Our furry, feathered, toothed, clawed and slithery friends played important roles in the mythologies of the new world. Many of them, like the jaguar, the bat and the fox, were gods in their own right, while others were alter egos of deities. From Olmec times to the Aztec dominion, animals were frequently actors in creation myths and heroic epics. Earth itself is symbolized by a gargantuan turtle which rose from primordial waters at the very beginning of time. The central mountain ranges are the ridged spine of an equally gargantuan caiman.

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