History WebVideo / TierZoo

* TakesOneToKillOne: One of the biggest dangers to the hippopotamus is another hippopotamus, as their sharp teeth deal stabbing damage which bypasses their thick skin.

** [[https://youtu.be/7h1kDYFMCVA?si=5lpmAXG2zDCcW0Iw When Earth was in beta]] points out the ways in which the Cambrian metagame was vastly different from subsequent updates: among others, mobility, intelligence and stealth were hardly important, all gameplay took place in the oceans, vertebrates barely existed and strategies were relatively simple. The "early access" alpha version was ''even weirder'', being closer to a chemistry simulator than the open world survival game it quickly turned into starting with the Cambrian explosion.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The early videos use two different styles for the stat meters. The first one is [[StylisticSuck intentionally poor-looking]], while the second resembles the first more, but has smaller icons and represents a few stats with different images, like a stealth plane for Stealth.

** The largest of the "Felinae" cat builds, he Cougar, is placed in C-tier. While all their stats are solid, they are not high enough to reliable hunt other players in or above their own weight class. The "Panthera" cat builds can do this and are thus all placed in higher tiers.

* AllLowercaseLetters: The "in-game chat" between animals is generally portrayed as yellow text that's entirely in lowercase.

* FormulaBreakingEpisode: Tier Zoo did a ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLL4yPpTCBA tree tier list]]'', which is the first time the tier list doesn't involve animals directly.

** Mantis Shrimps play with this. The speed of their punches are extremely fast, but their short legs and fins mean their actual mobility is slow. This usually means they're forced to hunt mostly stationary builds like shelled molluscs.

** In "The Crustacean Tier List", a copepod is seen saying, "[[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants Holographic meatloaf again?]] My favorite!"

** The series is [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Tierzoo/comments/8rhjd9/i_am_patch_creator_of_tierzoo_ama/e0rfnu3/ partly inspired]] by Creator/AnimalPlanet's ''Series/TheMostExtreme'', and sometimes uses its green static transition effect. The theme from ''{{Series/Eyewitness}}'' is also used.

** [=TierZoo=] explicitly likens barnacles to playing as one. They're stuck in F-tier due to being entirely luck-based depending on what they manage to stick onto, since they can't move away from their surface once they latch onto one, and despite their extremely high defense they are vulnerable to the multitude of [[ArmorPiercingAttack armor-piercing]] builds.

* IdleGame: Playing as a sponge is effectively this, as sponges lack any mobility, stealth, attack, or intelligence, all they do is automatically filter-feed and grow.

* SkillGateCharacters: Both birds of prey and wolves are explicitly mentioned as gatekeepers to the higher tiers, and most are solidly placed in A-tier for the most part. They're easy to play as and can perform very well, but there are holes in their build and/or strategy that can be exploited by top-tier builds. Wolves for example need to intimidate a target into fleeing, and if the target consistently stands its ground or counterattacks instead the pack typically has to abort the attack. Being able to counter them reliably will often put a build in a high to top tier.

* AnimalReligion: In a crossover [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzQHT26FXJI&t=782s episode]] with the youtuber Genetically Modified Skeptic, [=TierZoo=] states some builds other than humans might have unlocked the faith skill tree - the example he uses is elephant players gathering around their dead faction members, which might be ceremonial mourning.

** In terms of Spiders, Tarantulas are a good example. While they have venom, it's weak compared to most other spiders. Instead, they use their sheer size (for a spider) brute force, and longer fangs to take down animals that most other spiders can't.

** Sponges take this to the extreme. They have the simplest game plan of any animal, having no brain, no ability to move on their own, no camouflage, and no attacks of any kind. However, they are still fairly effective B-tier builds because any player who tries to eat them would get injured by their spicules and, in some cases, by their poisons.

* TheBully: The Baleen Whale is considered this for going after krill.
--> '''Tierzoo''': "There's something about the largest builds in the game having a game plan centered entirely around winning against the smallest players in the game that doesn't sit right with me."

* CripplingOverspecialization: Has it's own page [[CripplingOverspecialization/TierZoo here]].
* CriticalHitClass:
** Animals that go for the neck to bleed their prey to death are considered this.
** Dromaeosaurs had a sickle claw that allowed them to deal massive slash and pierce damage, potentially one-shotting prey via SlashedThroat. If they were reintroduced in the modern day they would hold a similar niche to foxes and coyotes, but unlike canines that would wear prey down via flanking, dromaeosaurs would kill much more quickly thanks to their huge critical damage.
* CrutchCharacter: Most Neuropterans, including Antlions and lacewings are considered to be this. They both have a ''very powerful'' larval stage but their adult stage is weak and flimsy, serving only to complete the quest of reproduction. Mantidflies however avert this, having a powerful adult stage as well.

** Attacks that cause bleeding naturally cause this via a "Bleeding" status, which will wear a victim down fast.

** The Bombardier Beetle's "Spray" causes this as the hot, caustic fluid it fires gets onto its opponent and burns them.

** Pufferfish in the Spongebob tier list, with excellent defenses ''and'' armor piercing capabilities despite being an unassuming species ''and'' a relatively low-key character in the show being used to pick species.

** Surprisingly, the supposedly NighInvulnerable Water Bear is considered this. It's stated that it sacrificed all its stats for speccing huge amounts of points in heat, cold, vacuum, radiation and pressure resistances… without taking the extremophile trait, meaning that it has to go into "hibernation mode" if in extreme conditions. All this, and the fact that it ''doesn't'' have resistance to physical damage which most players use makes it considered a bottom-tier character.

** Underwater squirrels in his Spongebob species review. Specializing in razor sharp ever growing teeth and spending most of your time with a glass dome between your face and the world around you are not a useful combination.

* AntiMetagameCharacter: Played with by Anteaters. Like their name suggests, they have a [[WeaponOfXSlaying superb matchup]] against the S-ranked insect builds of ants and termites. However, Giant Anteaters are still high-ranked at A-tier, while Tamanduas are B-Tier and Pygmy Anteaters all the way down at D-tier.

** Despite having the offensive tools to break open ant/termite nests and consume swarms of the residents within, anteaters ''don't'' have the defensive abilities to avoid taking damage from the ants' acid, bites and stings. This normally isn't an issue as anteaters have a surprising amount of health, but it does mean that they cannot feed for extended durations.

* PoisonousPerson: Both venom and poison are two different categories of toxins used against attackers or prey. In general, venom is ''far'' more useful than poison, since poison requires that the animal has to take a sufficiently strong hit in order for it to affect while venom is injected upon attack. The Tiger Keelback snake is noted to be both venomous ''and'' poisonous, but neither its venom or poison are very potent.

** The overall second best build, the Orcas, not only have high physical stats all around, but also have one of the highest intelligence stat in the game, which allows them to form effective social structures or to abuse the physics engine for their own gain, and it gives them enough foresight to not provoke the number one build, the Humans.

** Rhinoceroses have LightningBruiser physical stats, but their low intelligence and poor eyesight cause major setbacks for them, especially when these shortcomings make them easy to kite/lure and often causes them to accidentally attack their own teammates.

** Bovines are made out to be these, having huge amounts of health and high attack, but have low enough intelligence to be easily intimidated, distracted, or tricked into a trap, although it's just enough to allow herding behavior.
** Rhinoceroses are also made out to be these. They have LightningBruiser physical stats, but their low intelligence and poor eyesight cause major setbacks for them, especially when these shortcomings make them easy to kite/lure and often causes them to accidentally attack their own teammates.