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Analysis / Animal Occupation Stereotypes

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    By Animal Species 
  • Alligators and Crocodiles:
    • Golf players, since there are many golf courses that keep alligators in the water.note 
    • Because of the Sewer Gator trope, crocodilians may be depicted as working in sewers.
    • Sailors and pirates, due to crocodilians being semi-aquatic.
  • Beavers: Construction workers and carpenters are the most common choices, as this resembles real beavers' habits of building dams. Plumbers and repairmen are less common, but still prevalent choices. They are likely to be seen as hardworking regardless of occupation.
  • Bears (also applied to Polar Bears and Pandas):
    • Chefs, due to bears' real-life status as Big Eater omnivores. They'll usually specialize in desserts, because bears love honey and are associated with many types of candy (like gummy bears and Toblerone).
    • Due to their large size and great physical strength, it's common to see bears as wrestlers, boxers, weightlifters, American Football players, or other athletes that are usually large and strong. It helps that bears are used as mascots for many college and professional sports teams. If anthropomorphic animals are competing in The Olympics or something similar, they may be used as stand-ins for Russian/Soviet athletes, as the bear is a symbol of Russia.
  • Bees:
    • Construction workers and carpenters, since bees build homes for themselves. Expect bees to be portrayed as hardworking regardless of their occupation.
    • Bakers and other chefs are also commonly associated with bees since bees are known for making honey.
    • Bees may also be portrayed as florists and gardeners because of their status as pollinators.
  • Birds:
    • Because birds (especially songbirds and roosters) are known for making calls that sound like music, several species may be portrayed as singers and musicians.
    • Pilots or flight attendants, since most birds are capable of flight.
  • Cats:
    • Since cats have a reputation for being stealthy, they may be ninjas or spies, sometimes a Visual Pun on the phrase "cat burglar".
    • Cats Are Magic, so they may be portrayed as witches or other magic-users. Witch cats are most likely to have black fur.
    • Cats may be portrayed as jazz musicians since "cat" also refers to a slang term for a jazz player. They're likely to be a Cool Cat, too. Typically, they'll be pianists or keyboardists, because cats have a tendency to jump up onto pianos and lay on the keys.
  • Cattle:
    • Farmers, as cattle are often seen in rural areas.
    • Cowboys, usually for the sake of a pun.
    • Milkmen, because cows are known for producing milk. Because cow's milk is also used to make ice cream, they may also be ice cream vendors.
  • Chameleons: Since chameleons are known for their ability to camouflage themselves, they may be portrayed as spies or ninjas.
  • Cheetahs: Because cheetahs are known for having the fastest running speed of any animal, they are likely to be portrayed as athletes (especially runners).
  • Crickets: Musicians, because the sounds crickets make are often likened to music.
  • Dragonflies: Fighter pilots, as they're fast-flying and aggressive predators whose bodies resemble airplanes. Their large compound eyes even kind of look like a pilot's goggles.
  • Dogs:
    • Many hunting/guard dog breeds (especially German Shepherds, Dobermann Pinschers, Rottweilers, etc) tend to have various security-related professions, especially law enforcement or military:
      • Police officers, especially German Shepherds, because they're one of the breeds most associated with K-9 units. If they're a Big Friendly Dog, they may be portrayed as a noble and righteous cop, but if they're a vicious Angry Guard Dog, then they may engage in Police Brutality. Similarly, Bloodhounds tend to be portrayed as police detectives or forensic scientists due to their famous scent-tracking abilities.
      • German Shepherds and other related breeds are also commonly depicted as soldiers, or otherwise having jobs relating to the military. If no longer serving, they may be a Shell-Shocked Veteran.
    • Dalmatians are almost always firefighters, due to the historic association of the Dalmatian breed as firehouse mascots.
    • Livestock-herding dog breeds (such as Border Collies) may be portrayed as farmers and shepherds due to their herding behaviors.
    • They may be portrayed as assistants to ill, injured, or disabled people, in reference to dogs being used as service animals, especially breeds such as Golden/Labrador Retrievers. They may also be portrayed as hospital orderlies, although usually of the friendly kind as opposed to the creepy kind.
    • Poodles will often be portrayed as hairstylists or fashion models, because the fur on their head and ears looks like a voluminous, 1980s-style hairdo. Due to their association with dog shows and the ease at which they can learn tricks, they may also be entertainers of some sort, usually of The Prima Donna variety.
    • In some mythologies, morticians and other jobs relating to death, similar to the related jackals.
  • Donkeys and Mules:
  • Ducks:
    • May be portrayed as doctors, often false or incompetent doctors due to the term "quack". The pun "ducktor" may be used at some point.
    • Ducks are seen as funny, so they may be comedians or clowns on occasion.
    • Seafaring jobs, since ducks are waterbirds.
  • Eagles:
  • Elephants:
    • Jobs requiring great strength, such as construction workers, police officers, and bouncers/guards.
    • Because of the trumpeting sound they make, elephants may commonly be depicted as musicians (especially in genres such as jazz, where brass instruments are often played).
    • Since elephants are very smart animals who have very good memories, they may be portrayed as scholars or librarians. They may use their prehensile trunks to grab books off a bookshelf or even to write. Because elephants are commonly found in South Asia, there may be some overlap with Bollywood Nerd.
    • Circus performers, because elephants used to be common attractions at circuses and are still associated with the circus to this day. The Strongman is a particularly popular choice, because, as previously mentioned, elephants are very strong.
  • Ferrets: Since a group of ferrets is called a business, ferrets may be depicted as businesspeople or working in an office job. They may be depicted as literal Weasel Coworkers if they're portrayed as particularly unpleasant.
  • Fish: Either students or teachers, as "school" also means a group of fish.
  • Flies: Waste collectors, because flies tend to congregate around rotting food and other things that people throw away.
  • Foxes: Con artists and thieves, due to their famously crafty nature. This can be portrayed positively as Lovable Rogues, or negatively. Heroic foxes may be portrayed as scientists and spies.
  • Frogs:
    • Ninjas and other stealth-oriented jobs because of their agility and stealthiness.
    • Princes or other royals, as a reference to The Frog Prince.
  • Geese:
  • Giraffes: Because of their height and agility, they may be athletes, especially gymnasts and basketball players.
  • Gophers:
  • Gorillas:
    • Bouncers, bodybuilders, guards, and other jobs that require a lot of strength and are typically given to large and imposing people tend to be most commonly associated with gorillas, especially Killer Gorillas. Soldiers or Drill Sergeant Nasties are common as well, both because a group of gorillas is called a troop, and as a pun on the term "guerrilla warfare".
    • Sometimes, especially in the case of Gentle Gorillas, they may be portrayed as musicians. This is often in reference to how gorillas tend to sing when they eat, and how a group of gorillas can also be called a band. Musician gorillas are likely to be portrayed as percussionists due to their drumming on their chest being one of their most well-known behaviors, and there is the chance of them being fairly wild.
    • May be portrayed as athletes, especially in sports that require a lot of strength (notably football, boxing, and wrestling). Whether they're a Jerk Jock or Lovable Jock tends to differ.
  • Groundhogs: Weathermen, due to the tradition of Groundhog Day, in which a groundhog is believed to predict if there will be an early spring based on whether or not it sees its shadow.
  • Horses:
    • Cowboys, due to horses being the mount of choice for a typical cowboy.
    • Similarly, horses may be portrayed as sheriffs.
    • Due to the Upper-Class Equestrian trope, horses may be portrayed as aristocrats or socialites.
    • Knights, because they traditionally ride horses into battle.
  • Hyenas:
    • Comedians, due to hyenas being known for laughing.
    • Hyenas may also be portrayed as clowns for similar reasons. However, they're more likely to be portrayed as Monster Clowns or at least Villainous Harlequins than Non Ironic Clowns, due to hyenas generally being depicted as evil.
    • In the rare case that a female hyena shows up, she may be portrayed as a leader of some kind. This is in reference to how hyena clans are matriarchal in real life.
    • Morticians, due to hyenas' reputation as scavengers.
  • Jackals: Morticians and other jobs relating to death. This is because jackals are known for being scavengers, and because Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of death and the underworld, is portrayed with the head of a jackal.
  • Kangaroos:
  • Lemurs: Often dancers or other performers, often because of their habit of jumping through trees (as well as several lemur species' tendency to hop sideways when moving on the ground, which resembles dancing).
    • Aye-Ayes:
      • Because of their creepy appearance and the fact that they're often considered a bad omen in Malagasy traditions, they may be portrayed as shamans or witch doctors.
      • Puns based on their species name are also fairly common, such as being portrayed as various kinds of servants (or "yes men"), or working in nautical jobs (as a pun on "aye-aye, captain").
  • Lions:
    • Authority figures, such as monarchs, CEOs, mayors, presidents, and other leaders due to the King of Beasts trope.
    • Circus performers, because "lion tamers" are a classic circus act. A lion who performs in a circus might be a Prima Donna, as lions are associated with pridefulness.
    • Film actors, as a reference to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's famous "roaring lion" Vanity Plate. Similar to the previous example, they might be portrayed as vain, demanding, and stuck-up.
  • Mantises:
  • Mice:
    • Scientists and inventors, due to their cleverness and wide use in Animal Testing.
    • Because mice are known for getting into peoples' pantries and eating their food, they might also be cooks or restaurant employees. Especially if they get to use cheese in their cooking.
  • Moles:
    • Miners and other underground jobs, due to the animals' tendency to dig.
    • Moles may be portrayed as hackers or infiltrators as well, also relating to moles' digging abilities. If they're treacherous, they're a literal version of The Mole.
  • Monkeys:
    • May be associated with pirates, as some historical pirates kept monkeys as pets. Are often more likely to be portrayed as mischievous thieves as opposed to violent criminals, but the latter can still happen.
    • Since monkeys are intelligent, they may work as scientists, scholars, and doctors.
    • Capuchin monkeys have been historically associated with Organ Grinders. Anthropomorphic monkeys may be depicted as organ grinders or other street musicians in reference to this.
    • Monkeys are commonly depicted as musicians. Percussionists are especially common, because of the infamous Cymbal-Banging Monkey toy, and they may be an example of All Drummers Are Animals.
    • Because monkeys tend to be seen as humorous, they may be portrayed as clowns and other entertainers (e.g. comedians and jesters). They will usually be a Non-Ironic Clown, but there is still a chance of them being portrayed as a Monster Clown or Villainous Harlequin.
    • Monkeys and apes are commonly depicted as astronauts or other space adventurers, because several primates have been sent to space. If a species is given, they are likely to be any of the primate species that were flown into space in real life: chimpanzees, squirrel monkeys, rhesus macaques, crab-eating macaques, and pig-tailed macaques.
    • As a pun on the phrase "Grease Monkey", as well as the tool called the monkey wrench, monkeys may be portrayed as mechanics and repairmen.
    • Monkeys may also be portrayed as writers.
    • Baboons in particular may be portrayed as congressmen and other politicians, because of an internet joke claiming that a group of baboons is called a congress.note 
  • Octopi and Squids:
    • If an underwater band is involved, the octopus may be the drummer of the band since the octopus is one of the few underwater species that would be able to hold drumsticks. They may also be depicted as a One-Man Band due to their number of tentacles letting them play multiple instruments at once.
    • An octopus may be a spy of some sort, due to their camouflage abilities.
    • Cephalopod chefs (chef-alopods?) are commonly seen doing Multi-Armed Multitasking in kitchens.
    • Cephalopods (especially octopuses) are likely to be portrayed as scientists, doctors, teachers/professors, librarians, and other jobs associated with intelligence, as reference to cephalopods' real life cognitive abilities.
  • Opossums:
    • Truckers, because they’re often found in rural North America and are commonly seen as roadkill.
    • Because opossums are associated with the Deep South, they may have any job stereotypically associated with the area (country musician, farmer, Hillbilly Moonshiner, etc.)
  • Orangutans: Due to their intelligence, they may be depicted as scientists, teachers, scholars, librarians, and other jobs that are typically associated with wisdom. Are typically more level-headed, especially compared to other primates.
  • Otters:
  • Owls:
    • Often teachers, due to owls being associated with intelligence. Owls are also commonly depicted as librarians.
    • A group of owls is called a parliament, so it is fairly common to represent them as lawyers and other lawmakers as well.
    • Because owls are famously nocturnal (hence the term "night owl"), they might have a job that is most busy at night (bartender, nightclub owner, security guard, etc.), or simply work the "night shift" at an establishment that's open 24 hours a day.
  • Pandas:
  • Parrots:
  • Peafowl: Fashion designers, performers, and other jobs involving beauty. They may be portrayed as vain because of this, or at least very self-confident.
  • Penguins:
    • Often waiters, due to their black and white plumage resembling a tuxedo. In general, occupations that (stereo-)typically require a person to wear a tuxedo or a two-piece suit (male socialites, stage magicians, spies...) may also be associated with penguins.
    • Any job related to ice or winter weather, such as snowplow drivers, ice cream vendors, snowboarders, figure skaters, or hockey players (with the latter doubling as a reference to the Pittsburgh Penguins).
  • Pigeons:
    • Messengers, because of the Instant Messenger Pigeon trope. Sometimes military pilots, because of their propensity for, ahem, dropping their load, or the fact that pigeons were indeed used by militaries to deliver messages.
    • Gangbangers, due to some portrayals being similar to urban organized crime syndicates.
  • Pigs: Because of the Sinister Swine trope, professions with a bad track record tend to be generally portrayed as pigs.
  • Pelicans: Mail carriers, prone to carrying things in their Pelican Package Pouch.
  • Polar Bears: Jobs related to winter and snow, due to living in the Arctic: ice fishers, snowplow drivers, Mall Santas, skiers, snowboarders, etc.
  • Rabbits and Hares:
  • Raccoons:
    • Thieves and con artists, because of the Rascally Raccoon trope. Are usually not highly dangerous criminals, and have a chance at being portrayed as Lovable Rogues.
    • To a lesser extent, they may also be waste collectors, due to their heavy association with garbage.
  • Rats:
    • Because rats are often portrayed as evil, they may be depicted as various jobs that have a bad rap. Lawyers, especially Amoral Attorneys, are a common choice.
    • Due to the aforementioned negative associations and the fact that they're often found in cities, they're often portrayed as thieves or criminals.
    • Similar to mice, rats may also be portrayed as working in foodservice, because they tend to get into people's food. In particular, rats are often found working at pizzerias, because pizza is usually topped with cheese (and we all know rats love cheese) and is associated with urban areas like New York City.
  • Rhinoceroses: Soldiers, guards, police officers, and other jobs that require immense strength and violence due to the Rhino Rampage trope.
  • Scorpions:
    • Barbers and hairdressers, because their pincers look like scissors and their stinger could be used like a straight-razor. They're also quick and accurate when attacking, which are good skills to have when cutting hair.
    • Assassins or bounty hunters, because they're predatory animals that make use of toxins, and are generally thought of as scary. This is especially evident in a Wild West or "Arabian Nights" Days setting- both typically located in deserts where scorpions are plentiful, and both places where such services would be in demand.
  • Seals and Sea Lions:
  • Secretary Birds: Secretaries and other servants, in reference to the species' name.
  • Sharks:
    • May be depicted as literal Loan Sharks.
    • Anthropomorphic sharks are often depicted as pirates as well.
    • Lawyers, on account of the many Evil Lawyer Jokes involving sharks.
  • Snakes:
  • Spiders:
    • Tailors, seamstresses, and fashion designers, because they create their own natural string to spin their webs. Thus, it's easy to imagine a spider patching up clothes with its own string.
    • Alternatively, they may work just as well as fashion models. Most spiders have long, slim legs and large abdomens, attractive features if they were humans indeed. Due to their multiple legs, they can also wear multiple pairs of shoes and/or socks at the same time.
    • Spies and secret agents, because of their association with stealth, their typically-dark coloration resembling a tuxedo or a Spy Catsuit, and the fact that the way they tend to dangle down with a string of silk resembles a "Mission: Impossible" Cable Drop. The Seductive Spider trope also meshes well with the idea of a Femme Fatale Spy.
    • Because the Internet is often referred to as “the Web” and spiders spin webs, spiders are often portrayed as having jobs related to computers or the Internet (website developers/moderators, IT workers, hackers, social media influencers, online salespeople, and so on.) Because Spiders Are Scary and many species of spider are venomous, they may be used to deliver an Internet Safety Aesop.
  • Squirrels:
    • Often portrayed as superheroes, due to their agility, as well as the popular rumor that squirrels do the Three-Point Landing that superheroes are frequently associated with.note  Flying squirrels in particular are also commonly associated with superheroes due to the cape-like membranes on their body that allow them to glide.
    • Squirrels are also frequently portrayed as ninjas and stuntmen for similar reasons.
    • Squirrels also may be portrayed as bakers, typically making food that contains nuts.
  • Storks: Delivery Storks - in a variant of this, modern works may instead portray storks as maternity nurses or other related jobs.
  • Swans:
  • Tigers: As powerful, solitary hunters, tigers are often associated with warriors and assassins in mythology and fiction. Especially if the fighter is The Dreaded. They may also be portrayed as ninjas.
  • Triceratopses: Guards, warriors, knights, and other jobs involving battle due to their imposing horns. May be a Temper-Ceratops.
  • Tyrannosaurus Rexes: A monarch or other leader, especially if only one shows up in the story. Since "Tyrannosaurus" means "tyrant lizard", they may be portrayed as tyrants and malevolent leaders.
  • Weasels: Petty crooks, and have a chance at being portrayed fairly dangerously.
  • Wolves:
    • Soldiers are a common portrayal of wolves - whether this is to emphasize bravery or cruelty depends on the work.
    • Wolves, especially a romantic couple, may be depicted as leaders due to the Alpha and Beta Wolves portrayal (which is not entirely accurate to real wolf behavior).
    • Wolves are known for having a lot of endurance when running, so they may be portrayed as athletes (especially marathon runners) as a result of this. Because wolves are pack animals, their pack might be analogous to a sports team.
    • Wolves may also be associated with particularly unscrupulous and amoral enterpreneurship (see The Wolf of Wall Street).
  • Vultures:
    • Morticians and other death-related jobs, such as autopsy technicians, because of vultures' association with corpses. Due to the prevalence of the Vile Vulture trope, they may be Creepy Morticians.
    • May be portrayed as paramedics, often referencing Circling Vultures.

    By Occupation 
  • Farmers: All kinds of common livestock and other domestic animals often found on farms (chickens, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, donkeys, horses, dogs, cats, etc). Draft animals are especially likely to work as farmers due to the manual labor involved.
  • Military: In general, large and strong animals of all kinds tend to be portrayed as soldiers and warriors.
    • Various domestic Military Animals that have been trained by humans for use in warfare are very likely to be anthropomorphized as literal soldiers; such as dogs (especially German Shepherds), horses, or elephants. Also, expect pigeons to serve as couriers and scouts if they ever appear.
    • Predatory animals who hunt in packs (like lions and wolves) are likely to be infantry troops, as they naturally fight and kill together as a team. Speaking of lions, due to the King of Beasts trope, they're likely to be portrayed as warrior kings or princes commanding their armies as frontline generals.
    • More solitary predators like bears or big cats (such as leopards and tigers) are, due to obviously being very strong and fearsome beasts, also very likely to be warriors as well.
    • Naval sailors will likely be aquatic or semiaquatic animals. Seals might even show up as literal US Navy SEALs.
    • Military aviators tend to be avian (especially predatory birds like eagles, falcons, and hawks).
    • When this trope gets mixed together with National Animal Stereotypes, then expect national militaries to be represented by their respective national animals, such as the American Eagle, British Lion, Russian Bear, etc.
  • Musicians:
    • Drummers: Because of the All Drummers Are Animals trope, some works may take the name literally. If the whole band is comprised of animals, the drummer is likely to be lower on the Sliding Scale of Anthropomorphism than the others. Alternatively, they may be of a species that is known for being loud and/or hyperactive. If the band is comprised of underwater animals, an octopus or squid is most likely to be the drummer due to being one of the few underwater species that would have a chance at efficiently holding drumsticks.
    • Singers: Birds, especially species such as songbirds and roosters, are often portrayed as singers.
  • Pest Control: Insect-eating animals such as aardvarks and anteaters (likely equipped with Vacuum Mouth) may be used to deal with bugs. In a similar way, cats, snakes or birds of prey may get the role of dealing with rodents. In rarer, more ironic cases, these jobs may go to rats, roaches and other "vermin" animals, thus creating a sense of Furry Confusion as to what kinds of pests they have to deal with.
  • Pilots: Birds, obviously, due to their ability to fly. Eagles and albatrosses are popular choices. Occasionally you might see a flightless bird taking the job, just for irony's sake. In settings with a prehistoric flavor, pterosaurs will take this job instead.
  • Police: Tend to be portrayed as large, strong animals.
    • Certain dog breeds are associated with police officers, such as German Shepherds.
    • If the work is more satirical, then pigs are a common choice, in reference to "pig" being derogatory slang for a cop.
  • Morticians: Scavengers, such as vultures, hyenas, and jackals. Since scavengers are often portrayed negatively, the trope Creepy Mortician is likely.
  • Sailors:
    • Aquatic or semiaquatic animals in general.
    • Aye-ayes (a species of lemur) may sometimes be portrayed as sailors, pirates, or working in other nautical jobs as a pun on the phrase "aye-aye, captain".
      • Pirates: Aside from the obvious aquatic animals, pirates are also likely to be parrots (because of the Pirate Parrot trope), monkeys (due to their thieving nature, and because some pirates were known to keep pet monkeys, especially capuchins) and rats (which were often stowaways on ships, hence the term "bilge rat").

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