National animals are important symbols that represent a country's cultural identity, heritage, and natural environment. National animals are typically chosen for qualities, such as strength, courage, or resilience, and they reflect the values or historical, mythological and cultural significance of a nation. Recognition of a national animal is typically formalized through legislation or an official document by which the community or collectivity operates.
The use of national animals goes back to ancient totemism. According to Émile Durkheim, totemism involves the veneration of a totemic animal as sacred, which also serves to organize social structures within the clan. Members of the clan are believed to embody the attributes of their totemic animal. Animals are typically chosen over plants or rocks because of the natural relationship between humans and animals, especially in economic life. Some of these dynamics persist in the concept of national animals.
National animals can be determined through both bottom-up and top-down approaches, that is, can be created, imported, or inherited. The characteristics of the national animal are altered to portray the self-perception of the nation. They symbolize and uphold the ideal shared values of the country's population. The country's other national symbols, such as the coat of arms and currency, usually bear the national animal.
National animals
Country Name of animal Scientific name Picture Ref. Snow leopard (national animal)Panthera uncia Abyssinian cat (national cat) (a breed of)Felis catus Golden eagle (national bird) Aquila chrysaetos Fennec fox (national animal) Vulpes zerda Red-crested turaco (national bird) Tauraco erythrolophus Giant sable antelope (national animal)Hippotragus niger variani European fallow deer (national animal)Dama dama Frigate (national bird)Fregata magnificens Hawksbill turtle (national sea creature)Eretmochelys imbricata Rufous hornero (national bird)Furnarius rufus Golden eagle (national bird) Aquila chrysaetos Red kangaroo (national animal)Macropus rufusEmu (national bird)Dromaius novaehollandiae Austrian Bundesadler (heraldic "Federal Eagle") MythicalKarabakh horse (national horse)Equus caballus Blue marlin (national fish)Makaira nigricans Flamingo (national bird)Phoenicopterus ruber Bengal tiger (national animal) Panthera tigris tigris Magpie robin (national bird)Copsychus saularis Ilish (national fish)Tenualosa ilisha European bison Bison bonasus Leo Belgicus (heraldic "Belgic lion") Mythical Baird's tapir (national animal)Tapirus bairdii Keel-billed toucan (national bird)Ramphastos sulfuratus Druk (national mythical creature)Mythical Takin (national animal)Budorcas taxicolor Plains zebra (national animal) Equus quagga Jaguar (national animal) Panthera onca Rufous-bellied thrush (national bird)Turdus rufiventris Lion (in Bulgarian heraldry) Panthera leo Kouprey (national mammal) Bos sauveli Giant ibis (national bird) Pseudibis gigantea Northern river terrapin (national reptile) Batagur baska Giant barb (national fish) Catlocarpio siamensis North American beaver (national animal)Castor canadensis Canadian horse (national horse) Equus ferus caballus South Andean deer (national animal) Hippocamelus bisulcus Chinese dragon (national mythical creature) Mythical Giant panda (national animal) Ailuropoda melanoleuca Red-crowned crane (national bird) Grus japonensis Okapi (national animal) Okapia johnstoni Andean condor (national bird)Vultur gryphus Yigüirro (national bird)Turdus grayi White-tailed deer (national animal) Odocoileus virginianus West Indian manatee (national aquatic animal) Trichechus manatus Two-toed sloth (national animal) Choloepus hoffmanniThree-toed sloth (national animal) Bradypus variegatus Pine marten (national animal)Martes martes Cuban trogon (national bird) Priotelus temnurus Cypriot mouflon (national animal)Ovis orientalis Double-tailed lion Mythical Red squirrel (national mammal) Sciurus vulgaris Mute swan (national bird)Cygnus olor Small tortoiseshell (national butterfly)Aglais urticae Sisserou parrot (national bird)Amazona imperalis Steppe eagle (national bird)Aquila nipalensis Arabian camel (national animal)Camelus dromedarius Lion (national animal)Panthera leo Wolf (national animal) Canis lupus Barn swallow (national bird) Hirundo rustica Baltic herring (national fish) Clupea harengus membras Swallowtail (national butterfly) Papilio machaon Brown bear (national animal) Ursus arctos Whooper swan (national bird) Cygnus cygnus European perch (national fish) Perca fluviatilis Seven-spot ladybird (national insect) Coccinella septempunctata Gallic rooster (national bird)Gallus gallus domesticus Black panther (national animal)Panthera pardus Spotted hyena (national animal) Crocuta crocuta Bundesadler (heraldic "Federal Eagle")Mythical Phoenix (national bird) Mythical Dolphin (national animal) Delphinidae Grenada dove (national bird) Leptotila wellsi Resplendent quetzal (national bird) Pharomachrus mocinno Jaguar (national animal)Panthera onca Hispaniolan trogon (national bird) Priotelus roseigaster White-tailed deer (national animal)Odocoileus virginianus Scarlet macaw (national bird) Ara macao Turul (national mythical creature)Mythical (most probably Falco cherrug) Gyrfalcon (national bird) Falco rusticolus Bengal tiger (national animal) Panthera tigris tigris Indian peafowl (national bird)Pavo cristatus Ganges river dolphin (national aquatic animal) Platanista gangetica Indian elephant (national heritage animal) Elephas maximus indicus Komodo dragon (national animal) Varanus komodoensis Javan hawk-eagle (national bird) Nisaetus bartelsi Asian arowana (national fish) Scleropages formosusAsiatic lion (national animal)Panthera leo persica Persian Leopard (national animal)Panthera pardus saxicolorChukar partridge (National bird) Alectoris chukar Goat (National animal, KRG) Capra aegagrus Irish hare Lepus timidus hibernicus Lion of Judah (heraldic symbol)Panthera leo Eurasian hoopoe (national bird) Upupa epops Palestine viper (national snake)Daboia palaestinaeCanaan Dog (national dog breed)Canis familiarisCommon black scorpion (national scorpion)Nebo hierichonticusMountain gazelle (national animal)Gazella gazellaItalian wolf (national animal)Canis lupus italicus Red-billed streamertail (national bird) Trochilus polytmus Green pheasant (national bird) Phasianus versicolor Koi (national fish) Cyprinus carpio Lion (national animal) Panthera leo Asian elephant (national animal)Elephas maximus White wagtail (national bird) Motacilla alba Two-spotted ladybug (national insect) Adalia bipunctata Striped hyena (national animal) Hyaena hyaena White stork (national bird) Ciconia ciconia Zebu (in Malagasy heraldry) Bos primigenius indicus Symbols of Madagascar Ring-tailed lemur (national animal) Lemur catta Malayan tiger (national animal)Panthera tigrisPharaoh Hound (national dog breed)Canis lupus familiaris Dodo (national bird and animal)Raphus cucullatus Golden eagle (national bird and animal) Aquila chrysaetos Xoloitzcuintli (national dog breed) (a breed of)Canis lupus familiaris Jaguar (national mammal) Panthera onca Grasshopper (national arthropod ) Sphenarium purpurascens Vaquita (national marine mammal) Phocoena sinus Aurochs (national animal) Bos primigenius European hedgehog (national animal) Erinaceus europaeus European rabbit (national animal) Oryctolagus cuniculus Wood mouse (national animal) Apodemus sylvaticus Przewalski's horse (national animal) Equus ferus przewalskii Saker falcon (national bird) Falco cherrug Gobi bear (national pride animal)Ursus arctos gobiensis Barbary lion (national animal) Panthera leo leo Cow (national animal)Bos indicusHimalayan monal (national bird)Lophophorus impejanus Lion (heraldic symbol)Panthera leo Black-tailed godwit (national bird) Limosa limosa Kiwi (national bird)Apteryx sp. Turquoise-browed motmot (national bird) Eumomota superciliosa EagleAccipitridaeBlack crowned crane (national bird)Balearica pavonina Qianlima (national animal)MythicalSiberian tiger (national animal) Panthera tigris altaica Pungsan dog (national dog) Canis familiaris Korean magpie (national bird) Pica serica Eurasian elk/moose (national animal) Alces alces Lion (royal national animal)Panthera leoWhite-throated dipper (national bird)Cinclus cinclusFjord horse (national horse)Equus ferus caballusMarkhor (national animal)Capra falconeriIndus river dolphin (national aquatic mammal)Platanista minor Chukar (national bird) Alectoris chukar Mugger crocodile (national reptile) Crocodylus palustris Shaheen falcon (heritage bird) Falco peregrinus peregrinator Snow leopard (national predator) Panthera uncia Harpy eagle (national bird) Harpia harpyja Panamanian golden frog (national animal)Atelopus zeteki Dugong (national marine mammal) Dugong dugon Vicuña (national animal) Vicugna vicugnaAndean cock-of-the-rock (national bird) Rupicola peruvianaCarabao (national animal)Bubalus bubalis Philippine eagle (national bird)Pithecophaga jefferyi White-tailed eagle (national bird) Haliaeetus albicilla White stork (national bird) Ciconia ciconia European bison (national animal) Bison bonasus Dragon (traditional coat of arms / national animal) Mythical Cock of Barcelos (national bird)Mythical Iberian Wolf (national animal) Canis lupus signatus Arabian oryx (national animal) Oryx leucoryx Eurasian Lynx Lynx lynx Brown bear (national animal) Ursus arctos Double-headed eagle (traditional coat of arms) Mythical Leopard Panthera pardus Brown pelican (national bird) Pelecanus occidentalis Saint Lucia amazon (national bird)Amazona versicolor Saint Vincent amazon (national bird)Amazona guildingii Arabian camel (national animal) Camelus dromedarius Wolf (national animal) Canis lupus lupus White eagle (traditional coat of arms)Mythical Chimpanzee (national animal) Pan troglodytes Lion (national animal) Panthera leo Leopard (national animal)Panthera pardus Springbok (national animal) Antidorcas marsupialis Blue crane (national bird)Anthropoides paradiseus Galjoen (national fish) Dichistius capensis Siberian tiger (national animal) Panthera tigris altaica Korean magpie (national bird) Pica serica African fish eagle (national bird) Haliaeetus vocifer Bull (national animal) Bos taurus Grizzled giant squirrel (national animal) Ratufa macroura Sri Lankan junglefowl (national bird) Gallus lafayettii Secretarybird (national bird) Sagittarius serpentarius Eurasian elk/moose (national animal) Alces alces Eurasian blackbird (national bird)Turdus merula Cow (national animal)Bos taurus Formosan black bear (national animal) Ursus thibetanus formosanus Giraffe (national animal) Giraffa sp. Asian elephant (national animal) Elephas maximus Siamese fighting fish (national aquatic animal) Betta splendens Lion Panthera leo Gray wolf (national animal)Canis lupusMurat Arman, "The Sources of Banality In Transforming Turkish Nationalism", CEU Political Science Journal, issue: 2 (2007), p. 136.Kangal Shepherd Dog (national dog)Canis lupus familiarisTurkish Angora (national cat)Felis catus Grey crowned crane (national bird) Balearica regulorum Ugandan kob (national animal) Kobus kob thomasi Saker falcon (national bird)Falco cherrug Arabian oryx (national animal)Oryx leucoryx Bulldog (Britain as "British Bulldog") Canis lupus familiaris Lion (England) Panthera leo Red kite (Wales) Milvus milvus Unicorn (Scotland) Mythical Y Ddraig Goch (The Red Dragon of Wales) Mythical Bald eagle (national bird)Haliaeetus leucocephalus American bison (national mammal)Bison bison Venezuelan troupial (national bird) Icterus icterus Water buffalo (national animal) Bubalus bubalis Sable antelope (national animal) Hippotragus niger African fish eagle (national bird) Haliaeetus vocifer
See also
List of animals representing first-level administrative country subdivisions List of national birds Animals as heraldic charges List of national flowers National personification
Notes
References