this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2024
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Europe

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[โ€“] [email protected] 85 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (8 children)

I don't want to be too picky, but at least the eagle pictured on Germany is kind of wrong. While it is not specified which species of eagle the "Bundesadler" is, it is most definitely never depicted as a bald eagle (that would be the USA). More usuale would be a Golden eagle or a White-tailed eagle.

[โ€“] [email protected] 30 points 9 months ago

Same for Hungary: the national bird is the Turul, a mythological bird. Presumably it originates from the Saker falcon, so it's not even an eagle.

[โ€“] [email protected] 17 points 9 months ago

Yeah, I wouldn't be too attached to the specific animal version for each, this is more symbolic than anything else

[โ€“] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago

It's probably made for Yanks so it needs to be recognizable for them

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[โ€“] [email protected] 50 points 9 months ago

Nice cock France

[โ€“] [email protected] 46 points 9 months ago

Germans simply have an eagle. Not the white head American style one.

[โ€“] [email protected] 42 points 9 months ago (1 children)

England: oh I'm a lion

Scotland: motherfuck unicorn man

Wales: rawww dragon time

Ireland: umm rabbit?

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[โ€“] [email protected] 37 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Scotland and Wales you alright?

[โ€“] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] 28 points 9 months ago (2 children)

England picks the most unimaginative, basic-bitch animal possible, so of course Scotland and Wales go in the complete opposite direction.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

The rules didnโ€™t specify that the animal was supposed to be real. Fictional animals are still animals, so they should be fine.

[โ€“] [email protected] 37 points 9 months ago (4 children)

I always find it weird when countries use animals that are not native to their country. Although in Scotland I'm pretty sure that unicorns actually exist somewhere. Or at least, they do if you drink enough.

[โ€“] [email protected] 34 points 9 months ago (2 children)

The UK using the lion is the funniest shit to me. It just seems like such a sad cope.

[โ€“] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago

Most of their popular stuff is imported, so it's only consistent that they'd import this as well

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[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

According to an ancient folk song, the land of unicorns is near Achnasheen.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

Hi, unicorn here. We do exist!

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[โ€“] [email protected] 27 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

That's some real good shit Scotland and whales have been sniffing for centuries now.

[โ€“] [email protected] 19 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] 23 points 9 months ago

Obligatory joke:

I was in a bar the other night and overheard three very hefty women talking. Their accent appeared to be Scottish, so I approached and asked, "Hello, ladies, are you three lassies from Scotland? One of them angrily screeched, "It's Wales, you bloody idiot, Wales!" So I apologized and replied, "I am so sorry. Are you three whales from Scotland?"

[โ€“] [email protected] 19 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Classic European lions

... And unicorns??

[โ€“] [email protected] 17 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Europe used to have lions, especially southern Europe.

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Is "southern Europe" what they used to call colonies in Africa?

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

If you go back far enough there were now extinct lions in northern Europe as well. But wild lions as we know them today existed in Greece, the Balkans, etc. Even as late as the 10th century CE.

[โ€“] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago

Don't forget the dragon!

[โ€“] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Unicorns are notably ferocious animals. Their recent association with little girls has done significant harm to their reputation.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Knowing pretty much nothing else about Wales, their national animal is undoubtedly the most badass.

Also probs to Greece for having the only animal living in the sea.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 15 points 9 months ago

Switzerland takes their neutrality very seriously.

[โ€“] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

Team unicorn, represent! I'd swear half the entrance doorways to our historic buildings have the lion and the unicorn carved above, and everyone still seems surprised by the "Scotland's national animal is a what now?" response.

[โ€“] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Wikipedia also has a list with more countries and animals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_animals

E.g. Denmark even has 3 national animals listed and not just the swan in the picture: Red squirrel (national mammal), Mute swan (national bird) and Small tortoiseshell (national butterfly).

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

We in Finland have 4. Other countries need to step up their game.

[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Wait we do? I didn't realize we even had one official animal, let alone 4

Edit: the Finnish Wikipedia claims we have 6 official animals, one of them being ladybugs:

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

There's one "national animal" and then there's national horse, insect, fish, bird, butterfly and one that wasn't on your list, national dog. So that'd be seven. Get on our level, other countries!

How could they leave out this good boy from hte list

Finnish spitz

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

True! For all you non-Nordics, that's a Finnish Spitz and they're certified good boyes. My personal favorite is the Finnish Lapphund because they're so incredibly floofy, and it's an interesting breed because it was originally bred by the Sรกmi for herding reindeer:

[โ€“] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure turkey is a bird

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

A delicious one, no less

[โ€“] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

Ackchyually, Poland's national animal is a white stork, but this looks more like an egret.

Anyway, great infographic

[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago

Lol in hungary we have an imaginary bird called turul and thats our national animal...

[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago

I wish the color coding matched with the animals

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

Unfortunately Italy does not have an official national animal, meaning no animals are enshrined in our constitution or any of our national symbols. However if we had one that would definitely be the wolf.

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago

๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ winning as always ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago

Germany is a country of exports

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

So Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia create the household trio of cat, corgi and big dog?

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (5 children)
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[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

What? I always tought Serbia's national animal was the eastern imperial eagle, but apperintly it is only considired "a national bird", while the wolf takes the prize.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

TIL for me too

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