforementioned '''baboons''', '''chimpanzees''', '''gorillas''', etc). However, explicitly attaching ethnic/racial stereotypes of any group of people onto these non-human primates (primarily the monkeys and apes, rarely applicable to the more distantly related '''bushbabies''') is '''''[[UnfortunateImplications extremely]] [[DudeNotFunny controversial]]''''', because [[SonOfAnApe words such as "ape" and "monkey" have been used as racist slurs]], especially against black people.[[note]]Never mind the fact that '''all humans''' are technically hominids (great apes), so using "ape" as an insult is not just offensive and bad even as a slur, but also {{hypocrit|e}}ical; akin to Professor Ratigan from ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'' reacting to "rat" as though it were a mortal insult, even though he quite clearly is a rat.[[/note]]

* The Imperial Japanese were sometimes portrayed as '''[[YouDirtyRat rats]]''' or '''mice''' in Allied wartime propaganda during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, complete with having racist caricuatures of Japanese facial features.

* Indonesia or Malaysia may be associated with ''orangutans'', since they live on Borneo. [[MisplacedWildlife Despite that]], sometimes they're also associated with India.

* '''Elephants''' are also native to the region and a frequent choice when representing the region's traditional monarchies. As Thailand is the last remaining traditional monarchy in the area, the link comes most often in a Thai context. White elephants in particular are often seen as distinctively Southeast Asian, as they were considered sacred (and therefore expensive to maintain, since you couldn't put them to work--hence the term WhiteElephant).

* Egyptians will often be represented by the various animals that were venerated in {{Ancient Egypt}}ian [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Mythology]] as certain animal-headed gods; including '''cats''' (Bastet), '''jackals'''/'''dogs''' (Anubis), '''falcons''' (Ra and Horus), '''Nile crocodiles''' (Sobek), '''hippopotami''' (Set), and '''ibises''' (Thoth), the latter two also being characteristic Nile River animals [[note]]Albeit ones mostly not living in Egypt; the ibis rarely appears in Egypt today, and crocodiles are only present in a small part of the south[[/note]].