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Tattoos are a long-term investment, so it’s only logical to use good tattoo ideas and designs. With so many of them floating around on the internet, one branch, or category, has gotten a lot of attention from tattoo artists — animal tattoos. There are plenty of reasons why people choose to make these tattoos over others and they might inspire your next tattoo project, if you are in the market for one.

Animals are symbolic, as they can capture the aspects of the world around us through their beauty alone. Sometimes, we connect with an animal and want to show that visually. If we want tattoos of animals that represent strength, we will usually get a bear or a crocodile tattoo. On the other hand, if you are more of a romantic, friendly person, you can be sure that there are animal tattoo designs to depict those feelings too. So if there’s a feeling or a character trait you want to capture, there are ample tattoo designs of animals that can relate that quite successfully.

People tend to get ideas by exploring the ideas already realized. The same thing goes for animal tattoo ideas. We have compiled quite a long list of ideas you could use for that creativity boost. If you have a pet and are a bit symbolic, check out our list of pet tattoos for inspiration. We even have dog tattoos and cat tattoos to look at, so no fluffy friend is missed. If an idea caught your attention — be sure to upvote it and share it with a friend. On the other hand, if you already have a similar tattoo, be sure to comment below and tell us more about it!

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    #7

    Everything Looks Better With Cheese

    Animal tattoo of a raccoon holding cheese on arm, showcasing creative design ideas.

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    #10

    My Client Told Me To Tattoo Whatever I Wanted To And She Didn’t Want To See It Until The Tattoo Was Finished

    Animal tattoos featuring a colorful fox and floral design on an arm.

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    Dr
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Stunning result. The person sitting obviously had reason to trust the artist.

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    #12

    Got To Do One Of My Fruit Bat Tattoos

    Colorful bat tattoo resembling a watermelon on a person's leg, showcasing creative animal tattoo design ideas.

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    Auntriarch
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh dear I only just realised it's a fruit bat and the fruit is watermelon...

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    #19

    Just A Little Blue Whale And Baby Squid

    Colorful animal tattoo featuring a whale and an octopus in an ink bottle on a person's leg.

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    Powerful Katrinka
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't know about the choice of red ink, however. It looks like the poor whale is being slaughtered. Blue would have been much better.

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    #26

    Herbs And A Bumble Bee For Ines. Thanks For The Lovely Day

    Tattoo of a bee and green leaves on a person's arm, showcasing creative animal tattoo design.

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    Suzette Morgandunlap
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is Beautiful. I wouldn't want a tattoo this large. That being said, it would look Great small version. Well Done 👏

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    #34

    Humpback Whale

    Whale tattoo design on forearm, offering creative ideas for animal tattoos.

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    #38

    Small Dainty Dotwork Sea Turtle

    Tattoo of a detailed sea turtle on skin, showcasing creative animal tattoo design ideas.

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    Dr
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thus is done SO well. You can somehow also sense the water and the movement.

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    #41

    Another Day, Another Fox

    Animal tattoo of a fox on an arm, showcasing intricate design and shading.

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    #43

    Ladybug

    Minimalist animal tattoo of a ladybug with red wings and black dots on skin.

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    BeKindAnyway
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My very first tattoo was of a little ladybug. With rainbow wings. I was 16 and used my library card as identification at the tattoo shop. Good ol days. This is very cute. 🐞

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    #44

    Beautiful Butterfly

    Butterfly tattoo on forearm with vibrant orange accents and floral details, showcasing animal tattoo artistry.

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    dReZ bEeZ
    Community Member
    1 year ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    sorry but I've seen a lot better tats than this one... this is below part. this makes me not want to get a tat

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    #45

    Animal Tattoo Ideas

    Animal tattoos featuring a dog, a cat, and a monkey in a collage on forearms.

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    #47

    Dogs And A Daughter

    Tattoo of a girl and two small fluffy dogs, showcasing creative animal tattoo design ideas.

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    Disinforminationalisticalities
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think the one on the right looks more like the one on the left than the one on the left looking more like the one on the right, but I could be mistaken, the lighting is a little off.

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    #52

    Cute Rabbit Tattoo For Paige

    Tattoo of a rabbit on an arm, showcasing detailed animal art design.

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    Dr
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wouldn't use "cute" to describe this but it is a great tat

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    #55

    Our Shark Friend, The Manta Ray And The Seal

    Three animal tattoos featuring a shark, bird, and seal on the back of a neck.

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    #59

    Cute Fawn Tattoo

    Deer tattoo design on arm featuring two overlapping outlines in red and black ink, showcasing creative animal art.

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    dReZ bEeZ
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't understand how this is "cute".. this one makes me wanna go grab my old skool 3d glasses!

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    #63

    Snake Wrap From Today

    Snake tattoo on forearm highlighting detailed animal design ideas.

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    #66

    Thank You Both For Getting These Matchy Merlion Tattoos

    Cute lion-mermaid animal tattoos on ankles, showcasing creative tattoo ideas.

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    #72

    Lion Healed

    Detailed lion tattoo on a person's side, showcasing intricate shading and artistic animal design.

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    #76

    Crocodile Tattoo

    Crocodile tattoo on forearm, showcasing detailed animal artwork.

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    #77

    Flashes

    Animal tattoos of beetles on feet with orange nail polish, designed creatively.

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    Lisa Lolo
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It bugs me that their placement isn't completely symmetrical. (Hihi bugs) Otherwise the nicest thing on this list.

    #78

    Otter Tattoo

    Animal tattoo of an otter on a woman's arm, showcasing creative ink design.

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    #79

    Little Nut Eater

    Animal tattoo of a cartoon-style squirrel holding an acorn on a forearm.

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    #84

    Butterfly Tattoo

    Butterfly animal tattoo with blue and black ink on skin, showcasing creative design ideas.

    She knew exactly what she wanted! She wanted a butterfly. She just didn't know which one. It was really hard for her to decide. For two months we courted one after the other, I ask if she has made a decision and she sends me another picture of a butterfly.
    In the end, we ran into each other at a meeting of "Emek Hefer Independents", a meeting of businesswomen, and there a final decision was made on the selected sketch... which was changed again at the last minute.
    But all the changes are dwarfed compared to the smile she had when I finished and she looked in the mirror.
    Such a smile reminds me every time how much I love my job.

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