History Main / VertebrateWithExtraLimbs

* The [[OneWingedAngel true form]] of Shirogane from ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'' is an [[MegaNeko enormous cat monster]] with six legs (four forelegs, two hind legs). His SleepModeSize is simply quadrupedal.

* ''WebComic/GrrlPower'': The reason for the humanoid form being common among many non-Terran species is [[https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-759-its-evolutionary-my-dear-washington-post/ discussed]] by Dabbler during a press conference. Aside from the possible local benefits of six limbs instead of four, too many extra arms or legs (or eyes or...) or too much variation among the ''types'' of limbs is not efficient when it comes to survival, taking up resources while providing diminishing returns.[[note]]The other subjects she discusses, such as the squishy humanoids living on dry land being the most likely to develop magic and/or tech, fit under other tropes.[[/note]]

* ''WebOriginal/{{Serina}}'': The gibbets and simiagibs have six limbs. They descended from the three-legged tribbets (terrestrial fish), but two fingers on each arm and two toes on the single hind limb became larger to aid in climbing trees, eventually developing their own fingers and becoming six functional limbs.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': It's common for a summoner's [[BondCreature eidolon]] to end up with a large number of limbs, as increasing their number of attacks per round with extra arms, tails, tentacles, or heads is one of the easiest and most effective ways of boosting their power.
* In RealLife the prehistoric reptile ''Coelurosauravus'', a relative of lizards that lived during the Permian Period, had four legs and two gliding "wings." Unlike today's gliding lizards, whose gliding membranes grow on spread-out ribs, ''Coelurosauravus'''s "wings" were an entirely unique set of bones not connected to its ribs. Their morphology suggests they evolved by ossification of connective tissues in the skin, though that's the sort of thing that almost never fossilized so it's difficult to confirm.
* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'' fanfiction: Randall's ex-girlfriend Sylvia Schneider from ''Fanfic/AngelasPetMonster'' is a wolf with four legs, two retractable arms, and a pair of wings.

* For a rather unconventional definition of a "limb", elephants might count, having modified their nasal appendage into a prehensile extra limb capable of fine and dexterous manipulation.

* Most of the Pandoran wildlife in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' has six limbs: two pairs of forelimbs and one of hind. The Na'vi do not; this is explained in-universe by their evolution from the monkey-like creatures Jake sees on his first trip out which also have six limbs, but the forelimbs on each side are joined at the elbow - so, two total upper arms and four total lower arms. Presumably Na'vi arms have two parallel bone structures in them all the way down to the hands.
** This doesn't stop the WildMassGuessing that they may be an engineered species, of which this is taken as one of the signs; it's more genetically likely that their ancestry includes a pair of arms becoming vestigial and wasting away than that they joined together.

* Basilisks, depending on the depiction.

* One of the Geisterdamen mounts in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' looks something like a horned, many eyed [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060710 six legged giant salamander.]] And Wasp weasels are [[https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120404 weasel-derived creations]] of Sparks (Mad Scientists) with eight legs.

* ''WebComic/GrrlPower'': The reason for the humanoid form being common among many non-Terran species is [[https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-759-its-evolutionary-my-dear-washington-post/ discussed]] by Dabbler during a press conference. Aside from the possible local benefits of six limbs instead of four, too many extra arms or legs (or eyes or...) or too much variation among the types is not efficient when it comes to survival, taking up resources while providing diminishing returns.[[note]]The other subjects she discusses, such as the squishy humanoids living on dry land being the most likely to develop magic and/or tech, fit under other tropes.[[/note]]

* ''WebComic/GrrlPower'': The reason for the humanoid form being common among many non-Terran species is [[https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-759-its-evolutionary-my-dear-washington-post/ discussed]] by Dabbler during a press conference. Aside from the possible local benefits of six limbs instead of four, too many extra arms or legs (or eyes or...) or too much variation among the types is not efficient when it comes to survival, taking up resources while providing diminishing returns.[[note]]The subjects she discusses, such as the squishy humanoids living on dry land being the most likely to develop magic and/or tech, fit under other tropes.[[/note]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}': It's common for a summoner's [[BondCreature eidolon]] to end up with a large number of limbs, as increasing their number of attacks per round with extra arms, tails, tentacles, or heads is one of the easiest and most effective ways of boosting their power.

[[quoteright:350:[[Myth/NorseMythology https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/odin_sleipnir2_op.jpg]]]]

!!Vertebrate - Invertebrate Mix

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drider driders]], manscorpions, and others.
* The Cray from the ''Literature/PerdidoStreetStation'' sequel ''Literature/TheScar'' have a humanoid upper body and crayfishlike lower body.
* The Octo-Parrot that appears once in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. "Waaak! Polly shouldn't be!"
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'': [[UnscaledMerfolk Ursula,]] the main villainess, is half-octopus. This is most noticeable when she is electrocuted at the end of the film.

* The Gibbets and Simiagibs from ''WebOriginal/{{Serina}}'' have six limbs. Curiously, they descended from the three-legged tribbets (terrestrial fish), but two fingers on each arm and two toes on the single hind limb became larger to aid in climbing trees, eventually developing their own fingers and becoming six functional limbs.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' it's common for a summoner's [[BondCreature Eidolon]] to end up with a large number of limbs, as increasing their number of attacks per round with extra arms, tails, tentacles, or heads is one of the easiest and most effective ways of boosting their power.

* The Kraken from ''VideoGame/{{Evolve}}'' has four legs for walking and two limbs that act as both wings and bludgeoning weapons.
* Rouge from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' is a white bat with separate arms and wings.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' games also have many creatures with four legs and wings (such as dragons and gryphons).

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' backstory, Morihaus, the [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Aedric demi-god]] who was sent to aid St. Alessia (as part of her BargainWithHeaven) in her war against the [[AbusivePrecursors Ayleids]], is described as a "winged [[ALoadOfbull bull]]" with functional wings.

* CentauroidForm
** ScorpionPeople
** SnakePeople
** SpiderPeople

* ''Literature/{{Bounders}}'': On Paleo Planet, Jasper sees a group of rodents that resemble meerkats with four sets of legs.

* One of the Gisterdamen mounts in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' looks something like a horned, many eyed [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060710 six legged giant salamander.]]

* The ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' games have basilisks, crocolisks, and diemetradons, all of which have six legs. Very likely a nod to the necessity of a six-limbed reptile template which would eventually evolve into bog-standard fantasy dragons.

** The titular Dragons are typically hexapeds - they have four limbs and two wings.
** Likewise Griffons and Hippogriffs follow the four limbs and two wings pattern, as do various types of Sphinxes.

* Displacer beasts in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' have six legs. And two tentacles.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Talislanta}}'' has the Axe-Head, Durge, Erd, and Rictus, all with six legs.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Talislanta}}'' has the Axe-Head, Durge, and Rictus, all with six legs.

* In a very loose way, elephants, having modified their nasal appendage into a prehensile extra limb capable of fine and dexterous manipulation.

* ''Literature/RodAlbrightAlienAdventures'': Chiblings start off looking more like caterpillars, with several pairs of legs. When they reach the third stage (and split into two animals), one half undergoes a metamorphosis into a form that starts with just four legs, but grows a third pair later.

* The land vertebrates of ''Manga/ACentaursLife'' evolved from a common hexapod ancestor but turned out quite close to ours, with many species in common but six-limbed: six legged cows, dogs and horses, and about six main human sub-species, including some with wings and two {{centauroid form}}s, one extinct.

* The Necho Cat and Frootz Cat dream eaters in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3D'' have three pairs of legs. Oddly, they're the only examples of the trope among their kind.