Animal Tattoos

We all have an animal that we specifically relate to, whether it’s your pet dog or cat, your favorite animal at the zoo, or some mythical creature that you loved as a child. Some people associate themselves with dangerous and wild animals, some with rare species or beautiful birds. What is so special about animal tattoos is that you can express this special kinship with an animal in almost any way imaginable.

For starters, animals that live on land are very popular. Fierce land animals like lions, tigers and wolves get a lot of wear. Each animal can stand alone by itself, but you can include many animals in a whole scene, be it of the jungle, the forest, or the desert. It can be realistic or fantastic. Animals alone can be given more life by showing them in movement. A horse, for example, is traditionally a symbol of freedom and grace and can be beautifully depicted galloping elegantly across a green meadow or on a long stretch of beach. The trickster coyote can be expressed as its shape-shifting, Native American legend. A giraffe represents higher psychic vision and extreme intuitiveness, and its long neck fits perfectly up an arm or leg.

Under water and marine animals are also common images for tattoos. Dolphins carry a huge load as far as popularity is concerned, and the ways they are depicted are nearly as numerous as the number of people wearing them. As a symbol of liberty, compassion, and a playful nature, there’s little question why. Crabs carry astrological weight and are often born by their fellow Cancers. There is also a trend of designing futuristic-looking crabs because of their already unearthly appearance. This trend is also seen in zooplankton for the same reason, not to mention the fact that plankton is seen as representative of a ‘free-floating’ and easy-going nature. If you are trying to be original, you could adapt the image of a copepod, a tiny, nearly transparent creature with a tear-shaped body and red antennae.

You will also see insects being used as tattoo art. Even though these many-legged creatures give many people goose bumps, some people are equally fascinated by their otherworldly look and symbolic significance. The spider is the perfect example. Representing creativity and growth you can also transform a spider into a large-eyed fantastic beast that wraps men in her mysterious web. Butterflies, bees and scorpions play a large part in the insect tattoo world. Something that perhaps is underappreciated is the firefly easily shown glowing in orange and yellow hues, with a sparkling trail of iridescence.