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Stereotypes of animals show that certain animals are commonly represented with particular traits. When anthropomorphising a (non human) animal there are several stereotypes associated with some species that are frequently repeated. Sometimes this is an exaggeration of a real aspect of the creature, while other times it is taken from myth with the true origin forgotten. Such stereotypes are present in real life but are most commonly found in film and television.
Some stereotypes are popularised by one appearance in media. For example, Disney's 1942 film Bambi portayed the titular deer as an innocent, fragile animal.
While some authors make use of these animal stereotypes others develop the character in the totally opposite direction.
Many modern stereotypes of animals have a long tradition dating back to Aesop's Fables, which drew upon sources that included Ancient Egyptian animal tales. Aesop's stereotypes were so deeply ingrained by the time of Apollonius of Tyana that they were accepted for animals' "true" nature:
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Common modern (primarily Western) stereotypes
Many portrayals of octopuses in movies depict them as evil, such as The Little Mermaid and War of the Worlds
Through the latter half of the 20th century, the wolf was increasingly portrayed in the opposite manner, as an especially dignified and capable wild form of dog and symbol of Nature. (eg. the Kevin Costner film, Dances With Wolves)
The and or easily frightened Chicken
Catgirls occupy a niche in Japanese culture, most often times as females dressed to some degree as a humanoid with cat elements like cat ears and a tail.
From the assumed position at the "top" of the food chain, the lion is often referred to as the "King of Beasts" or "King of the Jungle", and is frequently portrayed as the literal ruler of the other animals in a given territory (eg. Disney's 1994 movie, "The Lion King").
The expression "Monkey see, Monkey do"
Ostriches are often portrayed as being nervous and are widely thought to bury their heads in the sand at the first sign of danger. In reality this is not true; the ostrich is more likely to respond by fleeing, or, failing in that, delivering powerful kicks, easily capable of killing a man or a lion.
Chuck Jones' Pepé Le Pew is one of the best-known animated skunks and propagates the idea that the animals emit their scent continuously.
The horny rabbit - Following naturally from the phrase "(to) breed like rabbits".
The fast-running cheetah is another animal noted for its speed
Both of these stem mainly from another fable The Ant and the Grasshopper in which the former works hard to prepare for the winter while the latter wastes the summer and fall having fun, only to have to beg food from the ant or starve. For this reason, grasshoppers are also sometimes characterized as social parasites (as in the Pixar movie A Bug's Life).
The comical / always-laughing hyena
From the uncanny resemblance its call bears to a human laugh.
The wanton and vicious wasp
Wasps are often portrayed as deliberate stingers of humans.
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Common modern Eastern Stereotypes
While domesticated dogs were welcomed, wild dogs were dangerous to both humans and their cattle.
Most notable in Thailand and India, elephants are symbols of royalty.
As a mouse was a common pest, they were likened to thieves. However, in Japanese tradition, a mouse also guarantees a good harvest.
Ultros is a prominent example.
The former is from a Buddhist story where a rabbit offered itself as a gift to Buddha by leaping into a fire. In Kojiki, a white rabbit appears as a trickster.
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