We've all known someone who has reminded us of an animal. Perhaps it was the burly relative whose coarse looks and manners recalled the image of a gorilla, or maybe it was the girl with too much makeup who reminded us of peacock. People are catty, foxy, slothful, eat like pigs, as stubborn as mules, and as busy as beavers. Of course, these isolated characteristics cannot define an entire personality, but when taken in combination, these behaviors describe our animal personalities. Every animal species use a unique blend of aggression, passivity, speed, intelligence, stealth, and skittishness to help them survive in a competitive word. By comparing our own set of behavioral characteristics, we can match them with a particular animal species, and the personality test found in The Animal in You, will automatically reference your individual animal personality.

It is no coincidence that certain people display the same combination of traits as various animal species. Through a process known as parallel evolution in which unrelated animal species evolve matching characteristics, human beings have developed a wide range of personalities that mimic those found in the animal kingdom.

For an ecosystem to remain stable, it must contain a wide diversity of species. It is also important that the ratio of these species is balanced, since an overabundance of predators could wreak havoc on the ecosystem. If predators were not present at all, then prey animals would overpopulate the environment causing overgrazing and disease. Interestingly, the ratio between predators and prey in nature seems to be mirrored in our own society. Larger animal personalities like elephants, giraffes, and gorillas cannot be supported in large numbers since their bulky personalities put a disproportional stress on the social environment. Conversely, smaller personalities like mice, otters, beavers, and sheep are found in great numbers throughout the concrete jungle.

How do we translate human behavior into its corresponding animal personality? The fundamental survival techniques of animals can be summarized by the four 'F's: Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing and Sex.  The feeding technique of a particular animal translates into the career that its corresponding human personality would choose. Bird personalities, for example, prefer jobs that provide a great deal of freedom, while sheep personalities flourish under the direction of a strong dog personality. Bear personas have a need to maintain control of their environment and chafe under the direction of a boss. The way an animal fights is equivalent to the way in which a person controls his or her environment. Carnivorous personalities are assertive and adventurous, while herbivorous personalities tend to be passive and cautious. The method an animal species uses to flee from danger translates into how people protect themselves from each other. Herd animal personalities find refuge in the company of friends and family, while a mouse personality keeps a low profile to avoid danger. Animals exhibit a variety of approaches in attracting the opposite sex. From the brutal strength display of the wild elk to the seductive display of the peacock, all creatures exert control over their reproductive choices. Some animal species are monogamous while others have a variety of mates. An animal's mating habits translate directly into the way that people conduct their sexual relationships. Beaver personalities mate for life, while tiger personalities are solitary and rarely monogamous.

The ratio of predator to prey in human society is maintained through a process of social pressure. Consider the artificial environment of prisons. In these overcrowded inhospitable conditions, someone who was previously a combative warthog might be unable to survive in a society dominated by crocodiles and lions. By backing away from his assertive stance and manifesting the more gregarious personality of a herbivore, this prisoner can seek the protection of the herd in order to survive. Carnivorous personalities are territorial and require more personal space than their herbivorous counterparts. As shown in the photograph of a beach scene on the right, those huddling together are probably herbivorous individuals, while people who have staked out larger territories are more likely to be carnivores.