History Analysis / SomewhereAMammalogistIsCrying

* All armadillos are portrayed with the ability to curl up into a ball when threatened. In real life, only the three-banded armadillo of South America possesses this ability. However, the ''nine-banded armadillo'' is the most well known and most often used in fiction (likely due to its larger range in both North and South America), but it ''cannot'' curl up into a ball.

** Rhinoceroses in media will usually be depicted with [[RhinoRampage the violent temperament]] not unlike that of the [[AngryAngryHippos common hippopotamus]], when they are actually not as dangerous in real life. The white rhinoceros, which is the largest extant rhinoceros, is actually a GentleGiant most of the time and are even social. That said, the black rhinoceros on the other hand is quite aggressive and high-strung, with most rhino attacks on humans being attributed to this species which may be responsible for the bad rep of rhinos. Less mentioned in fiction is the ''terrible'' eyesight of rhinos, which is attributed to them charging supposedly without provocation.

** Rhinoceroses in media will usually be depicted with [[RhinoRampage the violent temperament]] not unlike that of the [[AngryAngryHippos common hippopotamus]], when they are actually not as dangerous in real life. The white rhinoceros, which is the largest extant rhinoceros, is actually a GentleGiant most of the time and are even social. That said, the black rhinoceros on the other hand is quite aggressive and high-strung, with most rhino attacks on humans being attributed to this species. Less mentioned in fiction is the ''terrible'' eyesight of rhinos, which is attributed to them charging supposedly without provocation.

** Rhinoceroses in media will usually depicted with [[RhinoRampage the violent temperament]] not unlike that of the [[AngryAngryHippos common hippopotamus]], when they are actually not as dangerous in real life. The white rhinoceros, which is the largest extant rhinoceros, is actually a GentleGiant most of the time and are even social. That said, the black rhinoceros on the other hand is quite aggressive and prone to charging without provocation.

** Rhinoceroses in media will usually depicted with [[RhinoRampage the violent temperament]] not unlike that of the [[AngryAngryHippos common hippopotamus]], when they are actually not as dangerous in real life. The white rhinoceros, which is the largest extant rhinoceros, is actually a GentleGiant most of the time and are even social.

** Cartoons usually portray [[HuggyHuggyHippos the common hippopotamus as a cute, friendly, lovable, and contented animal]]. In reality, [[AngryAngryHippos hippos]] are ''extremely'' [[HairTriggerTemper aggressive]] and [[TheBerserker violent]], attacking anything that comes within their territory or even their very presence, to the point they're considered the most dangerous large mammals in Africa. That said, the pygmy hippopotamus (which is rarely seen in media and rare in real life anyways) is docile for the most part and will only bite when provoked. Meanwhile, the large land mammal usually given in fiction the violent temperament of a common hippo, the [[RhinoRampage rhinoceros]], is actually not as aggressive in real life. The white rhinoceros, the largest of the extant rhinos, is actually a GentleGiant most of the time.

** Bears being portrayed as carnivorous (with the exception of the [[PandaingToTheAudience giant panda]], which is known for eating [[StockAnimalDiet bamboo]]). The most common and well-known bear species (brown and American black bears) are mostly vegetarians; up to 90% of their diet consists of plant matter, and they save eating meat for special occasions. While polar bears are more carnivorous than other bear species, this is due to them evolving in a cold climate with little edible plant life.

** Portraying tigers as inferior to lions. Tigers are the ''biggest'' cats alive today, and one is more than capable of defeating a male lion in a one-on-one fight.

** Pigs being dirty animals who adore filth and mud. When pigs are left in open environments, they keep it clean by animal standards. They roll in mud to keep cool, since they don't sweat like humans do. The reason pigs on farms are confined to small pens is to make them dig up the soil to find roots, since it leaves the soil very fertile.

* Rodents are usually drawn with white incisors, despite the fact that some, such as beavers and porcupines, have orange or yellow incisors.

* Mandrills are often confused for baboons, due to their faces being shaped similarly. Mandrills are larger and have colorful faces and stubby tails, unlike baboons. Mandrills ''were'' once considered a species of baboon and, but although they are still related to them, scientific studies have found more similarity with mangabeys than with baboons. Mandrills are nowadays considered to be in their own genus, along with a similar but uncommon species of primate known as the drill.

* Mandrills are often confused for baboons, due to their faces being shaped similarly. Mandrills are larger and have colorful faces and stubby tails, unlike baboons. Mandrills ''were'' once considered a species of baboon, but this turned out to be not the case, with scientific studies finding more similarity to mangabeys than baboons. Mandrills are nowadays considered to be in their own family, along with a similar but uncommon breed of monkey known as a drill.

* Lemmings are almost always depicted as [[SuicidalLemmings killing themselves]]. While lemmings in real life do jump off cliffs, this is done for the purpose of migration rather than suicide. And given how small and light they are, offing themselves this way seems pointless.

* Lemmings are almost always depicted as [[SuicidalLemmings killing themselves]]. While lemmings in real life do jump off cliffs, this is done for the purpose of migration rather than suicide.

* Gorillas being portrayed as [[KillerGorilla violent, aggressive, and predatory]] {{Xenophobic Herbivore}}s. [[GentleGorilla Real-life gorillas]] are actually [[HerbivoresAreFriendly friendly and herbivorous]] {{Gentle Giant}}s preferring to solve problems diplomatically; when faced with a threat, gorillas would use bluff attacks and only use violence as a last resort. Ironically, the "violent, aggressive, and predatory" portrayal is actually more fitting with chimpanzees (which have seriously injured humans, practice warfare, occasionally hunt big game and are known cannibals).

** Portraying the orca as a lesser predator than the great white shark. In real life, orcas are bigger and stronger than great white sharks and the only predator (besides humans and other great whites) that preys on them, with every account of an orca attack on the shark resulting in the entire shark population evacuating the area, including feeding grounds. Even a large great white knows better than to attack an orca, which have a method of killing sharks by flipping them upside-down and hold onto them until they drown.

** Toothed whales being drawn with belly linings, which are only present in baleen whales (as the linings help the whale expand its mouth as it feeds).

** Toothed whales being drawn with belly linings, which are only present in baleen whales (as the linings help the whale expand its throat as it feeds).