Line #157 Main/NearlyNormalAnimal


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6	[[quoteright:344:[[WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/annoyedmaximus_6.png]]]]
7	[[caption-width-right:344:Maximus says neigh to this.]]
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12	->''"He has little human hands... when he needs them."''
13	-->-- '''Simon Tofield''' on the protagonist of ''WebAnimation/SimonsCat'', [[https://youtu.be/5ArAFwo47VE "Simon Draws: Simon's Cat"]]
14
15	Ever notice in fictional works aimed at children, [[SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism animals tend to have much more (or at least a little more) intelligence than they should]]? Well, in some cases, this can be done ''without'' having the creature walk on its hind legs or speak to humans.
16
17	Nearly Normal Animals don't talk to humans and are usually quadrupedal if they are that way in real life. They are very much animals, particularly when it comes to instincts, priorities and motivations and they very rarely, if ever, wear clothes. Like many {{Speech Impaired Animal}}s and {{Talking Animal}}s, Nearly Normal Animals lack hands and walk on all fours, negating the possibility of performing many human tasks and behaviors.
18
19	Nearly Normal Animals come in three types, largely normal, mostly normal, and almost normal.
20
21	'''Largely Normal Animals ([=LNAs=])''' clearly have thought processes and often [[IntellectualAnimal human-level intelligence]] but don't talk freely with humans. These animal characters may [[AnimalTalk talk to each other]], either in their own language or in a human language, but either way, humans won't be able to hear them speak a human language. That is, unless they [[SpeaksFluentAnimal have the ability to hear what animals are saying]]. Their thought processes and personality are still very much like that of whatever animal they are. Many of them are able to make human-like arm and hand gestures and some can even grasp objects as if they have opposable thumbs. A few [=LNAs=] can sometimes act like the more anthropomorphic CivilizedAnimal or FunnyAnimal when required by a joke.
22
23	'''Mostly Normal Animals ([=MNAs=])''' have clear thought processes as well as a few human and/or some or several [[AllAnimalsAreDogs doglike]] characteristics (greater frequency of uttering sounds, human-like expressions) that still don't detract from their animality. Unlike [=LNAs=], they don't talk AnimalTalk between species, only within their species. Their thought processes and personality are still very much like that of whatever animal they are. These animals usually don't go beyond being able to make human-like hand or arm gestures sometimes. They stay on all four legs if they are four-legged animals.
24
25	'''Almost Normal Animals ([=ANAs=])''' have very few human and/or a few [[AllAnimalsAreDogs doglike]] characteristics (e.g., greater frequency of uttering sounds, human-like expressions) that don't detract from their animality, but they allow an audience not well versed in the way of animal behavior to understand what's going on in the animals' minds. Can be an honest mistake or completely intended. They don't make human-like arm or hand gestures and they stay on all four legs if they're four-legged animals.
26
27	This is the low end of the SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism. The next step up is SpeechImpairedAnimal. Below this is truly normal animals, [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs which are not a trope]].
28
29	This trope is often associated with characters that have AmplifiedAnimalAptitude; in fact, how “nearly normal” an animal is can be measured by how much “amplified aptitude” it has. [=LNAs=] are often but not always {{Intellectual Animal}}s.
30
31
32	----
33	!Examples
34	[[foldercontrol]]
35
36	!!Largely Normal Animal:
37
38	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
39	* [[UpliftedAnimal Ein]] from ''Anime/CowboyBebop''. He is smart enough to read, play chess, figure out stuff Spike and Jet can't and even hack computers, when he's given an interface he can use. Problem is, he's otherwise a totally normal dog -- he just has human-like intelligence -- and thus he can't speak, only bark and point out stuff.
40	%%* The majority of animals in ''Manga/OnePiece''.
41	* ''Manga/RoosterFighter'': All animals in the manga have human-like intelligence, but can only talk directly between each other. Elizabeth, a chicken, is even skilled at using the smartphone and at cooking.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Comic Books]]
45	* Hot Dog of ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'' would act like this in his own title, where he was revealed to have a high-tech super-structure ''underneath'' his common dog house. The series didn't last long.
46	* Bom-Bom the tawal in ''ComicBook/TheGreatPowerOfChninkel''. Though he can't speak, he picks up language easily [[spoiler:and by the end of the book he's able to communicate the story of J'on to his descendants through simple sounds and hand gestures.]]
47	* Snowy in ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}''. He's clever enough to trick human beings, hide when his master's attacked and either sneak in [[DistressedDude to free him]] or run off to [[TimmyInAWell fetch help]] as needed, and occasionally understand rather specific instructions. He also has a fondness for booze, and occasionally [[ThoughtBubbleSpeech thinks to himself in intelligible sentences.]]
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
51	* The four-legged ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' in the earlier comic strips. While in later comic strips, he's become more of a partially-civilised animal, doing things like walking on two legs, in early strips the only human things he did were think complicated thoughts and eat human foods.
52	* The four-legged Snoopy from the earlier ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' comic strips. While he's a CivilisedAnimal for most of the strips, in [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness the early ones]], he mainly seemed like a normal dog who was just smart like a human.
53	* Rover from ''ComicStrip/RedAndRover'' is pretty much a normal dog with dog-type priorities and behavior, but he can think like a person, and communicates with Red (a human) in ThoughtBubbleSpeech.
54	* Biscuit the dog in ''ComicStrip/StoneSoup''. She's usually seen doing ThoughtBubbleSpeech with Max.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
58	* The dogs and other animals in ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'' are either this or {{Talking Animal}}s. They can communicate between species and are very strategic, and Sgt. Tibbs sometimes does human-like gestures but they're still very much their own species. However, it is not clear whether they can't talk to humans or just [[{{Masquerade}} choose not to]].
59	* The wolves and other animals in ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega'' can talk to each other and [[AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimal Kate wears a flower]].
60	%%* Pooka, Anya's dog in ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}''.
61	* Abu the monkey from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' straddles the line between this trope and SpeechImpairedAnimal. He's mainly a regular monkey, but his babbles sound ''very much like words'' at times and he clearly understands human speech.
62	* The flamingos and hedgehogs, the broom-headed dog, and the Tulgy Wood critters in ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland''. The former two animals mainly act like animals, but they understand their purpose in the game they're playing, and the latter seems like a normal dog but is smart enough to know what to sweep up.
63	* The cats, dogs, horse, and geese in ''WesternAnimation/TheAristocats'' are this, though the cats in Scat Cat's gang are {{Partially Civilized Animal}}s and Roquefort the mouse falls squarely into the CivilizedAnimal trope. What makes the cats, dogs, horse, and geese qualify is that they are mostly normal animals, but they can talk to other animals, make plans, Duchess seems to have a sense of etiquette, and in one scene, they throw a party.
64	* All the dogs from ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}''. They talk ''to each other'' but humans hear only barking. They also understand that it is their duty to deliver the medicine to sick people, and seem to be aware of the consequences of their potential failure.
65	* The animals in ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'' live (and mainly act) like forest animals, but are capable of complex thought, can fall in love, and sometimes do things like point or dance.
66	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bolt}}'': All of the animal characters fit this description, belonging to the "Largely Normal Animal" subtype. They can talk to each other (but not to humans) and can perform a few human-like actions, but for the most part they act like their species normally would.
67	%%** The animals in ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear''.
68	* Lucifer the cat, Bruno the dog, and Major the horse in ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}''. Both seem to have an understanding of human speech, and Lucifer seems to be capable of [[CatsAreMean doing things to spite the humans]].
69	* ''WesternAnimation/DCLeagueOfSuperPets'' features animals that are able to converse with each other and not humans… with the added twist that they exist in the [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Comics universe]] and a number of them have powers and belong to famous heroes such as Superman.
70	%%** The dinosaurs and lemurs from ''WesternAnimation/{{Dinosaur}}''. Yes, even [[BigBad the Carnotaurus.]]
71	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'': The circus animals look and behave largely like their real-life counterparts, but they know the routine of setting up and performing a show. The elephants even work as a team to help pitch the main tent without any obvious handling or guidance. Timothy, the DeliveryStork and the gang of crows are closer to CivilizedAnimal, as they wear clothes, talk fluently, and have a bipedal stance (with FeatherFingers in the case of the latter two).
72	%%** Bucky the squirrel from ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove''.
73	%%** The baby Pegasi and unicorns from the "Pastoral Symphony" segment of ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}''. (The parents are closer to Mostly Normal.) Also, the fish in "Nutcracker Suite".
74	%%** The whales in the "Pines of Rome" segment of ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000''. Also all the animals going into Noahs' Ark in "Pomp and Circumstance", except for Donald and Daisy Duck.
75	* The fish and all other animals in ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' except the anglerfish. They're sapient and emote like humans, but they live very much like fish and they (with the exception of Dory) are illiterate.
76	* The animals in ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeet'' can communicate between species (with the exception of whales) but see humans as "aliens".
77	* The animals in all of the ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' films are mostly sapient but with animal instincts.
78	* The dogs and most of the other animals in ''WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTramp'' except the songbirds and pigeons, which are completely normal animals.
79	* The animals of the ''Franchise/TheLionKing'' live under a monarchy ruled by lions that has organized events and laws and animals are shown to be capable of interacting with each other on a sapient level. But nevertheless, most animals more or less act as the real life counterparts would such as meerkats living in underground tunnels, lions and hyenas hunting other animals, and ungulates grazing on grass. Although the movie does tend to put a more anthropomorphic spin on otherwise natural behaviors such as the trio of hyenas [[SapientEatSapient cracking jokes about how they're going to eat Simba, Nala, and Zazu]].
80	* Melman the Giraffe and all of the Fossa in ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}''. All the other animal characters are shown to be able to move like humans.
81	* The non-anthropomorphic animals in ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason''. They can make plans (albeit plans that don't often work), fall in love, and emote like humans, yet they live in the woods and do animal things.
82	* Nana the dog, the unnamed crocodile, and other animals from ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Fairies}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/JakeAndTheNeverlandPirates''. The crocodile for instance can understand English and does things like nod his head and twiddle his fingers.
83	%%** WesternAnimation/{{Figaro}} and Cleo from ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}''.
84	* The rats in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'' can speak to each other, and seem to be cleaner than most rats. Remy has also learnt to cook. On the other hand, Remy still bites instinctively when he's hungry, and most of them have the palates of generic rats.
85	* The birds and other animals in ''WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}'' can talk, but only to each other, and they snark at each other the way a human would and can dance.
86	* Spike is usually a completely realistic animal, but in ''WesternAnimation/RugratsGoWild'', he falls in this level and is shown to speak AnimalTalk.
87	%%** Most of the Australian wildlife from ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder''.
88	* Diablo the raven from ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'' qualifies. He understands Maleficent's orders and carries them out with great efficiency. While unable to speak, he seems to be able to communicate with Maleficent and the goons in some fashion, as he somehow managed to order the otherwise terribly incompetent mooks into carrying out several organized attacks that would have given Prince Phillip a lot of trouble had the fairies not been there.
89	** Phillip's horse Samson also qualifies. He acts and moves like a real horse and can't talk, but appears to understand humans perfectly and is capable of responding to them through body language, such as shaking his head "no" when King Hubert asks him a question or nodding in approval when Phillip gets ready to meet Aurora.
90	%%** The animals in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmallOne''.
91	* Azrael in ''WesternAnimation/SmurfsTheLostVillage'', who is also clearly smarter than his owner Gargamel.
92	* The animals in ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' mainly act like normal forest animals, but they seem to be able to understand speech, such as when a bird blushes at Snow White's emotional song. They're also able to clean a house and to alert the dwarfs to danger.
93	* Pascal the chameleon and Maximus the horse from ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}''. Both are capable of understanding speech and they make human-like expressions and gestures.
94	* Many of the animals in ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'', especially the gorillas and elephants. They talk to each other and Tarzan, and Terk the gorilla even knows some letters. She apparently isn't intelligent enough to use the typewriter to communicate with the other humans, though.
95	%%** The animals in ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound''.
96	%%** The animals in ''WesternAnimation/HomeOnTheRange'' except Lucky Jack, who is a CivilizedAnimal.
97	%%** Mushu in ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}''.
98	%%** The animals in ''WesternAnimation/OliverAndCompany''.
99	%%** Stella the dog and Marcel the cat from ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog''.
100	%%* The animals in ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeet'', though the penguins are {{Partially Civilized Animal}}s.
101	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'': While most of the carnivorous antagonists are completely normal animals, the herbivorous main characters and their families qualify because they feel complex emotions and go through different adventures together, but still act like dinosaurs in the wild with zero access to human technology.
102	%%* All the animals in ''WesternAnimation/ThePiratesInAnAdventureWithScientists'', albeit Darwin's butler Chimp is close to be CivilizedAnimal as he is able of TalkingWithSigns.
103	* The dogs in ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}''. They mainly behave like dogs but are trained to do pretty sophisticated things like cook, and are once seen playing cards. In addition, their thoughts, which are conveyed through their collars, are pretty sophisticated with the exception of the RunningGag of them randomly thinking, "Squirrel!".
104	%%* The animals in ''WesternAnimation/TheWild''.
105	%%* The animals in ''Animation/VukTheLittleFox''.
106	* Shaun in ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit: WesternAnimation/ACloseShave'' is Largely Normal. The rest of the flock would be Mostly Normal if it wasn't for the [[HumanLadder Ovine Ladder]] scene. They go through a ''major'' AnthropomorphicShift by the time they [[WesternAnimation/ShaunTheSheep get their own series]].
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
110	* The dogs, pack rat, and iguana in ''Film/BeverlyHillsChihuahua'' can all talk to each other.
111	* ''Film/CharlottesWeb'': Unlike in the book and the animated movie, the animals talk in front of humans besides Fern several times and the humans don't seem to notice.
112	* The animals in ''Film/DrDolittle'' can talk to each other and [[SpeaksFluentAnimal Dr. Dolittle]], and occasionally do human things, but are still very much animals.
113	* The cats and dogs in ''Film/HomewardBoundTheIncredibleJourney'' and its [[Film/HomewardBoundIILostInSanFrancisco sequel]] can talk to each other, but are otherwise normal animals.
114	* The animals in ''Film/{{Marmaduke}}'' are otherwise normal animals that can talk to each to each other and throw parties, unlike in the comic strip which it was based on in which they're ''completely'' normal animals.
115	* The animals in ''Film/RacingStripes'' can talk to each other, make plans, and fall in love.
116	* Most of the dogs in ''Film/{{Underdog}}'', except for Underdog himself, the only dog who can talk to humans.
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:Literature]]
120	* In ''Literature/TheGoldenHamsterSaga'', mammals can talk to each other and understand human speech. Freddy also knows how to read and type, but he is the only animal who can do so.
121	* Mouse, Harry's pet dog in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', is a foo dog with supernatural ancestors, giving him uncanny senses and instincts. When Harry is turned into a dog at one point, he discovers that Mouse also has human-level intelligence, and can talk in sophisticated ways to other canines.
122	* ''Literature/SamTheCatDetective'': Sam and the other cats are [=LNA=]s. They understand everything humans say and refer to humans as their roommates and/or employers. A cat who lives in a police station introduces himself as Officer Gomez, and Sam's friend Butch considers chasing mice at the supermarket to be a job. Some cats hire other cats to do jobs for food. Cats are capable of making phone calls to each other, reading, and typing emails. Shortly before ''The Big Catnap'' Sandy and Rosie have a church wedding, with another cat acting as the minister. In ''The Maltese Kitten,'' Butch talks about joining the Republican Party.
123	* ''Literature/ASickDayForAmosMcGee'': The animals have human-level intelligence and understand games like chess and hide-and-seek, and sometimes they sit like humans, but they can't talk (except, possibly, for the owl, who "read a story aloud" but it's unknown if he read it in English or AnimalTalk) and they behave more like very smart, docile animals than like humans.
124	* The cast of ''Literature/WatershipDown'', both books, film, and TV series. The rabbits have a language, mythology and organized military groups, and are capable of planning and forming friendships, but otherwise look and behave like real rabbits.
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
128	* ''Series/{{Lassie}}'' can not only understand, but also bark in some sort of code that humans understand to mean TimmyInAWell.
129	* The titular kangaroo of ''Series/SkippyTheBushKangaroo'' not only shows a remarkable understanding of English, but often imitates human behaviors like playing a piano or the drums.
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Music Videos]]
133	* In the ''Music/PreschoolPopstars'' music video for "I Didn't Mean to Burp", a cat is seen sitting on its haunches, but with its front legs in the air and holding a slice of pizza.
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Video Games]]
137	* Mabari war hounds of the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series are said to be smart enough to talk, wise enough not to. They're certainly able to understand what people say and [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII Hawke's]] mabari was able to learn to play cards. Dwarven enchanter Sandal even seems to have figured out how to speak "mabari speak."
138	* The ''VideoGame/DuckHunt'' Dog in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. for Wii U / 3DS]]''. He seems to be smart enough to use the same items as the rest of the cast can and stands up in his hind legs to use them, but aside from some attacks and taunts, he spends most of the fight in four legs and only does dog sounds, and when not in use, he carries the items in his mouth. It's not clear to what degree he can communicate with his duck partner, but they seem to work in good synchrony.
139	* Koromaru from ''VideoGame/Persona3''. He usually acts like a normal dog, but he's a playable character with the ability to summon a Persona and [[BadassAdorable fights by holding a knife in his mouth]]. It's clear that he understands a lot of what the humans are saying, and [[RobotGirl Aigis]] often "translates" his barking.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Webcomics]]
143	%%* All of the cats in ''[[http://nekothekitty.smackjeeves.com/ Neko the Kitty Comics]]''.
144	* The wolves of ''Webcomic/OffWhite'' talk and reason very similarly to how humans would, but in regards of their motivations, instincts and sophistication (or lack thereof) they are still depicted mostly quite close to what one would expect of real wolves.
145	* ''Webcomic/{{Scurry}}'': None of the mice are clothed, and only Ork has a collar around her neck. Wix picks up a carry satchel from a dead mouse at one point.
146	[[/folder]]
147
148	[[folder:Western Animation]]
149	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'':
150	** Buttons the dog. He's mostly normal, and unlike Runt he can't talk, but he has an understanding of when Mindy is in danger and how to save her.
151	** Also, Newt as Schnappsi the dog in "Puttin on The Blitz".
152	** Sykes the crow, Scout the dog, and Squeakers the rat, Pharfignewton the horse, and Gobbles the turkey fall here too.
153	* The monkey in ''WesternAnimation/{{Chuggington}}''
154	* Most of the non-anthro animals in ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' including Pal and Nemo. They can scheme and speak AnimalTalk in some episodes, but they never do human-like gestures, mainly think like animals if brainy ones, and don't even understand English.
155	* The animals in the ''Franchise/CuriousGeorge'' movies and TV series are this, though Curious George is a non-talking CivilizedAnimal himself.
156	* The dragons in ''WesternAnimation/DragonsRidersOfBerk'' act mostly as normal animals and can't talk at all, but their body language and facial expressions clearly show their thoughts and emotions, and they also understand their rider. In some cases, e.g. Barf and Belch, an arguement can be made that they're even smarter than their riders.
157	** The same goes, of course, for the dragons in the sequel series ''WesternAnimation/DragonsTheNineRealms''. In this show, this is explained by dragons being extremely empathetic creatures which have strong reactions to emotions. As such, unless they are territorial like the Glass Caster or naturally aggressive like the Skrill, they are usually friendly, or at the very least harmless, creatures towards both humans and each other despite not having had contact with humans in over 1,300 years.
158	*** BigBad Jörmungandr stands out among the dragons in this show. While appearing more like a vicious animal bound by its natural predatory instincts to hunt and kill any dragon it crosses paths with at first, it has been shown to be able to learn, recognize and avoid traps and even formulate strategies such as when it pulled a BatmanGambit on the riders [[spoiler:by attacking the Night Lights as a distraction for its real target, the God's Realm, the so-called "lungs" of the Hidden World were most of the Hidden World's oxygen is produced.]] Even the riders who already treat dragons as their equals are taken aback by Jörmungandr's cunning.
159	* Marc Anthony the dog from ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''. Also, The Roadrunner, who runs like a normal roadrunner and says nothing but "Beep beep" but is sometimes seen TalkingWithSigns or doing other human-like things.
160	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Most of the animals qualify-- they're capable of using logic, and Walt falls in love in one episode. They also sometimes appear holding objects or wearing clothes, but only for the sake of a joke. Their understanding of English is inconsistent-- in "No Guts, No Glori" they appear to only understand commands like "sit", yet in the "So Long, Sucker" short, they go into OhCrap mode when Lynn Sr. says he will be getting five more of the vacuum cleaners they hate.
161	* The animals in ''WesternAnimation/MarthaSpeaks'' except Martha, who is a TalkingAnimal. Namely, they behave like regular animals mostly, but can understand English, conspire together, and sometimes try to do human things like cook (albeit very badly).
162	* Opalescence the white Persian cat and the other animals and pets from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. Opal, for instance, is a mainly normal cat but the timing of her meows suggests CatsAreSnarkers. Owlowicious is mainly a regular owl but he can sort books at the library and works as Twilight's nighttime assistant.
163	* ''WesternAnimation/PetSquad'': The three main characters can talk to each other and the ducks when not supervised, however use AnimalTalk to their owner when he's in the room.
164	%%* All the non-anthropomorphic animals in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''.
165	%%* The cats in ''WesternAnimation/SagwaTheChineseSiameseCat''.
166	%%* Azrael from ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs''
167	%%* Octocat of ''WesternAnimation/{{Spliced}}''.
168	* Gary the snail in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' has an almost entirely non-human body and lives [[FantasticFaunaCounterpart like a pet cat]], but is intelligent as the more humanlike sea creatures and can communicate with some of them ([[IntelligibleUnintelligible even if the audience can't understand him]]). In his dream, he's a FunnyAnimal like [=SpongeBob=].
169	* The four-legged Tom in the early episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry''. In later episodes, he's a PartiallyCivilizedAnimal like Jerry, while in the early episodes his only human traits were his facial expressions and opposable thumbs.
170	* Massimo in ''WesternAnimation/ProducingParker'' when others besides Parker are around; when he's alone with her he becomes a CivilizedAnimal.
171	[[/folder]]
172	----
173
174	!!Mostly Normal Animal:
175
176	%%[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
177	%%* The cats in ''Manga/ChisSweetHome''.
178	%%[[/folder]]
179
180	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
181	* Rajah the tiger from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}''. He's mostly normal, but he's seen looking offended when Jasmine doesn't count him as a friend and confused when the Sultan says, "Allah forbid you should have any daughters!".
182	* Dinah the kitten from ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland'' is between this and a [=LNA=]. Namely, she behaves like a normal cat, but shakes her head no at one point.
183	* Sven from ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen\|2013}}'' behaves somewhat like a dog and can understand speech, but never really does anything human-like.
184	* Fluffy Louise Lopart, Mr. Lopart's cat, and a few of the other animals from ''WesternAnimation/HandyManny''.
185	* While most of the animals in the ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' sequels are {{Partially Civilized Animal}}s, the dinosaurs and other Mesozoic reptiles that appear are basically this trope. At least this was true until the fifth movie, which introduced [[FurryConfusion talking dinosaurs]].
186	* Brutus and Nero the crocodiles from ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers'' can understand commands and act somewhat doglike.
187	%%** The elk in the "Firebird Suite" segment of ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000''.
188	%%** Toby and Felicia from ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective''.
189	%%** Djali the goat and Achilles the horse from ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame\|Disney}}''
190	%%** Max the dog from ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid\|1989}}''.
191	%%** The cricket from ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}''
192	%%** The animals in ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}''
193	%%** Sabor, the baboons, and some of the other animals in ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}''
194	%%* The hawk from ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''.
195	%%* Dragon the cat from ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH'', as in the book.
196	* The equine cast in ''WesternAnimation/SpiritStallionOfTheCimarron'' have some slightly doglike behavior and expressions. They have human eyebrows and visible, white sclera. The narrator is a horse, and the horses have a sense of humour, can plan ahead, and are implied to have their own language. At least some individuals also have romantic love, although Spirit's home herd seems to follow the normal stallion/harem order.
197	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'': Francis, the Golden Retriever who attacks the Mario Bros. during their first plumbing job, has human-like facial expressions and gives a rather human nod to Luigi at the end of the film [[spoiler:after the brothers save Brooklyn]], but otherwise acts like a normal dog.
198	* The cockroach from ''WesternAnimation/WallE'' is generally normal, but sometimes expresses affection like a dog might.
199	[[/folder]]
200
201	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
202	* The penguins in ''Film/MrPoppersPenguins'' are mostly normal, but Captain lives up to her name in that she often leads the penguins and conspires with them. Also, they teach themselves how to use the toilet.
203	* Azreal in ''Film/TheSmurfs''. He bangs his head on a table (in a way that only a human could) in one scene, and aside from that looks like a normal cat (to the point where he looks like motion capture of a real cat in the CGI scenes).
204	[[/folder]]
205
206	[[folder:Literature]]
207	* In ''Literature/ADogsLife'', the dogs are not depicted as talking, however it's implied that dogs can talk to each other. Squirrel acts like a dog and doesn't completely understand how humans think.
208	* ''Literature/ADogsPurpose'': Dogs cannot talk to each other beyond normal dog body language and barking. The protagonist can understand humans to a ''degree''. He understands the words they say but not the meaning of most words, and thus his brain drowns out anything he doesn't get and tries to pick up what he wants to hear (such as his name or the word "[[TrademarkFavoriteFood biscuit]]"). The protagonist acts, and is treated like, a completely like a normal dog. He's also shown to be more scent-oriented than visually-oriented.
209	* ''Literature/ADogsWayHome'' is a SpiritualSuccessor to ''A Dog's Purpose'' and is written by the same author. It follows the same conventions, with dogs being unable to hear each other's thoughts or communicate beyond body language (which creates some confusion between Bella and others) and the protagonist Bella largely being a normal dog with a very inhuman way of thinking.
210	* The dogs in ''Literature/MenAtArms'' can talk to each other and have even formed their own guild, with their leader being a small, mad poodle who [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything preaches that all dogs should behave like wolves and rebel against their masters]]. They can't communicate with the humans (to the exception of Gaspode, whose ability to speak human is seen as a superpower), and mostly behave like normal dogs otherwise.
211	* Played for laugh in the Creator/PGWodehouse novel ''Money for Nothing''. John's dog Emily has an internal monologue just like the human characters, exchanges stories with other dogs and "talks" to the humans with a rather elaborate vocabulary, but when the narrative follows the point of view of the human character she behaves like a normal dog and her "speech" is only heard as barking.
212	%%* Dragon the cat from ''Literature/MrsFrisbyAndTheRatsOfNIMH''.
213	* The cats of ''Literature/WarriorCats'' have an elaborate society and culture unlike real feral cat behavior, but almost never communicate with other species (the only times this happens are when one cat speaks Dog to make some dogs go away, when an unusually intelligent rat speaks Cat, and when [[TokenHeroicOrc Midnight the Badger]] speaks Cat). They remain quadrupedal but vocalize more than real life cats.
214	[[/folder]]
215
216	[[folder:Video Games]]
217	* ''VideoGame/AdibooMagicalPlayland'': In contrast to Adiboo's pet dog Pup, who has human-like hands and a suction cup-shaped leg, the bees, birds, cat, and fish are almost completely non-anthropomorphic.
218	* The horse from ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'' understands what’s going on around it, follows orders, and may nod its head when asked a question, but otherwise acts like a normal horse.
219	[[/folder]]
220
221	[[folder:Western Animation]]
222	%%* Charlie the dog from ''WesternAnimation/BabyBlues''.
223	%%* Pluto from ''WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts''.
224	%%* Waffles and Chainsaw from ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop''.
225	* ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicKey'': Floppy the dog has an InnerMonologue which the viewers are privy to, but otherwise acts like a normal dog, and his thoughts are mostly concerned with normal dog things.
226	* Buster, Darby's pet dog, and the squirrels from ''WesternAnimation/MyFriendsTiggerAndPooh''. In Buster's case, he's pretty much a normal dog, but occasionally sounds as though he's asking a question or seems like he understands English.
227	%%* Kitty, Eric Cartman's cat from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''.
228	* Many non-anthropomorphic animals in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. The nematodes, for example, can talk, but they only say "Hungry!" and "Thirsty!".
229	%%* Cow from ''WesternAnimation/WordWorld'' seems to be this type.
230	[[/folder]]
231
232	----
233	!!Almost Normal Animal:
234
235	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
236	%%* All the animals besides the cats in ''Manga/ChisSweetHome''.
237	* Hashie the blue shoebill from ''Anime/{{Classicaloid}}'' is a realistic representation of the species, save for his unlikely colour. His stoic behaviour combined with his naturally bizarre appearance and the absurd situations he gets in makes for a rather amusing sight. The only times when he exhibits human-like reactions is for occasional throwaway gags.
238	* Erika's dog Zach from ''Anime/GingaEKickoff'' is a mean soccer player.
239	[[/folder]]
240
241	%%[[folder:Comic Books]]
242	%%* In ''ComicBook/{{Violine}}'', Klaas, Violine's pet mouse.
243	%%[[/folder]]
244
245	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
246	* Philipe the horse, the wolves, and most of the other animals in ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''. They're almost completely normal, but Philipe is able to go into IDontThinkThatsSuchAGoodIdea mode, and a pig nods when Le Fou calls Gaston touchy. There's also a FreezeFrameBonus gag of some goats and hens doing a JawDrop when Belle kicks a basket during the "Belle (Reprise)" song.
247	%%** [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute The coelacanths]] from ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire''.
248	%%** The dinosaurs in the "Rite of Spring" segment of ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}''.
249	%%** The rat from ''WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTramp''
250	%%** The horse and the hawk in ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}''
251	%%** Marahute from ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder''
252	* Sonya the bear in ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}: Europe's Most Wanted'', contrasted with the rest of the cast, which is made up of Largely Normal Animals and {{Civilized Animal}}s. This makes her [[InterspeciesRomance romance]] with King Julien all the funnier. She can't communicate with the other animals, and she mainly acts like a normal bear, albeit a circus bear.
253	[[/folder]]
254
255	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
256	* The otherwise completely normal moth that Gargamel saw in ''Film/TheSmurfs'' is able to carry out his order to send a swarm of moths. His order backfires and the moth sent a swarm of ''flies'' instead, but still.
257	[[/folder]]
258
259	[[folder:Literature]]
260	* Semi and Miranda in ''Literature/DrFranklinsIsland'' are unusual examples, since they [[WasOnceAMan started off human]] and became a fish and a bird, respectively. But TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody, and they have animal-selves which are intelligent but disinterested in human things, and which threaten to take over.
261	* In the book ''Literature/IndianPaint'', the horses were almost normal, and completely unable to talk. This is particularly interesting because part of the book was told from the point of view of one of them.
262	* ''Literature/TheGirlWhoDrankTheMoon'' includes an unnamed crow that only makes birdcalls, but that Luna can understand like speech. That particular crow had a magical origin and there is no evidence of it speaking with other crows.
263	* Sparhawk's horse Faren in ''Literature/TheElenium'' is clearly far smarter than a typical horse, able to understand human speech to some extent, and to understand and follow combat tactics. He also imitates Sparhawk's behavior, causing others to believe he's a very bad-tempered horse when he's actually trying to fit in.
264	* ''Literature/BadMermaids'': Old Wonky, an octopus who works as a palace servant, can understand everything mermaids say but can't talk. He can answer yes or no questions by wriggling or rocking. When he tries to say more complicated things, he usually isn't understood, like [[spoiler:when he jumps up and down on Liberty Ling's throne to show that she's responsible for fishnapping Arabella Cod]].
265	[[/folder]]
266
267	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
268	* In ''Series/OurMissBrooks'' Mrs. Davis' cat Minerva and Mr. Boynton's frog [=McDougall=] were much smarter than your average cat or frog.
269	[[/folder]]
270
271	[[folder:Roleplay]]
272	* Kwang from ''Roleplay/DawnOfANewAgeOldportBlues'' acts like a normal squirrel but is somewhat capable of understanding the world around him, a little moreso than most animals would be. He's helped along by [[SpeaksFluentAnimal Hyeon's]] guidance.
273	[[/folder]]
274
275	[[folder:Video Games]]
276	* ''VideoGame/AnotherSight'' has Hodge, a rare playable version of this. Various characters remark he 'knows his way around' the strange game world, and he is incredibly helpful to Kit, but he doesn't ever demonstrate anything beyond being a remarkably intelligent cat. [[spoiler:Even travelling the dream realm while separated from Kit and jumping through a portal to save her doesn't quite put him as anything beyond this, as that realm is almost certainly a side effect of the Node. Then again, he's implied (and confirmed in the prequel game) to use the portals regularly in order to get around... although whether he makes them or just knows where they are is up in the air.]]
277	* ''VideoGame/FeedTheCat'': The cats mainly behave like real-life cats, but they sit with their back legs out in front of them and their front legs at their sides. They also like having money catapulted into their mouths for reasons unknown.
278	[[/folder]]
279
280	[[folder:Web Original]]
281	* ''Website/{{Serina}}'': During the Ultimocene, a number of creatures become smart enough to develop limited culture and innovative behaviors without becoming smart enough to form true civilization. Sapience, as the narration says, is a spectrum:
282	** The one bird that farms a species of snail for food, the farmerjay, does so instinctively, and is described as a clever animal with a strong ability to plan for the future, but isn't self-aware.
283	** The porplets and seastrikers are at the very cusp of true sapience as opposed to just being very smart animals, being highly intelligent with rich inner lives. Eventually, the seastrikers become truly sapient beings, the daydreamers, while the porplets' descendants become known as luddies, who typically average the intelligence of a daydreamer child. A few million years later, the luddies also become a sapient species, the greenskeepers.
284	** The bluetailed chatteravens are near-sophonts partially descended from a much older sapient species, and have a complex language and the ability to create tools, but apart from a single truly sapient individual they are no more intelligent than a chimp.
285	[[/folder]]
286
287	[[folder:Western Animation]]
288	* Appa and Momo in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' albeit fantasy animals, they act like animals. Of them both Appa is more intelligent than Momo as he does understand human language whilst Momo can't understand the meaning of the word water.
289	%%* The animals beside the monkey in ''WesternAnimation/{{Chuggington}}''.
290	* On ''Literature/LittlePrincess'', Little Princess's cat looks like a cat, pretty much behaves like a cat and can't talk or anything. However, he sometimes reacts as if he understands stuff that the humans are saying or doing, and sometimes puts on [[AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimal accessories]], stands on two legs (but not generally for very long), or holds things in his paws.
291	* ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'' has lots of [[TalkingAnimal talking]] or {{Civilized Animal}}s, but then there's the deer whom our season two protagonists dub "Alan Dracula." In terms of behavior his only odd trait seems to be how friendly and unafraid he is of other creatures, willingly following [[AntiHero MT]] and [[LovableJock Jesse]] on their journey; however, he also has a [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands random and ever-growing set of superpowers]]. Given his limited intelligence, however, this makes him as much a hindrance as a help with the Train's various tasks.
292	%%* The animals in ''WesternAnimation/KryptoTheSuperdog'' except Mechanicat, who is a cyborg FunnyAnimal cat. The animal characters sometimes lean toward the CivilizedAnimal trope at times.
293	* Greg's Frog in ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'' act like a normal frog but seem to be capable of understand him and understand to some extend what's going on. Of course until [[spoiler:TheReveal that he's the narrator.]]
294	* The sandpipers and hermit crabs from ''WesternAnimation/{{Piper}}'' look, sound and behave mostly like their RealLife counterparts, although their face is slightly more expressive and are apparently capable of between-species communication.
295	* Laddie from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "The Canine Mutiny". Santa's Little Helper and Snowball II are usually just normal animals, but rise to this level occasionally as the RuleOfFunny dictates.
296	[[/folder]]

Context Main / NearlyNormalAnimal