Dog and Cat Faces

The dog and cat face emojis are among the most-used animal emojis overall, standing in for pets generally or for warmth and cuteness in a message, regardless of what pet someone actually owns.

The Three Wise Monkeys

Based on the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil proverb, these are used less literally today — mostly for embarrassment, secrecy, or playful avoidance of a topic.

Unicorn

Represents anything magical, rare, or too good to be true — including, in startup and business contexts, a privately held company valued over one billion dollars.

Snake

Beyond the literal animal, this emoji is widely used as slang for someone perceived as untrustworthy or two-faced.

Butterfly

Commonly used to represent transformation, growth, or a fresh start, in addition to its literal meaning.

Turtle

Frequently used to indicate slowness — a slow reply, a slow process — separate from any literal reference to the animal.