History Main / CartoonCreature

* WesternAnimation/DenverTheLastDinosaur is fairly ambiguous; he does have some dinosaur in him and of course some typical FunnyAnimal elements as you might expect but a whole bunch of [[DinosaursAreDragons dragon-like]] elements to his design make him a very odd looking dino (at least to our knowledge).

* The "Jakovasaurs" from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' are some strange, anthropomorphic duck-like creatures. With the sole exception of Cartman,[[spoiler: and the French people]] everyone finds them to be extremely annoying.

* The titular Beast from ''WesternAnimation/MaggieAndTheFerociousBeast'' that vaguely resembles some sort of horned dinosaur with a humanoid face and detachable spots.

* ''Franchise/{{Marsupilami}}'', featuring the eponymous, yellow-spotted creatures among other jungle critters.

* King from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' is actually a demon, but there's still a fair bit of discussion about what animal he's supposed to be based on. He has characteristics of cats, dogs, and foxes, and his head is hidden by a skull mask and he has horns. That being said, as Eda is a witch and King has black fur, the closest analogue would be [[AllWitchesHaveCats a black cat]].

* King from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' is actually a demon, but there's still a fair bit of discussion about what animal he's supposed to be based on. He has characteristics of cats, dogs, and foxes, and his head is hidden by a skull mask. That being said, as Eda is a witch and King has black fur, the closest analogue would be [[AllWitchesHaveCats a black cat]].

** Gonzo is a particularly noteworthy case, as he is a strange blue bird-like creature, who in contrast to most of the main Muppets, lacks a real world species. His ambiguity is frequently lampshaded and touched upon in ''Muppet'' productions, with Creator/JohnCleese describing him as being "the ugly, disgusting little blue creature who catches cannonballs" in episode 223 of the ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', Kermit remarking that he looks a little like a turkey to his conscience in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' and in ''Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper'', is classified as a "whatever" on his crate during the plane flight to London. ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' would even make this a plot point and attempt to finally answer who he is by stating that he's an alien (which he has been hinted as being in previous ''Muppet'' productions, such as his song in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'', "I'm going to go back there someday"), but this has since fallen into CanonDiscontinuity, with Gonzo's species having gone back to being vague since. When Gonzo's puppeteer, Dave Goelz, was asked about Gonzo's species on the Ask Henson website, he has remarked, "[[ShrugOfGod Nobody knows except his parents, and they're not talking. It was always one of those taboo subjects around the dinner table]]." Snarl, Gonzo's prototype from the 1970 TV special, ''The Great Santa Claus Switch'', was described as being a "frackle" in the special, but this aspect would not carry over to Gonzo himself.

** Gonzo is a particularly noteworthy case, as he is a strange blue bird-like creature, who in contrast to most of the main Muppets, lacks a real world species. His ambiguity is frequently lampshaded and touched upon in ''Muppet'' productions, with Creator/JohnCleese describing him as being "the ugly, disgusting little blue creature who catches cannonballs" in episode 223 of the ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', Kermit remarking that he looks a little like a turkey to his conscience in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' and in ''Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper'', is classified as a "whatever" on his crate during the plane flight to London. ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' would even make this a plot point and attempt to finally answer who he is by stating that he's an alien (which he has been hinted as being in previous ''Muppet'' productions, such as his song in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'', "I'm going to go back there someday"), but this has since fallen into CanonDiscontinuity, Gonzo's species remaining vague ever since. When Gonzo's puppeteer, Dave Goelz, was asked about Gonzo's species on the Ask Henson website, he has remarked, "[[ShrugOfGod Nobody knows except his parents, and they're not talking. It was always one of those taboo subjects around the dinner table]]." Snarl, Gonzo's prototype from the 1970 TV special, ''The Great Santa Claus Switch'', was described as being a "frackle" in the special, but this aspect would not carry over to Gonzo himself.

** Gonzo is a particularly noteworthy case, as he is a strange blue bird-like creature, who in contrast to most of the main Muppets, lacks a real world species. His ambiguity is frequently lampshaded and touched upon in ''Muppet'' productions, with Creator/JohnClease describing him as being a "the ugly, disgusting little blue creature who catches cannonballs" in episode 223 of the ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', Kermit remarking that he looks a little like a turkey to his conscience in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' and in ''Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper'', is classified as a "whatever" on his crate during the plane flight to London. ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' would even make this a plot point and attempt to finally answer who he is by stating that he's an alien (which he has been hinted as being in previous ''Muppet'' productions, such as his song in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'', "I'm going to go back there someday"), but this has since fallen into CanonDiscontinuity, Gonzo's species remaining vague ever since. When Gonzo's puppeteer, Dave Goelz, was asked about Gonzo's species on the Ask Henson website, he has remarked, "[[ShrugOfGod Nobody knows except his parents, and they're not talking. It was always one of those taboo subjects around the dinner table]]." Snarl, Gonzo's prototype from the 1970 TV special, ''The Great Santa Claus Switch'', was described as being a "frackle" in the special, but this aspect would not carry over to Gonzo himself.

* Many of ''Franchise/TheMuppets'' are this. While many of them tend to be based on real world species (Kermit being a frog, Fozzie being a bear, etc). A great deal of them are largely fictional creatures with no real world basis and are often give the broad term "monsters" at most. This tends to be a frequent trend in Creator/JimHenson's Muppet creations to the point of being an AuthorTract of his, with his other Muppet productions such as ''Series/SesameStreet'' and especially ''Series/FraggleRock'', also featuring random, entirely fictional creatures and monsters alike.
** Gonzo is a particularly noteworthy case, as he is a strange blue bird-like creature, who in contrast to most of the main Muppets, lacks a real world species. His ambiguity is frequently lampshaded and touched upon in ''Muppet'' productions to the point that it's a RunningGag. ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' would even make this a plot point and attempt to finally answer who he is by stating that he's an alien (which he has been hinted as being in previous ''Muppet'' productions, such as his song in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'', "I'm going to go back there someday"), but this has since fallen into CanonDiscontinuity and Gonzo's species has remained vague ever since. When Gonzo's puppeteer, Dave Goelz, was asked about Gonzo's species on the Ask Henson website, he has remarked, "[[ShrugOfGod Nobody knows except his parents, and they're not talking. It was always one of those taboo subjects around the dinner table]]." Snarl, Gonzo's prototype from the 1970 TV special, ''The Great Santa Claus Switch'', was described as being a "frackle" in the special, but this aspect would not carry over to Gonzo himself.

* Gonzo from ''Franchise/TheMuppets'' is a strange blue bird-like creature, who in contrast to the other Muppets, lacks a real world species. His ambiguity is frequently lampshaded and touched upon in ''Muppet'' productions. ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' would even make this a plot point and attempt to finally answer who he is by stating that he's an alien (which has been hinted at in previous ''Muppet'' productions), but this has since fallen into CanonDiscontinuity. When Gonzo's puppeteer, Dave Goelz, was asked about Gonzo's species on the Ask Henson website, he has remarked, "[[ShrugOfGod Nobody knows except his parents, and they're not talking. It was always one of those taboo subjects around the dinner table]]." Snarl, Gonzo's prototype from the 1970 TV special, ''The Great Santa Claus Switch'', was described as a "frackle" in the special, but this aspect would not carry over to Gonzo himself.

* Gonzo from ''Series/TheMuppets'' is a strange blue bird-like creature, who in contrast to the other Muppets, lacks a real world species. His ambiguity is frequently lampshaded and touched upon in ''Muppet'' productions. ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' would even make this a plot point and attempt to finally answer who he is by stating that he's an alien (which has been hinted at in previous ''Muppet'' productions), but this has since fallen into CanonDiscontinuity. When Gonzo's puppeteer, Dave Goelz, was asked about Gonzo's species on the Ask Henson website, he has remarked, "[[ShrugOfGod Nobody knows except his parents, and they're not talking. It was always one of those taboo subjects around the dinner table]]." Snarl, Gonzo's prototype from the 1970 TV special, ''The Great Santa Claus Switch'', was described as a "frackle" in the special, but this aspect would not carry over to Gonzo himself.

* Gonzo from the Muppets is a strange blue bird-like creature.

** Poochyena's and Mightyena's names suggest being based off of hyenas, and they have fur similar to the distinct body ruff of the brown hyena, but many people see lupine features in them, sometimes out of [[HeinousHyena preference,]] [[SeldomSeenSpecies or lack of familiarity with brown hyenas, which are obscure]]. Mightyena's Pokedex entries does emphasize its pack behavior, and it can learn the move Howl, and hyenas can not howl. Maybe it's [[MixAndMatchCritters based on both?]]

** Rare non-animal example: Percy. While most other characters are based on real locomotive classes, Percy is a heavily hybridized mix of several other steam engine designs.

* Kevin from ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'' is a large, colorful bird of a mysterious species who's modeled after the [[AnimalGenderBender male Himalayan Monal pheasant, despite being female]].

* ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'': Kerberos spends much of his time as a winged teddy bear like creature. His true form looks like a mane-less male lion with armor and wings. He's a creation of Clow, so he may be the only one of his species, assuming he's not a lion. It's never made clear what exactly he is supposed to be.
* Plue from ''Anime/RaveMaster''[=/=]''Groove Adventure Rave''. He's something like a snowman crossed with a dog. The theme song identifies him as a "carrot-nosed" dog. By WordOfGod, Plue was actually an old drawing of the manga's creator from when he was a kid. ''Rave'' was made out of desire to draw a shounen manga starring said creature. Even then, the creator can't remember if he intended to draw a dog or what.

* Max of ''ComicBook/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' is rabbit-like in shape, but with sharp, carnivorous-looking teeth and a highly aggressive attitude. He's referred to as a "rabbity-thing" by other characters, but prefers the term "lagomorph" himself (which is Greek for "rabbit-shaped"). [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Strong Bad]] refers to Sam and Max as "Rabbit-dog and Bunnyman".

* ''Franchise/{{Marsupilami}}'', featuring the eponymous yellow-spotted creatures among other jungle critters.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* The fortune teller from ''[[Webcomic/FifteenMinds Blue Moon Blossom]]''. The setting is a WorldOfFunnyAnimals, and all of the other animals depicted have very clear real-world animal inspirations, if they're not simply cartoony versions of real groups of animals outright. But the fortune teller appears to be some kind of abstract BlobMonster with at least one arm. Its upper face is completely obscured by a stereotypical fortune teller's decorated shawl, and it has a distinctly human-like nose with a long bridge, in a setting where there's no humans to be seen and everyone else either has no noses, species-accurate noses, or teeny cartoony noses.

* Angela from ''Webcomic/PunchAnPie'' owns a cat...dog... ''thing'' that acts like a cat but looks like a {{Mix and Match Critter|s}}. He is first seen in [[http://punchanpie.keenspot.com/daily/20090724.html this comic]].
* Keith, and Basitins in general, from ''Webcomic/TwoKinds'' is a good example.
* Molly and Snookums from ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob.''

* The demons from ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'' are all made up of different animal types.
* The Mows of ''Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures'' are the result of an experiment GoneHorriblyWrong involving Mab's DNA. They're essentially tribbles with faces, antennae, and squirrel-like tails who eat inanimate objects.

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

[[folder:Other]]
* [[http://www.gimp.org/images/frontpage/wilber-big.png Wilber]] is the mascot of [[http://www.gimp.org the GIMP]], an open source image editor. No one is sure exactly what he is.
* Nobody, [[ShrugOfGod not even its creator]], knew what Whatizit, the mascot of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics was. Nobody really liked the character as it was meant to define the many sports of the Olympic games but had zero personality. (This prompted a sci-fi club newsletter to feature [[WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow Ren Hoek]] seeing the creature and ask [[CatchPhrase "Whatizit, man?"]] with Mr. Horse below commenting "No sir, I don't like it.") The character was changed slightly, renamed Izzy, and was featured in a prime time animated special.
* While most sports mascots are pantomime humans, specific animals or [[AnimateInanimateObject anthropomorphic objects]], a certain number are hard to describe except in terms like "nonhuman bipedal thing." The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillie_Phanatic Phillie Phanatic]] is supposed to be something from the bird clade and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gritty_(mascot) Gritty]] is possibly mammalian, but both look more like oversized Muppets than anything else.
* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictish_Beast Pictish Beast]] is an ambiguous creature that frequently appears in ancient Pictish carvings found across Scotland. People have speculated it to be a representation of a horse, a dolphin, a seahorse, a dragon, an elephant, the mythological kelpie, and even the Loch Ness Monster.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tullimonstrum Tullimonstrum]] is a scientific example of this trope because paleontologists don't know what phylum to put this animal in into but many guesses include mollusks, arthropods, conodonts, worms, and vertebrates.
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* While most people assume Puar from ''Manga/DragonBall'' is a cat, it actually supposed to be a fictional species of animal (A mixture of a rabbit and cat, to be more precise) and Puar is actually the name of said species.

* While most people assume Puar from ''Manga/DragonBall'' is a cat, it actuallysupposed to be a fictional species of animal (A mixture of a rabbit and cat, to be more precise) and Puar is actually the name of sid species.

* When making ''[[https://static.todamateria.com.br/upload/cu/ca/cucadetarsiladoamaral-cke.jpg?auto_optimize=low A Cuca]]'' (The Cuca, a mythical [[ChildEater child-eating witch]] from Myth/BrazilianFolklore), Creator/TarsilaDoAmaral described the painting to her daughter as "a weird animal in the middle of the woods, with a frog, an armadillo and another invented animal".