# An animal for Julia?
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322
**Category:** Community
**Tags:** marketing, branding, animals
**Created:** [October 8, 2017, 10:20am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322 "2017-10-08T10:20:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@ptoche](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ptoche)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/21 "2017-10-09T20:18:13Z")
The etymology of Julia is something like “soft hair” so a feathery creature would not quite fit by this criterion…
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### Author:  [@StefanKarpinski](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/StefanKarpinski)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/22 "2017-10-09T20:22:28Z")
I do like the dragonfly idea.
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### Author:  [@js135005](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/js135005)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/23 "2017-10-09T20:38:11Z")
In view of Julia’s emphasis on speed, two more animals come to mind with cheetah being taken: Pronghorn Antelope (second fastest land animal) and Orca (killer whale), one of the fastest creatures in the sea. Also the ultimate speed demons - Peregrine Falcon or Golden Eagle seem appropriate.
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### Author:  [@TravisA9](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/TravisA9)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/24 "2017-10-09T20:45:20Z")
I like the dragonfly idea too. I don’t think of julia as being a big and unwieldy beast but rather as being fast, efficient and precise. I also like the way the structures on the wings invoke ideas of math and structure.
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### Author:  [@MikeInnes](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/MikeInnes)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/25 "2017-10-09T22:09:44Z")
The Mantis shrimp is slow to get going but packs a punch. Most importantly, it has weirdly excellent colour support…
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### Author:  [@ChrisRackauckas](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ChrisRackauckas)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/26 "2017-10-09T22:59:19Z")
> [@StefanKarpinski](#):
>
> Obviously, we wouldn’t settle for just a pegasus or a unicorn – Julia would be a pegacorn, the best of both worlds:
That does solve the “Two Mythical Horses Problem”.
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### Author:  [@bramtayl](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/bramtayl)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/27 "2017-10-09T23:15:40Z")
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### Author:  [@Liso](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Liso)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/28 "2017-10-10T15:53:59Z")
A colibri (hummingbird) is fast, cute and has colors similar to Julia’s.
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### Author:  [@ExpandingMan](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ExpandingMan)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/29 "2017-10-10T17:28:22Z")
Another selling point for the _Julia skimmer_ dragonfly is that when people ask where the name comes from we can tell them it comes from the dragonfly and perhaps even make up some zany story about how the creation of Julia is related to dragonflies. 😆
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### Author:  [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/30 "2017-10-10T18:56:57Z")
Note the 3 dots that surround the “+” cursor in this picture: The 3 Julia dots! Isn’t that cool?
I can see how it might be possible to draw a stylized dragonfly with those Julia dots on its back.
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### Author:  [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/31 "2017-10-10T19:16:03Z")
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### Author:  [@chakravala](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/chakravala)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/32 "2017-10-10T19:22:38Z")
The `Julyax` is simply awesome, but the dragon fly is the most realistic proposal I have seens so far. It’s easier to make as a simplified logo and a lot of people have reacted positively to it as well so far.
Maybe the dragon fly could be nicknamed `Julyax`.
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### Author:  [@ExpandingMan](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ExpandingMan)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/33 "2017-10-10T19:48:56Z")
I like this, but I think it’s important to get the proportions correct. To me the most beautiful thing about this animal is how beautifully elongated it is. The way the wings are so far forward make it look unbalanced and almost unnatural, yet presumably the shape is honed by millions of years of evolution. I love things in nature that defy “common sense” [insert Einstein quote here].
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### Author:  [@joa-quim](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/joa-quim)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/34 "2017-10-10T20:14:53Z")
No, Juliax is Julyax and far nicer than any other proposals (IMO off course)
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### Author:  [@ElOceanografo](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ElOceanografo)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/35 "2017-10-10T20:38:03Z")
1. Retcon language’s name to refer to Julia skimmer mascot
2. Name mascot “Julyax” after mythical mythical creature
3. ??
4. Profit
I’ll volunteer to sketch up some ideas for dragonfly vector art, but I’m defending my dissertation Friday so it’ll probably have to wait till next week 😛
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### Author:  [@StefanKarpinski](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/StefanKarpinski)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/36 "2017-10-10T23:13:44Z")
I do also really like the hummingbird. It has the right feel – fast, friendly, colorful and cute.
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### Author:  [@John\_Hearns](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/John_Hearns)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2017, 7:39am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/37 "2017-10-11T07:39:59Z")
The mascot shoudl be a cuddly animal… remember that Linux began the Linux project as a vehicle for selling millions of plush Tux mascots. He gets a royalty from every one (\*)
Consideration should be given to a mascot’s suitability for stickers and plush toys.
(\*) Obv disclaimer - no he doesn’t
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### Author:  [@NickNack](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/NickNack)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2017, 9:40am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/38 "2017-10-11T09:40:41Z")
> [@StefanKarpinski](#):
>
> I do also really like the hummingbird. It has the right feel – fast, friendly, colorful and cute.
+1 for hummingbird for exactly these reasons. If any artists want inspiration, check out how [Disney stylized hummingbirds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGkByPKFFdE#t=0m30s) in 1947. They reappear [a few minutes later](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGkByPKFFdE#t=2m59s) but get interrupted … 🙂
BTW, if there are any Swedes here who think they know this cartoon by heart (Swedish television has broadcast it on Christmas Eve every year since 1960), check out [the surprise coda in the uncensored version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGkByPKFFdE#t=5m24s)!
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### Author:  [@Niall](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Niall)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2017, 10:31am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/39 "2017-10-11T10:31:20Z")
I’m wondering whether there’s a cute Julia set that could be worked into the logo. There are so many pretty looking shapes available out there, that one might be worked into the cuddly animal.
BTW, I find the Juliax cutest.
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### Author:  [@essenciary](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/essenciary)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/an-animal-for-julia/6322/40 "2017-10-11T16:11:22Z")
Through the absolute weirdest coincidence, earlier today, while googling for something Julia lang, Google brought some results about a Julia butterfly! That was surprising. But then I see this thread! It’s gotta be destiny!!!1!!
Anyway, the butterfly is quite pretty and we could easily put the dots on the wings.
If you google “Julia butterfly” beware, there’s also a lady called exactly that - she lives in a tree or something, a bit of a looney internet celebrity. Better to use this link if you want to read about it (about the butterfly, not the lady, I wouldn’t want the lady as our mascot):
[https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Dryas-iulia](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Dryas-iulia)
The actual name of the butterfly is Julia Heliconian or Dryas iulia
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