How anthropomorphic are the animals to you?

[Mara the Wolf]

I don't mean, how they appeared in the graphic novel, TV series, or games. I mean, how do you imagine these beasties? Me, for example:

Quadrapedal or Bipedal: I think the animals are bipedal, but certain species run on all fours (unless something like a weapon or lantern is occupying the front paws/hands). The fat/edible dormice (the dormouse species that looks like a small squirrel) and squirrels run on all fours while in trees, but otherwise move on their hind legs. The ferrets, stoats, weasels, hares, rabbits & otters run on all fours, but are otherwise bipedal. The rest I see as fully bipedal.

Plantigrade (standing on your entire foot like a human or bear) or Digitigrade (standing on your toes, like cats & dogs): Digitigrade

Sizes (from biggest to smallest): Lynxes, Wolves, Badgers, Wolverines, Wildcats, Foxes, Otters, Pine Martens, Sables, Hares, Beavers, Rabbits, Ferrets, Stoats, Weasels, Rats, Hedgehogs, Mice, Voles, Hamsters, Squirrels, Moles, Dormice, Shrews, Pygmy Shrews
NOTE: Lynxes aren't in the books & beavers are non-canon, but they're semi-common on Redwall Survivor.
I think the badgers, wolverines, & wildcats are all about the same size as each other, the foxes, otters, pine martens, sables & hares all about the same size as each other, & the mice, squirrels, hamsters, voles, & moles all about the same size as each other.
Bats? I don't know (especially since I imagine they move about on the ground like real bats).

Animals on hind legs, humans with animal heads and tails, or in-between: Animals on their hind legs, but their front legs/arms and front paws/hands are slightly anthropomorphic so they can grasp things.

[shisteer of nothing much]

(I think there was a beaver in one of the books, probably Redwall, if memory serves me right. It was of about equal size to the badger at the time, since they made a longbow together so they could get the big baddie. That's not really important for now, though)

Yeah, it's an interesting question. I personally imagine them the same as you do, with possible differences in the sizing of various species. Certainly a fascinating thing to think about.

[Mara the Wolf]

Yes, a beaver was in the Redwall novel, but it was never mentioned or seen again, not even in Mattimeo, The Great Redwall Feast, A Redwall Winter's Tale, The Redwall Cookbook (all three set in between Redwall & Mattimeo), The Redwall Graphic Novel, or the TV series. When someone asked BJ about it, he said he hadn't expected for the book to be published, hence he didn't have all the details hammered out, and there would be no more beavers because they aren't native to the British Isles. (Though they were native to Britain at one point, but were overhunted to extinction.)

[DanielofRedwall]

I sort of imagine them being bipedal and roughly human size. The difference in height between species I see as roughly equivalent to height differences in humans, so badgers would be like very tall humans and mice shorter for example. I agree overall with your assessment, they are more animal-like in appearance but with thumbs etc. so they can hold weapons.

[Rosie Willowwater]

Oooh, very interesting question. I came to the series through the TV Show, so a lot of my mental images when reading are based off of that. I certainly agree with Maskia's thoughts about the animals being mostly bipedal, although I do often assume that they still run on their hind legs, reserving movement on all fours for things like climbing trees. I also mostly agree with Daniel's assumptions about their size, although for certain creatures I imagine their size differences to be more extreme than most would assume for humans.

[Kade Rivok]

I agree with Rosie regarding sizes and bipedal-ness.  I think the switching between bipedal and quadrupedal was only in Redwall, and not something mentioned in the later books.  (I could be wrong there)

I tend to think of them as having closer to human proportions than animal, but obviously not fully hooman shaped.

[Mara the Wolf]

Well, I didn't say anything about their anthropomorphism in the books, now did I? Honestly, I just can't see weasels, ferrets, stoats, otters, rabbits & hares not running on all fours (unless something's occupying their front paws)

[Kade Rivok]

To be fair, the books are where most of "the animals" are located   

[Cornflower MM]

I'm with Kade here - I've always imagined them bipedal and standing up on their hind legs. The idea of them dropping to all fours never once seriously occurred to me, though - Always pictured them running standing up and going through the trees Tarzan-style. XD Definitely agree with Daniel on the height and thumb thing.

[Sailears]

This is one reason I don't like for example the US Hardback cover of Mattimeo, which shows Slagar on all fours. Or that illustration on Tammo's belt with the hare running on all fours.

Agreeing with all standing on two legs for the most part, aside from squirrels climbing walls/trees.

Regarding feet - depends on the animal. Hares for example, on the toes. Hands are a weird one though - when thinking about holding weapons or other things, obviously not possible with normal paws, but I mentally tend to fudge this one by having normal looking paws that function with more joints similar to human hands, so able to perform similar actions.

Height is tough - eg on one hand you've got Nimbalo riding on Deyna's shoulders, but then you have, I dunno, mice competing with hares in terms of fighting prowess.

I tend to oversize mice so they match up better to other species. Same with shrews, though they tend to be the smallest in my mind and have virtue in terms of numbers/teamwork.
Hedgehogs, squirrels and moles roughly in the same ballpark, larger than mice but not as large as:
Hares and Otters around the same height, kind of put them on par with weasels, ferrets, stoats, foxes, etc...
Badgers are large though - depending on the individual - but at least a head or more taller than hares.

Vermin tend to be larger on the whole in any case - I suppose that goes with the underdog theme. But however it is, if the story calls for a potentially tiny animal going toe to toe with a large animal in real life, my mind adapts them so the combat makes sense.

[MeadowR]

This is one reason I don't like for example the US Hardback cover of Mattimeo, which shows Slagar on all fours. Or that illustration on Tammo's belt with the hare running on all fours.

Agreeing with all standing on two legs for the most part, aside from squirrels climbing walls/trees.

Regarding feet - depends on the animal. Hares for example, on the toes. Hands are a weird one though - when thinking about holding weapons or other things, obviously not possible with normal paws, but I mentally tend to fudge this one by having normal looking paws that function with more joints similar to human hands, so able to perform similar actions.

Basically all this! I envision the characters to be on twos for the most part. That US cover with Slagar bothers me. XD

Forgot to add: I'm not sure about hares being on their toes - when I imagine it I wonder how they can balance comfortably!

[Sailears]

This is one reason I don't like for example the US Hardback cover of Mattimeo, which shows Slagar on all fours. Or that illustration on Tammo's belt with the hare running on all fours.

Agreeing with all standing on two legs for the most part, aside from squirrels climbing walls/trees.

Regarding feet - depends on the animal. Hares for example, on the toes. Hands are a weird one though - when thinking about holding weapons or other things, obviously not possible with normal paws, but I mentally tend to fudge this one by having normal looking paws that function with more joints similar to human hands, so able to perform similar actions.

Basically all this! I envision the characters to be on twos for the most part. That US cover with Slagar bothers me. XD

Forgot to add: I'm not sure about hares being on their toes - when I imagine it I wonder how they can balance comfortably!

Oh I meant not resting flat all the way to the second joint in their legs which would otherwise be the "heel" (if I'm understanding correctly - not a biology specialist).

[Ripred the Gnawer]

I'm with Kade here - I've always imagined them bipedal and standing up on their hind legs. The idea of them dropping to all fours never once seriously occurred to me, though - Always pictured them running standing up and going through the trees Tarzan-style. XD Definitely agree with Daniel on the height and thumb thing.

Yes, so do I. I can't imagine them on all fours!
P.S. The shocked eyes I put are a little spooky--hope noone minds!

[Captain Wortshire]

I believe there may be several instances in the books where it may make more sense when the characters occasionally run on all fours.

When anyone is being sneaky for instance (a.k.a Gousim Shrews and Hares).

And take Mossflower for instance: Do you imagine Bella running on two legs and piggybacking the Abbess from the farm, or running on all fours with the Abbess riding like on a saddle?

[Ripred the Gnawer]

OK...
But what about the animal sizes? I think that they are really big, about as big as a human. But then again, it would all be kinda strange that way too-

Spoiler

I mean, you got Basil Stag teaching Matthias how to duck and weave using blades of grass as a cover...they would have to be SUPER small to do that!

[close]

But the badgers are always about 6 feet tall in my mind, with 6-inch thick paws. In a word, they are massive.