History Main / PortrayedByDifferentSpecies

Could be considered a sister trope to InformedSpecies (where an animal looks nothing or little like the species it is supposed to be). IncorrectAnimalNoise may be in effect if a recording of an animal sound is used for a different species. Compare AssInALionSkin for in-universe examples where an animal is disguised as another species. Contrast AdaptationalSpeciesChange where an animal's in-story species is changed for an adaptation.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In the episode "Wormy", we get a live-action GrossOutCloseUp of the face of the eponymous Wormy after he transforms into a butterfly (specifically a Monarch). However, the insect in the close-up shot is a horsefly, not any kind of butterfly.

* ''Film/TheCallOfTheWild2020'' is the first adaptation to properly make Buck a St. Bernard–Scotch Collie mix (even if he was made through [[SerkisFolk motion capture]], the dog used as reference was of that mix!), with previous attempting making him instead a St. Bernard (1935 film), German Shepherd (1972 film) or Husky (both the [[Series/TheCallOfTheWild2000 2000 TV series]] and the 2009 film).

* A prehistoric animal example: ''Film/QuestForFire'' features some saber-toothed cats which are played by trained lionesses with prosthetic saber-teeth.

* ''Film/BirdsOfPrey'': Bruce the hyena was played by a German Shepherd interacting with the human actors, who then got replaced by a CGI spotted hyena model.

This trope is frequently used for extinct and fictional species, especially if said species is similar enough to a real living species that it can be portrayed by such. (In this case, the trope would obviously be justified since, for obvious reasons, the producers could never find an actual living individual of the species meant to be portrayed.) Otherwise, they would most likely be CGI.

Related tropes include AdaptationalSpeciesChange and {{Slurpasaur}}. The former contrasts with this trope in that it is about a species formerly portrayed being changed in a later adaptation of said work. The latter mainly involves using lizards and similar ordinary modern reptiles to portray dinosaurs. See also TerrifyingPetStoreRat.

Could be considered a sister trope to InformedSpecies (where an animal looks nothing or little like the species it is supposed to be). IncorrectAnimalNoise may be in effect if a recording of an animal sound is used for a different species. Compare AssInALionSkin for in-universe examples where an animal is disguised as another species.

* As covered by {{Slurpasaur}}, many dinosaurs used in old black and white films have been portrayed by modern reptiles such as alligators and iguanas. (Though some films have used stop-motion animation, people in rubber suits, and/or animatronic puppets.) Nowadays, most dinosaurs in live-action films and television, such as the Franchise/JurassicPark films are CGI. The animals alive today that most closely resemble dinosaurs are probably modern reptiles and birds, and few if any of them would actually pass convincingly as dinosaurs no matter how much they were made up and what special effects were used. (For example, it wouldn't be very convincing to portray a Komodo dragon as a UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex.)

* As covered by {{Slurpasaur}}, many dinosaurs used in old black and white films have been portrayed by modern reptiles such as alligators and iguanas. (Though some films have used stop-motion animation, people in rubber suits, and/or animatronic puppets.) Nowadays, most dinosaurs in live-action films and television, such as the Franchise/JurassicPark films are CGI. The animals alive today that most closely resemble dinosaurs are probably modern reptiles and birds, and few if any of them would actually pass convincingly as dinosaurs no matter how much they were made up and what special effects were used. (For example, it wouldn't be very convincing to portray a Komodo dragon as a TyrannosaurusRex.)

* In ''{{Series/Animorphs}}'' tv series version, Tobias as a red-tailed hawk was played by a Harris' Hawk.
* Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs: In the episode "Spirits of the Ice Forest", a coati appears in the role of an unnamed Cretaceous mammal, [[AllThereInTheManual which is identified in the companion book]] as a ''Steropodon'', an extinct monotreme.

* In [[Film/TheCannonballRun Cannonball Run 2]], one team finds themselves doing the race with a simian. All of the dialogue refers to said simian as a "chimp", but it's actually an orangutan (and is identified as such in the credits).
* The seal in the eponymous film Andre was played by a sea lion. This is because sea lions are easier to train to do tricks, and are more often kept in captivity.

Related tropes include AdaptationalSpeciesChange and {{Slurpasaur}}. The former contrasts with this trope in that it is about a species formerly portrayed being changed in a later adaptation of said work. The latter mainly involves using lizards and similar ordinary modern reptiles to portray dinosaurs.

Could be considered a sister trope to InformedSpecies (where an animal looks nothing or little like the species it is supposed to be). IncorrectAnimalNoise may be in effect if a recording of an animal sound is used for a different species.

* Unicorns and Pegasuses in movies are frequently played by actual horses.

->Martin: Uh, Sir, why don't you just use real cows?
-> Painter: Cows don't look like cows on film. You gotta use horses.
-> Ralph: What do you do if you want something that looks like a horse?
-> Painter: Ehh, usually we just tape a bunch of cats together.

* RealLife Example: Some real life places allow guests to interact with "live unicorns", which are usually actually horses wearing prosthetic horns. In former decades, "real" unicorns were created by transplanting the unfused horn buds of baby goats to the middle of the forehead, where they fused and merged to form a single straight horn. Given that unicorns are imaginary, these are pretty much the closest you can get to seeing one in real life.

* RealLife Example: Some real life places allow guests to interact with "live unicorns", which are usually actually horses wearing prosthetic horns. Given that unicorns are imaginary, this is pretty much the closest you can get to seeing one in real life.

* This is used as a joke in a ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards''. A woman refers to Labrador puppy as a Lab/Husky mix to set up a joke about Kirby also being a mix.

!!Straight Examples

[[folder:LiveActionFilm]]

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]

[[folder:RealLife]]

!!!In-Universe Examples:

[[folder:VideoGames]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

[[/folder]]