Mexican Bestiary In the Aztec world, the profound relationship of humans with their environment and the presence of the gods, shown through their representatives on earth, gave rise to artistic representations of animals. The most important feature of these works was their exaltation of anatomical characteristics. Because Aztec art favored representations of animals over other manifestations of nature, the indigenous bestiary is typical of the art of this period. Practically all the zoological orders were represented, especially, among the mammals: the jaguar, coyote, and dog. Among birds, the favorites were the eagle, turkey buzzard, and duck. Among reptiles and amphibians, the Aztecs emphasized rattlesnakes, toads, and frogs. There are also images of fish, and even insects and beetles were rendered with great naturalism. Especially in stone sculpture, this level of realism was rarely equaled in the ancient art of the Americas. Eagle. Aztec, ca. 1500. Stone, 41 x 20 cm. Museo Nacional de Antropología, INAH, Mexico City. Photo Michel Zabé, assistant Enrique Macías.