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When locals think about what defines the place they live in, food and history usually come to mind first. But culture is such a multifaceted concept that there are a whole lot of other details that make a region feel unique, like nature!
So today, let’s take a look at what people from around the world say is the coolest animal from their own country. Their choices can be surprisingly revealing—not only about the wildlife itself, but also about what society notices, values, and associates most strongly with home.
This absolute freakshow - platypus. It has a venom spike on the back of its rear legs, just to add to the weirdness.
GIC68:
And it doesn't have a stomach and lays eggs. But it sweats milk to feed its offsprings.
This animal is like when god was done creating all animals he swept the workshop and thought "now, what am I going to do with all that?"
Pine martens.
They can often be mistaken for squirrels. They do dwell a bit in cities and parks, but are stretched all across Croatia. Before the Euro, our national currency was named after pine martens (Kuna) because their pelt and hide was used in trade by Slavonian trappers and merchants during the Middle Ages.
The American Bison.
Flaky-Bar-6656:
As a North Dakotan, I’m very proud to say I get to see bison on a somewhat regular basis. Although the only truly “wild” bison left are in Wyoming. Also I’m an NDSU alumni, and their football team just got upgraded into Division 1. Go Bison!
This one. Not the species necessarily, but the individual. This is Freja, the currently oldest and most studied sea porpoise alive. She turned 30 this year which is app 5-6 times as old as porpoises live in nature. The image is deceptive, btw, she is quite tiny.
I’ve always thought the kangaroo is a pretty cool animal. The Big Red when standing can get as high as 6 feet tall. Love the fact they have a pouch to carry their joey around.
I love a lot of our animals, but one that's somewhat unique to this part of the world is the black squirrel. They're a genetic morph of the eastern grey squirrel mostly found in the northern portion of the Great Lakes Basin and apparently make up the majority of the species' population here in Ontario and also in Michigan in the States, but they're either rare or nonexistent elsewhere. I genuinely didn't know that until people not from this area seemed baffled by them... meanwhile they're all over here and I see them on my balcony almost daily. My ex is from a part of the US where there are no black squirrels and I remember joking when he first moved to the area that I'd spray-painted them all as a prank lol. My husband is from the UK and was similarly surprised the first time I sent him a photo of one outside my window when we were still long-distance.
Snow leopards.
PatientWolf7838:
If feline-shaped, why not friend-shaped as well?
Bearded vulture.
Unknown:
My favourite bird. It eats bones, how metal is that.
European Bison (żubr in polish).
They nearly extinct but luckily they were saved thanks to few of them still living in Poland. Now in Poland there are most of them in whole world, 3060 total and from this number 2855 are free (data from may 2025).
Other big amount is in Belarus 2385 in 2023.
It’s because they are living on the border Poland with Belarus in Białowieża National Park which is Europe last temperate primaeval forest and it’s on the border (before 1939 it was whole in Poland before border changes).
I also love squirrels, we have a lot of them around my house.
But I'll mention the flying squirrels, which belong into the highest protection bracket in Estonia. They're so cute, I'd love to see more of them here.
Only native North American marsupial, and thanks to undevelopable woodland behind my cookie-cutter house, they have a safe place to live.
I gotta go with the American crocodile. Crocodiles are cool as hell and it’s neat that one of the largest species lives in Florida alongside alligators.
Honorable mention goes to the pronghorn which is the second fastest land animal (up to 60 mph). I think they evolved alongside the American cheetah which went extinct so now they’re just vibing out West.
Hm. Well, the Korean tiger (sub-species of the Siberian tiger) is rare, only hangs out in the mountain forests around Mt. Paektu on the border with Manchuria. So, for a more common impressive beast, the Korean mountain boar. They're huge, a big male is easily the size of a motorcycle.
Not just confined to my Nation of course But I feel the humble raven has a lot to do Ancient British myths etc.
I always remember the story that when they leave the Tower of London the Country will fall.
Of course, *cool* is subjective. I'd probably say either a Humpback Whale or Stick Insect, which are very differently cool.
Saw a fox once really early in the morning in a misty park. Made my day.
Killer whales are sick. Grizzly. I’m actually found of the only American antelope the Proghorn. The Olympic marmot. Seen the condors too.
I was in Montana once and walking right past me out of nowhere was a brown bear not even caring about me less than 10 feet away and I almost ran only to then realize it was just one of those late summer black bears who had spent too much time in the sun.
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