Species Morality Coding
Many predators (whether omnivorous or carnivorous) and scavengers are usually pegged as bad, mean, or evil even though most are not especially mean or aggressive in Real Life. Most herbivores are pegged as good, friendly, or nice even though many large herbivorous mammals are especially mean and aggressive in Real Life. Despite this trope's existence, animals that are pegged as bad or evil in fiction are actually not evil at all in Real Life and deserve respect and conservation as much as animals that are pegged as good in fiction, do.
Sometimes, there are differences with the species' moral coding across different cultures. For example, in Western cultures, ravens are generally portrayed negatively morality coding wise, but in Pacific Northwest Native American folklore, they are Guile Heroes. Skunks are recently pegged as good in the West, whereas in the rest of the world such as the Native American cultures, skunks are always pegged as bad. Cats (though usually not kittens) are generally considered bad and mean in most of Western cultures, but in various Asian cultures, cats are generally pegged as lucky and good. Dogs, while generally portrayed as heroic and good in Western and some Asian cultures, are always pegged as savage and evil in Middle-Eastern cultures.
Sometimes, some types of animals within a larger group of animals are portrayed either more negatively or more positively morality coding wise. For example, turtles, tortoises, and certain types of lizards are pegged as good guys whereas other reptiles are generally pegged as bad guys. Ravens and crows are technically songbirds, but unlike other songbirds, they are generally pegged as bad. Sometimes this even occurs within a species. Dogs, despite being predators and scavengers in real life, are typically portrayed as heroic and lovable, but certain adult dog breeds, such as bulldogs, pit bulls, chihuahuas and dobermans, are regularly cast as villains. Most of the rat characters in the media are presented as sewer rats, which are pegged as bad, but other subspecies of rats such as pet fancy rats and water rats can be on the side of good.
Sometimes, there are differences in the moral coding of a species across different time periods or locations. For the longest time, wolves were among the most demonized animal species, and in Europe and Asia this attitude still prevails. In North America, however, with its much larger tracts of wilderness, the wolf is viewed more positively. Also, sperm whales were generally pegged as bad guys in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but that portrayal of sperm whales has faded away as whaling became discredited. Before people knew that gorillas were gentle herbivorous animals, they were generally cast as pugnacious bad guys.
Some animals are usually pegged as good despite the negative expressions and associations attributed to them. For example, skunks are recently portrayed as good despite being associated with sneakiness and the expression, "drunk as a skunk." Also, when a person is called a "dog," the label usually refers to their disloyalty, even though real dogs are fiercely loyal (if not savage), and fictional dogs, can be either heroic and good, or savage and evil.
With some animals that are often pegged as bad or evil, the young of the species doesn't normally follow the moral pegging often attributed to the species' adult form. For example, when humans are cast as bad guys, it is usually adults that are cast as such. Children can be cast as villains, but it's usually done as a subversion or as an Enfant Terrible. Teens can be either/or in moral pegging. Also in Western media, adult cats are often cast as bad or mean, but kittens are usually exempt from that moral pegging. If a kitten is cast as evil, it's usually done for comedic purposes.
Species Morality Coding List
- Baboons, when compared to other monkeys
- Barracudas
- Birds in some cases
- Bugs, with a few exceptions
- Cassowaries
- Cats in Western media were treated as such, although kittens are often an exception ; especially black or hairless cats get this treatment, even today.
- Centipedes
- Chupacabras
- Cockroaches
- Crocodiles and alligators, traditionally
- Dingoes
- Certain breeds of dogs, such as Pitbulls, Dobermans, Rottweilers and Chihuahuas. (All dogs are unclean and evil in the Middle-Eastern media however.)
- Dromaeosaurids and troodontids (traditionally, because of Jurassic Park, more recently it's either/or)
- Eels
- Electric eels
- Falcons, traditionally
- Fleas
- Goats, traditionally when compared to sheep.
- Gorgonopsids
- Gorillas (traditionally, before The '90s, nowadays it's either/or)
- Humans (like it or not, we're nearly always the villains in stories about wild animals, although there are often exceptions)
- Hyenas, traditionally
- Jackals
- Monitor lizards
- Moths, when compared to butterflies.
- Mosquitos
- Most predators
- Most scavengers
- Most theropods, traditionally
- Pikes
- Piranhas
- Porcupines, when compared to hedgehogs
- Rats, especially sewer rats (non-sewer rats nowadays are either/or)
- Rhinoceroses, traditionally
- Scorpions
- Sharks
- Skuas
- Skunks, traditionally
- Snakes, especially venomous ones (though non-venomous snakes are either/or)
- Sperm whales (in the 19th and early 20th centuries)
- Spinosaurids
- Terror birds
- Termites
- Toads, when compared to frogs.
- Tyrannosaurus rex (before The '90s, nowadays it's either/or)
- Vultures
- Wasps, when compared with bees.
- Weasels, traditionally
- Western Dragons, traditionally.
- Wild pigs
- Wolves, traditionally
- Yetis, traditionally and when compared to Bigfeet
- Anteaters and aardvarks (unless ants and termites are involved)
- Antelopes
- Ants, traditionally
- Armadillos, traditionally
- Beavers
- Beetles, traditionally
- Bigfeet, traditionally and when compared to Yetis
- Butterflies
- Chameleons
- Chickens, traditionally
- Chipmunks
- Cranes, traditionally
- Deer (although The Rival may be an exception)
- Dolphins, traditionally
- Doves, traditionally
- Eastern Dragons, traditionally.
- Elephants, traditionally
- Fishes (except for sharks, eels, piranhas, barracudas, and pikes)
- Frilled lizards
- Frogs, traditionally
- Geckos
- Giraffes
- Guinea Pigs
- Hamsters
- Hedgehogs, when paired with villainous porcupines
- Herons (unless if frogs and fishes are involved)
- Hippopotamuses, traditionally
- Kittens, as opposed to adult cats. (Also, cats in general are treated as such in non-Western media.)
- Ladybugs
- Lemurs
- Manatees and dugongs
- Mice, especially when paired with villainous felines, rats or elephants
- Mongooses (including meerkats)
- Most herbivores
- Ostriches, traditionally
- Otters
- Pandas (both giant and red)
- Pelicans
- Penguins
- Pigeons, traditionally
- Roadrunners
- Sheep, though rams are occasionally an exception
- Sauropods and other herbivorous dinosaurs (though ceratopsians, pachycephalosaurs, and armored dinosaurs tend to be exceptions)
- Shrimps
- Sloths
- Songbirds
- Squirrels, especially if the dog is a villain
- Storks
- Swans, traditionally
- Turkeys
- Turtles, with the occasional exception of snapping turtles.
- Wallabies, when compared to kangaroos
- Whales, especially baleen whales
- Woodland Creatures
- Ants
- Badgers
- Badgers can be good
- Or they can be bad
- Chickens
- Bats
- Bats can be good
- Or they can be bad
- Bears
- Bees
- Beetles
- Big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, etc.)
- Bigfeet and Yetis
- Bigfeet and Yetis can be good
- Or they can be bad.
- Birds of prey (eagles, falcons, and hawks)
- Bison
- Buffalos
- Cats
- Cattle
- Coyotes
- Crabs and lobsters
- Crocodilians
- While there are many negative images, just as many positive ones, especially alligators, have also been seen especially in children's shows.
- Crows
- Dogs
- Dolphins, including orcas
- Dragons
- Ducks
- Bad ducks
- Good ducks
- Elephants, including mammoths
- Foxes
- Goats
- Gulls
- Hippopotamuses
- While hippopotamuses are generally portrayed in positive light, recent years have seen a few negative ones.
- Horses, donkeys, mules and zebras.
- Hyenas
- While there have been many negative portrayals in the past, recent years have seen a few positive ones.
- Iguanas
- Kangaroos
- Lake monsters
- Magpies
- Mice and non-sewer rats (due to confusion in certain cultures, these are often mixed up)
- Monkeys and apes
- Moose
- Non-venomous snakes (pythons, garter snakes, boas, kingsnakes, etc.)
- Octopuses and squid
- Owls
- Parrots
- Pigeons
- Although doves and pigeons are typically portrayed as good, evil pigeons are becoming more popular.
- Pigs
- Plesiosaurs
- Porcupines
- Pterosaurs
- Rabbits and hares
- Raccoons
- Ravens, especially in Native American folklore
- Rhinoceroses
- While rhinos have been usually portrayed as antagonists in the past, recent years have seen more good ones since they are now an endangered species.
- Seals and sea lions
- Skunks
- Although skunks are often portrayed as villains throughout history, modern media has some few positive portrayals, especially in the West.
- Spiders
- Squirrels
- Good squirrels
- Bad squirrels
- Toads
- Walruses
- Warthogs
- Weasels
- Whales
- They can be good
- Or they can be bad
- Wolves
- Humans can be either/or as well.
- Evil and Bad Adult Humans
- Good Adult Humans
- Good Human Children
- Evil and Bad Human Children