Top 10 Most Overrated Animals
Some animals have fan clubs so loud, you'd think they invented fire, cured the common cold, and starred in an Oscar-winning drama. They get plastered across motivational posters, strut through viral videos, and hijack every wildlife documentary like it's their birthright. And sure, they're cute, clever, or majestic... until you actually start paying attention.You've probably heard how loyal they are. Or how mysterious. Or how they symbolize this or that. But step back and ask yourself: are they really all that? Or are we just buying into hype sold by cartoons, memes, and people who treat their pets like spiritual gurus?
This list gives you the chance to set the record straight. Cast your vote for the creatures you think get way too much love. The ones who might be more fluff than substance, more myth than merit.
The cat (Felis catus) is a domesticated small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the Felidae family and is commonly called the domestic cat to distinguish it from wild felines... read more They hunt everything. Cat pee smells almost as bad as fox pee. While we can mostly blame ourselves, the ecosystem suffers because of them too. They hunt down birds, lizards, small mammals, everything!
People who love them are crazy-mad when somebody doesn't like cats, simply not even hating them. There are chill ones, like my friend, but anyway, I dislike them probably more because of their owners. If they didn't let them out unsterilized so they can hunt and reproduce, their fans wouldn't be as bad as dog nutters, though.
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), also known as the panda bear or simply the panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterized by its distinctive black-and-white coat and rotund body. Though classified in the order Carnivora, the giant panda primarily eats bamboo, with shoots and... read more Did you know their digestive systems are made for a carnivorous diet? Yet they still eat bamboo like the foolish creatures they are.
Everything about the panda's design screams WHY. They have horrible camouflage, the design of a carnivore while being mainly a herbivore, use bamboo as a food source, and reproduce at a sloth's pace.
I admit, pandas are cute, but people worry too much about them. I've seen lots of charities for pandas. It's not that I don't care for the pandas, it's just that they are at least somewhat safe.
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae, and its closest living relatives are the wombats. Koalas are known for their distinctive appearance and reliance on eucalyptus leaves for food. Koalas are the dumbest animals to walk the earth. The more wrinkles on the brain, the smarter the animal. That is why the brain of the koala is as smooth as a pebble. Koalas only eat eucalyptus from trees. If you put a plate of eucalyptus in front of a koala, it will starve to death. Dumb.
They feed their children their own droppings. They are rude and terrifying under that fluff.
People always say, "awww, koalas are the cutest things ever!" when they are one of the dumbest animals in the world. They do nothing but sleep.
The wolf (Canis lupus), also known as the gray or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. Over 30 subspecies of Canis lupus are currently recognized. Gray wolves represent the wild subspecies. As the largest extant member of the Canidae family, the wolf is distinguishable from... read more This should be number one. Wolves are very average animals, nowhere near as impressive as people make them out to be. I find it so annoying listening to these wolf-lover girls talk about how "similar" they are to wolves, how they share a "connection" with this "beautiful, mysterious creature," and how it's their "spirit animal."
Wolf-lovers whine about how "nobody understands" them and always picture themselves as very beautiful, mysterious, and alluring to others. They are always very stuck up and believe that they are, for some reason, "loved" by wolves. They love to play the victim and never own up or admit that they were wrong. Ugh, the worst type of animal lover.
Seahorse is the name given to 54 species of small marine fishes in the genus Hippocampus. The name "Hippocampus" is derived from the Ancient Greek words hippos, meaning "horse," and kampos, meaning "sea monster." Seahorses are known for their unique appearance, upright swimming posture, and the male's... read more Seahorses are the worst fish on the planet. They are slow and gave up their fins for a tail that only works when there is lots of grass. Sure, they can camouflage, but what is the point if there is no one around?
Humans (Homo sapiens) are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by habitual bipedalism and comparatively large, complex brains. These traits have enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, and language. Humans are highly social and live in complex structures, ranging... read more While we humans have done great things, we're not the greatest things that ever happened. We're not even the most important things that ever happened. If it weren't for plants, microorganisms, or water, we would be nothing.
Plus, it is funny that several people don't think that we're animals, but we are. We just have big brains and opposable thumbs, and while we've done great things in the world, we've done a lot of bad things too. Let's hope our only two real benefits don't kill us.
The most overrated of all. Humans may have created things like technology and blah blah blah, but just because you're a human doesn't mean they are the best species in the world or something. They actually aren't the greatest hunters. They are just secondary consumers.
Humans suck - stick to other animals.
The lion (Panthera leo) is a large cat in the genus Panthera, native to sub‑Saharan Africa and a single isolated population in western India. It has a muscular, broad‑chested body, a short rounded head, round ears, and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. Adult males are larger than females and... read more Though lions aren't as overrated as wolves, they are still too popular. They have a unique mane and roar, but it doesn't mean that they are better than other creatures. I agree with everyone else about The Lion King giving hyenas a terrible reputation.
Hyenas are pretty interesting animals as well. Female hyenas are bigger than the males and often leaders of their clan, which is rare for a mammal because males are usually the dominant sex. Did you know that a hyena isn't a dog or a cat? Another fact is that hyenas are really intelligent, having the cognitive ability of a young child.
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorpha (or Selachii) and are the sister group to the rays. However,... read more Great white sharks are overrated among sharks. Nature programs should show other species more often.
They are mindless eating machines. Enough said.
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds between 80 and 128 km/h (50 to 80 mph), with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being 93 and 98 km/h (58 and 61 mph). The cheetah has adaptations for speed, including... read more Did you know that they run in short bursts of speed and need to rest for 15 to 20 minutes after each run?
Cheetahs are really fast, but they are really weak.
Basically as overrated and dumb as a cat.
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic as it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia; some lizards are more closely related to these two excluded groups... read more Gross. Why would anyone want a bug-eyed creature?
The Newcomers
The ferret is the domesticated form of the European polecat, a mammal belonging to the same genus as the weasel, Mustela, of the family Mustelidae. Ferrets have been domesticated for thousands of years and are commonly kept as pets. They are known for their playful behavior and inquisitive nature. Too babied. Plus, they look weird and ugly.
This bird is shown way too much on bird seed packages, covers of bird books, and Christmas items, though it doesn't really have anything to do with Christmas. Many other yard birds are neglected by comparison.
Everyone loves eagles and makes books, movies, and YouTube videos about them because they are so "cool" because they eat foxes and sheep. Bald eagles are OK because they only eat fish and smaller birds, but golden eagles have always been my least favorite animal for a special (not in a good way) reason.
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. The two living species are the American alligator and the Chinese alligator. Additionally, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Alligators have long existed since the Oligocene epoch 37 million... read more Alligators are overrated. If anything, caimans and gharials are underrated, not crocs and gators.
Tyrannosaurus, meaning "tyrant lizard" from the Ancient Greek tyrannos ("tyrant") and sauros ("lizard"), is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur... read more Okay, dinosaurs are cool, but how do I explain this? The T. rex is getting WAY too much hype when the ankylosaurus could snap their legs by swinging their tails. If you search "the best dinosaur," T. rexes are ALWAYS number one. What's so cool about them? They're just another species of predators, not a hell-destroying, earth-breaking, and universe-shaking dinosaur.
Everywhere you see anything about dinosaurs, all they talk about is T. rexes. It is so overrated now that nobody knows any dinosaur except for T. rexes. I tried to search for other, way cooler dinosaurs like raptors, and all that pops up are T. rexes. What's so good about them?
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera. It is immediately recognisable by its dark vertical stripes on orange fur and white underside. An apex predator, it primarily hunts ungulates such as deer and wild boar, and is generally solitary and territorial,... read more I really hate big cats for being overrated. I've even searched on YouTube for a crocodile winning against a big cat but found none. Just the big cat winning against the croc all the time.
People think they can easily win against bears, even grizzlies. But bears can actually crush tigers.
They can win against lions, but that's just because of their size.
The Orca, or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca), is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, and is its largest member. Recognizable by its distinctive black-and-white coloring, the Orca is a cosmopolitan species found in all oceans, from polar to tropical regions... read more They get way too much attention. Everyone always talks about how they are mistreated at aquariums like SeaWorld and should be freed, but they never say anything about all the other animals at the aquariums like sharks, octopuses, seals, otters, eels, dolphins, penguins, polar bears, alligators, and fish.
What makes them so much more important than the other aquatic animals? Is it because they look cool or something? I just don't see why they get so much more attention to be freed than other aquatic animals.
Deer are ruminant mammals that belong to the family Cervidae. This family is divided into two main groups: Cervinae, which includes species like the muntjac, fallow deer, and chital, and Capreolinae, which includes the elk, reindeer, Western roe deer, and Eurasian elk. Most male deer grow and shed antlers... read more Deer are always stereotyped as causing car crashes, but that would be moose. Moose are scary. Deer are worthless and get preyed on by every carnivore in their area.
Overrated as heck! Not that interesting!
The horse is a hoofed mammal of the family Equidae. Its primary domesticated subspecies is Equus ferus caballus, although wild subspecies persisted into recent history. All modern horses descend from the Pleistocene species Equus ferus. Horses evolved over 45 to 55 million years from the small multi-toed... read more Everyone loves horses, and they are getting annoying. Horses have been the basis of freedom in spirit, which is why they are domesticated. Another point is that everyone thinks that they are fast. Many other animals are faster than them. If we domesticated those earlier, no one would care about horses.
Every little girl is completely obsessed with them, and I'm sick of it. They're obsolete in my country anyway.
There's nothing special about them. I don't quite understand horse people.
A rhinoceros, commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. The term can also refer to extinct species in the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea. Two of the extant species are native to Africa,... read more Rhinos are like tanks, sure, but they are not good tanks. They are more blind than the people who like these animals.
The common hippopotamus, or hippo, is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus. Hippos are known for their massive size, semi-aquatic lifestyle, and territorial behavior... read more Mistaken as a nice, cuddly animal when it is actually one of the most dangerous animals. I blame The Lion Guard for making a hippo nice instead of hyenas.
The Lion Guard is to blame. Hippos are one of, if not the most dangerous land animals. Yet, uneducated people think they're "nice" animals because of Beshte.
People love watching them in zoos, but all they do is wade underwater.
Foxes are small to medium-sized animals in the Canidae family, which also includes jackals, wolves, and domestic dogs. There are 37 species of fox, but only 12 are considered true foxes of the genus Vulpes. Foxes are omnivorous and adaptable, with diets that include small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects,... read more Foxes are seen as mystical creatures from the woods, while also being sly and cunning. There are more clever animals such as the kea, a bird from New Zealand. You can't use the term birdbrain now.
This is the most overrated animal. They're not even that cute. Quit acting like they're the return of Jesus or something. They're nothing special.
Maybe the worst-smelling animal on the planet. Just a skunk in a gaudy outfit.
Chimpanzees are primates of the genus Pan which consists of the common chimpanzee and the bonobo. They are a part of the tribe Hominini, which also includes humans, and the family Hominidae where all great apes are included. Like their closest living relatives the modern humans, chimpanzees are social... read more People think of them as cute and smart babies. They are actually psychopathic killing machines that can rip your face off.
Smart? Yes
Gentle? No
Just because they are our closest cousins doesn't mean they aren't still wild animals. They will throw stuff at you and kill each other.
The polar bear is a carnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas, and surrounding land masses. It is the largest land carnivore and is well adapted to life on sea ice. Polar bears primarily hunt seals and are classified... read more Polar bears don't deserve all of the conservation they're getting. They're not even endangered. They are actually classified as vulnerable. There are other, lesser-known animals that are in far more danger of extinction, like the southern hairy-nosed wombat, of which there are fewer than 100 left in existence!
We should focus our money on protecting and conserving critically endangered animals like the southern hairy-nosed wombat because they need it most. Then we can put money towards protecting animals like polar bears. I'm not saying we shouldn't conserve polar bears. I'm just saying that they don't need our protection as much as some other species.
Zebras (subgenus Hippotigris) are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi), plains zebra (E. quagga), and mountain zebra (E. zebra). Zebra stripes vary among individuals and species, with evidence suggesting they... read more I have already spoken about horses, but zebras are even more worthless because they are prey for every animal in the African Savanna.
I have an instinctive hatred for zebras. Not even that cool-looking.
Also, fun fact: it's white stripes, not black stripes.
People just like them for their stripes. Take them off, and you basically get a donkey.
Monkeys are haplorhine primates that form a paraphyletic group. Most monkeys have tails and are distinct from apes. There are approximately 260 known living species of monkeys... read more