I love Australian Magpies. They’re smart, cheeky and have a lovely singing voice. I have a family that I’ve watched change over the years, they have babies, some die, some leave and some come back. They visit nearly every day.

Tigers. Because tigers. You don’t need a reason, just look at them.

Chickens. Mine in particular, but that’s given me an affection for others. They’re about as dumb as bricks, particularly the roosters, but they manage to be endearing anyway. My hen cuddles with me ffs, how can you not like a critter that cuddles?

The rooster, not so much cuddly. But that pea brained dipshit fought off a coyote, a pit bull, a raccoon, and a possum (though, tbh, the possum wasn’t fighting, it was just in the wrong place at the wrong time). My dude put his ass on the line literally to protect his flock of two. Lost tail feathers and neck feathers to the pit bull, but ran the damn thing off before I could get a clear shot. Same with the coyote, I come running and grab a rifle, but by the time I hit the yard, that coyote was scrambling to get under the fence and away from a furious rooster that was going so hard at the coyote’s ass he broke a spur off.

How can you not like a bird that damn crazy and tough? He can hump my shoe all he wants. And he does. Daily. And I still like the bugger :)

I’m also inordinately fond of dogs. For all the usual reasons. As much as I love my birds, if I could still take proper care of a dog, I’d have one. I just can’t, and I love them enough to not have one I can’t do right by. That ain’t the way it works, or it shouldn’t be.

Hell, I could keep on listing. There really isn’t an animal I don’t like, and there’s a ton I specifically like a lot.

Tortoises.

Live for a hundred+ years, and they just kinda vibe on land and do things at their own pace. They’re the turtles who don’t need water. And when you present them with food, they go to town and are single-minded. I can relate to all of that.

Armadillo, my spirit animal, the embodiment of “please leave me alone”. And depend on mood, Porcupine, the embodiment of “PLEASE DON’T TALK TO ME”.

I like cows. It started with using cowsay to make some “interesting” output for an otherwise boring looking program, then having to repeat the banner in msfconsole until I got the cow for good luck, then changing my desktop backgrounds and profile pictures to always have a good luck charm with me.

I also think they’re neat but that isn’t the origin. If I had the property where it made sense to host livestock, I’d like to get Dexter cattle. That’s my current favorite.

People also figured out my interest early on and now they get me cow things. I have a wall of cow art I’ve accumulated.

I like cows

Ducks. They’re hilarious when they’re alive and delicious when they’re cooked.

Chihuahuas. They’re loyal AF and will fuck your shit up if you step out of line.

nautilus I love the way they look and move. I’d keep a tank of them but don’t want them to go blind.

They’re so ancient evolutionary speaking that their eyes are sensors behind a hole in the shell. They have no way to dilate in response to light and are adapted to deep low light conditions.

So keeping them in a tank where I could see them would burn their eyes out in a day or two.

Octopuses. They only live about a year, but they are very intelligent. Usually intelligence is found in longer-lived creatures. They are solitary, but form good bonds with humans. They have lots of clever adaptations.

I really really love them, and I can’t stand seeing people eat them. I’m a omnivore, but it’s like watching someone eat a dolphin or an ape or an elephant. Just wrong.

The Mimic Octopus: it can shape shift to look like other sea life. It is quite interesting.

Birds. Insects. Every other animal.

Turtles because of how much they look like they’re enjoying the sun. I feel like they have something figured out.

Wolverine because it is basically a giant mean badger.

Shrews, manatees, and swiftlets.

Owls. They look funny.