Zoomorphic Attributes

The attribute sets and attributes for the above class are described below. Minor edits which enhance the current definitions should be made directly to the text. Major changes or revisions which change the attribute words should follow the directions at the bottom of this page under Proposed Changes.

Order

Single choice. This divides zoomorphics into useful categories based upon appearance rather than the usual scientific order. Examples for Zoomorphic.Order

Bat

A flying bat.

Bird

Birds are usually shown standing, but may be shown flying. Thunderbirds, which sometimes do not look very birdlike, are given the bird attribute.

Insect

Any type of insect, scorpions, spiders, and dragonflies seem to be most abundant.

Quadruped

A quadruped is a quadruped regardless of how many legs are depicted. The number of legs are recorded elsewhere. Whales, seals, etc. should be recorded as marine.

Marine

Any type of cold or warm blooded animal which lives in the water.

Reptile

Any reptile, lizards, snakes and turtles are most abundant.

Undetermined

Any animal not fitting into one of the categories above.

Facing

Single choice. This describes the direction the element is facing relative to the viewer, and assumes the image portrays the normal viewing position. In the case of reptiles, this indicates the position and direction of the head. Examples for Zoomorphic.Facing

Front

The element is portrayed as facing the viewer.

Back

The element's back is toward the viewer, this is a common means of drawing a reptile.

Left

The element's head is facing to the viewer's left.

Right

The element's head is facing to the viewer's right.

Upside Down

The element is upside down, possibly indicating death.

Upward

The element is facing upward.

Downward

The element is facing downward.

Legs Left

For quadrupeds, the head is up or down and the legs face left.

Legs Right

For quadrupeds, the head is up or down and the legs face right.

Legs Up

A quadruped is that is upside down.

Activity

Single choice. If the element is not portrayed in a normal standing position, this describes the activity. Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Activity

Birthing

The element is depicted giving birth.

Death

The element is depicted as in death; frequently this means being shown as upside down.

Eating

The element is depicted as eating.

Falling

The element is depicted as falling.

Fighting

Two animals fighting; deer in rutting season.

Flying

The element is depicted as flying.

Jumping

The element appears to be jumping.

Laying Down

The element is depicted as laying down. This is never checked for reptiles such as lizards or snakes.

Running

The element is depicted as running.

Sexual

The element is depicted in a sexual scene or position.

Walking

The element appears to be walking.

Birds

Single choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Birds

Cormorant

May be shown with wings outspread similar to a thunderbird.

Duck, Goose, Swan

Any element with a duck-like bill and torso.

Hawk, Vulture

Hawk or vulture.

Heron, Crane

Should have a long beak, neck and legs.

Hummingbird

Beak should be indicative.

Owl

Frontal views are most common.

Parrot, Macaw

Hooked beak and long tail.

Quail

Stout, round bird. May be depicted flying with rounded wings.

Roadrunner

Difficult to separate from herons and cranes based on body shape.

Thunderbird

May be as simple as an inverted U with a line protruding through the top. In some cases there will be a head with a hooked beak, the wings may be wider than just lines, and the tail may be wider than a simple line.

Woodpecker

The beak should be indicative.

Other

Any bird that can not be placed into one of the above categories.

Bird Head

Multiple choice. This describes any feather crests and the length of a birds beak relative to the width of the bird's head. Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Bird Head

Crested-Forward

The crest is pointed forward.

Crested-Up

The crest is pointed upward similar to a cardinal.

Crested-Back

The crest is pointed backward.

Short Beak

The beak is about half or less than half of the width of the head.

Medium Beak

The beak is about the width of the head.

Long Beak

The beak is about twice the width of the head.

Huge Beak

The beak is very long, much more than twice the width of the head.

Open Beak

The beak is open.

Holding Prey

The beak is holding prey such as a fish or frog.

Insects

Multiple choice. Spider webs are included even if no insect is shown. Examples for Zoomorphic.Insects

Butterfly

Uncommon. May be depicted with designs on the wings.

Centipede

Straight or curved body with several pairs of curved legs.

Dragonfly

Straight body with two pairs of wings.

Scorpion

Curved tail and pincher claws are indicative.

Spider

May have the wrong number of legs.

Spider Web

The rounded polygon type is most common.

Other

Any insect that can not be given one of the above attributes.

Marine

Single choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Marine

Fish

Fish.

Shellfish

Any shellfish.

Seal

seal or walrus.

Whale

Whale.

Other

Any marine animal not fitting one of the above choices.

Reptiles

Single choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Reptiles

Frog or Toad

Both the front and rear legs will usually point forward.

Lizard

Tail is equal or longer than the rear legs.

Horned Lizard

Variety of lizard with stout body and scales that may resemble horns.

Snake

Should have a head. May be be straight, curved, or coiled.

Turtle

The back may have designs. Usually the head, tail, and legs are depicted.

Other

Any reptile not fitting one of the above categories.

Snake

Multiple choice. Additional attributes for snakes. The attribute Reptiles.Snake above should also be checked. Use Head attributes as well, but not Tail attributes. Examples for Zoomorphic.Snake

Coiled

The snake is coiled.

Clockwise

From the outside inward is a clockwise spiral.

Counter-clockwise

From the outside inward is a counter-clockwise spiral.

Straight

The snake body is straight.

Wavy

The snake body is wavy.

Irregular

The snake body has irregular snake-like curves.

Extended

The snake body is extended. Deprecated, choose straight or wavy.

Rattle

The tail has a rattle.

Quadruped-Domestic

Single choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Quadruped-Domestic

Cow or Bull

Cow or bull.

Dog

Usually depicted with a tail curving upward and over the back. Domesticated dogs are usually shown in the presence of humans and may be participants in a hunting scene.

Donkey

Donkey

Goat

Goat

Horse

Horse

Mule

Mule.

Sheep

Sheep.

Tack

Multiple choice. Equipment used on horses, mules, and other domestic animals. Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Tack

Blanket

Saddle blanket.

Brand

Brand mark on rear leg or side.

Bridle

Bridle.

Saddle

Saddle.

Quadruped-Predator

Multiple choice. If mountain lion, wolf, or coyote are checked, feline or canine should also be checked. Examples for Zoomorphic.Quadruped-Predator

Bear

Bear.

Caoti Mundi

Short legs, long tail, pointed nose.

Canine

Any wild dog-like animal. Domesticated dogs should be indicated elsewhere.

Coyote

Coyote.

Feline

Any cat-like animal.

Mountain Lion

Mountain lion.

Wolf

Wolf

Other

Any quadruped predator that does not fit the above.

Quadruped-Prey

Single choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Quadruped-Prey

It may be difficult to determine the difference between the various hooved game animals. The presence of antlers or horns may be the only clue. Antlers are composed of bone-like material and are grown and shed annually by males. Horns are composed of dense hair-like material, are usually permanent, and grown by both males and females. But pronghorns are an exception because they shed horns on an annual basis. In the absence of horns, antlers or other clue, deer-like prey animals should be classified simply as deer.

Buffalo

The curved inward pointing horns and body mass should be indicative.

Deer

This should be the default choice for all hornless ungulates unless there is a specific characteristic suggesting another species. Males have branching antlers. Females have no antlers. Sites which show large numbers of males with first year unbranching antlers may be depicting pronghorns.

Elk

These may be difficult to distinguish from deer. The main antler branch should start upward and curve over the back near the top. Most tines will point forward, those at the top will point upward.

Mountain Sheep

Heads of mails frequently have large backward curving horns placed one above the other. Infrequently, horns are shown curving in opposite directions (one backward and one forward), or both curving forward as if the artist is depicting a frontal view or the head. Females have shorter horns than males that curve backward.

Pronghorn Antelope

Drawn with straight or gently curving horns which curve toward each other at the ends. May show small prongs near the ends. Unbranching horns and ears may sometimes be depicted as equal in size -- these could be young deer or pronghorns. Hornless individuals should be classified as deer unless there is some other distinguishing characteristic.

Rabbit

Includes cottontails and jackrabbits.

Extinct Species

Any extinct species such as a mammoth.

Other

Any prey quadruped not fitting any of the above.

Head

Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Head

Antlers

Could be single upward spikes, but usually shown as branching.

Horns

Horns of mountain sheep curve backward, pronghorns grow upward and curve slightly inward and may show prongs near the end.

Big Horns/Antlers

The horns are double sized or greater.

Ears

Ears.

Big Ears

Ears are double sized or greater.

Eyes

Eyes.

Mouth

Mouth. If the mouth is open, check this attribute as well.

Open Mouth

An open mouth.

Tongue

Tongue.

Teeth

Teeth.

Outline

The head is drawn as an outline. May be a natural shape or a circle, etc.

Appendage

Any appendage attached to the head. For example, a circle or spiral may be attached to a horn or antler.

Neck

Multiple choice. If the neck appears normal, no attributes will be selected. Examples for Anthropomorphic.Neck

Curved

The neck is curved.

Short

The neck is depicted as shorter than normal, about half or less of the normal length as judged from the length of the torso.

Long

The neck is depicted as longer than normal, about twice the normal length as judged from the length of the torso.

Elongated

The neck is depicted as very long, over three times the normal length, as judged from the length of the torso.

Thin

The neck is disproportionately thin.

Thick

The neck is disproportionately thick.

Torso

Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Torso

Full Bodied

The element is a solid shape rather than an outline or stippled.

Outline

The element is formed by lines, the interior of the torso is the natural patina or rock.

Segmented

The torso interior is bisected, quartered, or otherwise segmented.

Stick

The torso is drawn as a simple stick figure.

Stippled

The torso is textured with simple dots, dashes, or a more elaborate small pattern.

Other

The torso has some other feature (other than an appendage) that can not be described as above.

Torso Shape

Multiple choice. These attributes are used to describe various stylistic depictions of a torso. Torsos that were described as Stick should have no choices checked below. Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Torso Shape

Amorphous

The torso is a blob with an irregular shape.

Crescent

The torso is a stylized crescent. The back may be either swaybacked or straight.

Elongated

The torso is depicted as abnormally long.

Oval

The torso resembles an oval.

Lifelike

The torso has a natural or lifelike shape.

Rectangular

The torso is drawn as a rectangle with a straight back, belly, and ends.

Paint or Tattoo

The torso is drawn as an outline, and the interior of the torso has lines, circles, crosses, or other designs.

Round

The entire torso is round.

Round Belly

A full circle overlays the middle of the torso. The remainder of the torso is frequently a stick.

Tapered

The torso is tapered with the thickest part at the head end.

Other

The torso includes some other stylistic feature not described above.

Number Legs

Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Number Legs

One

One leg is drawn.

Two

Two legs are drawn.

Three

Three legs are drawn.

Four

Four legs are drawn.

Five

Five legs are drawn.

Six

Six legs are drawn.

Seven

Seven legs are drawn.

Eight

Eight legs are drawn.

>Eight

More than eight legs are drawn.

Legs

Multiple choice. If legs are drawn differently, check all that apply. Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Legs

Straight

Legs are straight from torso to feet.

Bent at Joint

Legs are bent at knee.

Curved

Legs are curved from torso to feet.

Front Forward

The forelegs are forward.

Front Rearward

The forelegs are rearward.

Rear Forward

The rear legs are angled or pointing forward.

Rear Rearward

The rear legs are angled or pointing backward.

Short

The legs are one-half or less than the length of the torso.

Long

The Legs are double or more than the length of the torso.

Odd Lengths

Legs are of different lengths.

Appendage

One or more legs has an attached appendage.

Feet

Multiple Choice. Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Feet

None

The legs end in a straight line with no foot detail and no attached toes.

Ball

Feet are drawn as round balls.

Crude

Feet are crudely drawn, or may be missing with toes appearing attached directly to legs.

Lifelike

Feet of normal size and shape are depicted.

Big Feet

The feet are drawn much larger than life-size and may include detail.

Flat Feet

The feet are drawn in profile and are flat on the bottom similar to a human foot.

Footprint

Footprints are depicted instead of or in addition to feet.

Toes

Multiple choice. Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Toes

Toes

Two or more toes are depicted.

Big Toes

The toes are intentionally drawn much larger than life size.

Two

Two toes.

Three

Three toes.

Four

Four toes.

Five

Five Toes.

> Five

More than five toes.

Tail

Multiple choice. The attributes below describe various aspects of a zoomorphic tail. When choosing an attribute, consider the position of the head and whether the view is a side view (quadruped) or a top view (lizard). Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Tail

Straight

The tail is straight, and held in any direction.

Curved

The tail is curved in any direction.

Upward

The tail is held upward, but does not curve over the back.

Backward

This attribute is typically used only for quadrupeds when the tail is held horizontally.

Downward

This attribute is typically used only for quadrupeds when the tail is held downward.

Over Back

The tail is held upward and curved over the back. This is frequently taken to mean a predator quadruped, perhaps a cat.

Rattle

This attribute is used only for a snake, when a rattle is depicted on the end of the tail.

Appendage

There is a geometric appendage attached to the tail.

None

A zoomorphic figure which should have a tail has none. This should not be used when the condition of the element has deteriorated and a tail can not be seen.

Tail Length

Single choice. This compares the length of the tail to the length of the body (excluding the head and neck). In real life, a deer's tail would always be described as short and a mountain lion's tail as long. Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Tail Length

Short

The tail is one quarter or less of the body length.

Medium

The tail is one half or less of the body length.

Long

The tail is about equal to the body length.

Huge

The tail length is much greater than the body length.

Appendage

Multiple choice. The element has one or more appendages. These attributes should be used rather than the old appendage attributes under other body parts -- the older attributes are to be removed.

Head

An appendage is attached to the head.

Ear

An appendage is attached to the ear.

Antler or horn

An appendage is attached to the antlers or horns.

Shoulder

An appendage is attached to the shoulder or rump.

Torso

An appendage is attached to the torso.

Leg

An appendage is attached to the leg.

Foot

An appendage is attached to the foot.

Tail

An appendage is attached to the tail.

Group Size

Single choice. The number of zoomorphic figures are combined into one element. Multiple choice. Examples for Zoomorphic.Group Size

Two

Two figures.

Three

Three figures.

Four

Four figures.

Five

Five figures.

Six-Ten

Six to ten figures.

More Than Ten

More than ten.

Proposed Changes

If you have suggestions which add, delete, combine attributes or change the word used to define an attribute, then please copy the entire current attribute set definition above, including the attribute set heading to the end of this page and edit your copy. If you wish to make a comment below your improved version (or someone else's improved version), add a horizontal rule and then your comment.

Minor changes in agreement with the someone's proposed changes should be made directly to the text, competing versions should be documented as complete revised copies including the heading.

To add a new attribute set, create it exactly as it should appear. For suggestions on sequence changes, create an appropriate heading below and add a comment. For other types of changes, innovate.

All documentation should be written for the target audience of volunteer rock art recorders.

Appendage

Appendage is an attribute within Head, Legs, and Tail. These are duplicated within Appendage set.