# 'Symbolic' aminals of modern nations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868 "2003-03-16T23:34:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/1 "2003-03-16T23:34:04Z")
The USA has the Eagle. Canada has the Beaver. The UK has the Bulldog. The USSR formerly (and maybe Russia now) had the Bear. These are the animals that show up in political cartoons with little labels reading ‘USA’ or ‘Canada’ or whatever. Does every country have such an animal? What are the symbolic animals of other countries? China? Iraq? France? ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/2 "2003-03-16T23:39:59Z")
France has the rooster. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/3 "2003-03-17T00:57:10Z")
I suspect that not every country has a national animal, but this kind of symbolism is very Victorian so may have expanded to cover countries of the west and those it had dealings with during the C19[sup]th[/sup]. Some symbols are much older than that though – Scotland, for instance, has been represented by the unicorn since the C16[sup]th[/sup] or earlier and both England and Scotland have used the lion. The USSR actually inherited the bear symbol from tsarist Russia and I’ve seen Turkey and Germany represented by bears too. Eagles (especially double-headed ones) have been used to represent various central and eastern European countries following the symbols used on national and royal coats of arms. China seems to have been traditionally represented by the dragon, Japan has the crane, Thailand and India (among others) have the elephant, Australia has the kangaroo, New Zealand the kiwi and South Africa the springbok (a type of gazelle). Several national sports teams have animal or bird nicknames but I’m not certain that the countries themselves use the same symbols. For example, the Argentina rugby team are known as the pumas, while football teams are called the Super Eagles (Nigeria), the Lions (Senegal) and Indomitable Lions (Cameroon). ---
**Author:** ![TheFunkySpaceCowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@TheFunkySpaceCowboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFunkySpaceCowboy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/4 "2003-03-17T01:41:58Z")
Chili has, or had circa 1912, the Huemul (Andes deer) and a Condor on it’s national crest. I have a surplus Chilean army Mauser rifle from that period with the crest stamped on it, which is how I know. I have no idea if they’ve since changed the national crest or not. Cheers, ---
**Author:** ![Goofus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@Goofus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goofus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/5 "2003-03-17T01:46:06Z")
In political cartoons China is sometimes represented by a panda bear. I doubt that’s their national animal though. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/6 "2003-03-17T01:46:26Z")
For some reason I associate the peacock with Iran pre Islamic Revolution. I’m not sure why. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/7 "2003-03-17T01:56:34Z")
Lagomorph, you possibly know this, but the Peacock Throne was stolen from Mughal Delhi by Nadir Shah and brought back to Persia for his successors to sit on. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/8 "2003-03-17T03:16:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eburacum45 \* > \*\*Lagomorph, you possibly know this, but the Peacock Throne was stolen from Mughal Delhi by Nadir Shah and brought back to Persia for his successors to sit on. \*\* That’s it. I’ve heard the former Shah’s throne called “The Peacock Throne”. I didn’t know why though, really. Brain not work so good sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/9 "2003-03-17T03:24:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > \*\*France has the rooster. \*\* I thought they were represented by the monkey. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/10 "2003-03-17T06:35:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DreadCthulhu \* > \*\*I thought they were represented by the monkey. 🙂 \*\* No, that’s the U.S. Come to think of it, most countries are represented by monkeys. Australia has the kangaroo _and_ the emu, supposedly because both animals can only go forward, never backwards. The national bird of South Africa is the blue crane, but it is possible that the springbok is their national animal. It’s definitely the mascot of their rugby team … rugby being the most popular sport there. ---
**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/11 "2003-03-17T06:55:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DreadCthulhu \* > \*\*I thought they were represented by the monkey. 🙂 \*\* I think it says quite enough that the rooster is a kind of chicken (sorry, I had to…) ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/12 "2003-03-17T08:58:45Z")
And there was me thinking this was a chemistry question… ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/13 "2003-03-17T13:07:09Z")
Singapore has the [Lion](http://web.mit.edu/mitsss/www/lionsymbol.html), although they are not native. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/14 "2003-03-17T13:24:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBill \* > \*\*Singapore has the [Lion](http://web.mit.edu/mitsss/www/lionsymbol.html), although they are not native. \*\* Could be because the name means Lion City. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/15 "2003-03-17T14:37:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Floater \* > \*\*Could be because the name means Lion City. \*\* From my link: > [@](#): > > As recorded in the 13th century Malay Annals, a prince from Palembang was shipwrecked and washed ashore to an unknown island. Subsequently, he saw a creature which he believed was a lion and named the island “Singa Pura” (“Lion City”) - from which the name Singapore was derived. The animal “sighting” came before the name. Does nobody click links? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/16 "2003-03-17T14:52:39Z")
Wales is the dragon, if you consider Wales a country. England isn’t really the bulldog, though. It’s the lion. Lions symbolize England in more seals, shields, and other heraldric imagery than you can shake a stick at. ---
**Author:** ![slipster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@slipster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slipster)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/17 "2003-03-17T16:56:16Z")
Portugal, like France, uses a rooster. It is a distinctive black one with a red comb, and derives from a legend from the Middle Ages. ---
**Author:** ![Insecta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3da27b/32.png) [@Insecta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Insecta)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/18 "2003-03-17T17:10:22Z")
Curiously, the British shield on my passport and in many other places has a unicorn on the other side. Any reason for this? Like the US, Germany also has an eagle. A black one, commonly against yellow. I believe it’s not such a popular symbol since the fall of the Third Reich. Poland has the white bird against a ‘field of red’. The Romans placed a lot importance on wolves, because the founders of Rome were supposedly nursed by one. Mussolini brought this emblem back, not sure if it’s still used by Italians. Papau New Guinea’s national animal (and bird) is the Bird of Paradise, which can be seen on it’s flag. New Zealand is surely represented by the Kiwi bird. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/19 "2003-03-17T17:49:45Z")
what does ireland have? donkeys? sheep? horses? i suppose the red and white bulls, but that’s only 2 provinces… we’re mostly harps and shamrocks. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868/20 "2003-03-17T18:08:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Insecta \* > \*\*Curiously, the British shield on my passport and in many other places has a unicorn on the other side. Any reason for this? > > Like the US, Germany also has an eagle. A black one, commonly against yellow. I believe it’s not such a popular symbol since the fall of the Third Reich. Poland has the white bird against a ‘field of red’. The Romans placed a lot importance on wolves, because the founders of Rome were supposedly nursed by one. Mussolini brought this emblem back, not sure if it’s still used by Italians. Papau New Guinea’s national animal (and bird) is the Bird of Paradise, which can be seen on it’s flag. New Zealand is surely represented by the Kiwi bird. \*\* Apologies for quoting myself… > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by everton \* > \*\*Scotland, for instance, has been represented by the unicorn since the C16[sup]th[/sup] or earlier and both England and Scotland have used the lion. > … > Eagles (especially double-headed ones) have been used to represent various central and eastern European countries following the symbols used on national and royal coats of arms. > … > New Zealand [has] the kiwi… \*\* So the unicorn is for Scotland. It was adpoted from the Royal Arms of Scotland when James I and VI became king of both countries in 1603. Previously the Welsh dragon had been used together with the English lion. Germany does still use the eagle but they try not to make it look very agressive. [The one displayed in the Bundestag](http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/) has been humourously referred to as the ‘fette henne’ or ‘fat chicken’. The Polish bird is also an eagle, which has been a symbol of Poland for 700 years. Other countries that use eagles include Russia, Albania and Serbia-Montenegro (actually the eagle is just for Serbia because Montenegro has the lion). The double-headed eagle was formerly a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire. The Romans used an eagle too, but these days the wolf only appears on regalia for the city of Rome, not the whole of Italy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-aminals-of-modern-nations/161868.md?page=2)