Animals important to American Children

The sole focus of animals in American culture results from the animals that are generally taught to children. In a way, these are the animals that are sacred to American culture. Across religions, the animals that are taught to children as a part of their general vocabulary and in their schools, in children's fictional books, in television shows- these are some of the most important animals in America. Even animals that they live next to, the exact species, do not compare in terms of thought, focus, and cultural relevancy as much as an animal from across the world that is taught to us in are early childhood is. This list is based off of my memory of the 90s and early 2000s. It is possible that some of these animals disappeared of changed ranking in importance, or new animals have become more common in thought and representation.

## List of Animals

* Alligators
* Antelopes
* Ants
* Anteaters
* Badgers
* Bats
* Bears
* Beavers
* Bees
* Beetles
* Birds
* Brown Bears (with grizzly bears)
* Bugs
* Buffaloes (as both bison and as a kind of wild cattle that's dark with horns, like African buffalos, but also water buffalos.)
* Bulls
* Bunnies
* Butterflies
* Caterpillars
* Catfish
* Cats
* Centipedes
* Chickens
* Chimpanzees
* Clams (with oysters)
* Cockroaches
* Cocoons
* Coyotes
* Crickets
* Crows
* Cows
* Crocodiles
* Beavers
* Deer
* Dogs
* Dolphins
* Donkeys
* Dragonflies
* Ducks
* Eels
* Electric eels
* Elephants
* Fishes
* Fireflies
* Fleas
* Flies
* Foxes
* Frogs
* Geese
* Giraffes
* Gorillas
* Grasshoppers
* Grizzly Bears (with brown bears)
* Hedgehogs
* Hippos
* Horses
* Hyenas
* Kangaroos
* Koalas
* Ladybugs
* Leopards
* Lions
* Lizards
* Mice
* Mites
* Moles
* Monkeys
* Moose
* Mosquitoes
* Moths
* Octopus
* Otters
* Orangutans
* Oysters (with clams)
* Pandas
* Parrots
* Pigeons
* Pigs
* Platypus
* Polar bears
* Ponies
* Porcupines
* Rabbits
* Rats
* Rhinos
* Robins
* Roosters
* Seahorses
* Seals (in combination with sealions)
* Seaturtles
* Sharks
* Slugs
* Snails
* Spiders
* Squid
* Squirrels
* Ticks
* Tigers
* Toads
* Tortoises (in combination with turtles)
* Turtles (in combination with tortoises)
* Walrus
* Wasps
* Weasels (but not physically accurate representation, usually cartoonish)
* Whales
* Wolves
* Worms
* Zebras

## Secondary Animals

These are animals most kids will know, but not all. Some of them discover these in their later childhood rather than early childhood. Others are of a lesser importance in culture.

* Angelfish
* Aye-ayes
* Baboons
* Boars (as a meaner or wild(er), darker male pig)
* Cheetahs
* Clownfish
* Doves
* Echidnas
* Ferrets
* Gazelles
* Grubs
* Jaguars
* Lemurs
* Meerkats
* Mountain Lions
* Mules
* Newts
* Lovebirds
* Parakeets
* Reptiles
* Roadrunners
* Salamanders
* Sea Anemones
* Sealions (in combination with seals)
* Tasmanian Tiger (the name is well known, but not physically accurate representation, usually cartoonish)
* Warthogs

## Mythological animals

* Abominable Snowman
* Bigfoot
* Centaurs (but not by name as it's often forgotten, but the concept is remembered)
* Dragons
* Goblins
* Kraken
* Loch Ness Monster
* Mermaids
* Pegasi (sometimes with unicorn horn)
* (Santa's) Reindeer
* Seamonsters
* Sphinxes
* Trolls
* Unicorns

## Extinct creatures

* Dinosaurs
* Anklyosaur(u)s
* Apatosaurus (with brontosaurus)
* Brachiosaurus
* Brontosaurus (with apatosaurus)
* Parasaurolophus
* Pleasiosaurus
* Pteranodons
* Saber-Tooth Tigers
* Triceratops
* Tyrannosaurus Rex
* Velociraptors
* Wooly Mammoths

## References

1. ↑ My memory and knowledge of my childhood and how I understood my culture, myself, and the other children around me.