6 animals Nat Geo staff think are very demure, very mindful

The animal kingdom isn’t exactly known for being demure.

Sharks glow in the dark. Peacocks have made being flashy an entire personality. Howler monkeys? It’s right there in the name.

But that hasn’t stopped National Geographic staffers from debating all week which animals might be considered “very demure, very mindful”—inspired by a viral TikTok video in which Jools Lebron tells her followers that she prefers a more modest look when she does her makeup before work. (Just watch the video. It’s the best way to understand the trend!)

We’ve had many very serious arguments about whether crowned cranes are flashy or regal—and whether flamingoes are dainty or seeking too much attention with their bright pink feathers. Ultimately, these are the animals that we would argue are very demure, very mindful, and very cutesy too.

Did we miss your favorite? Let me know.

Tardigrade

Few animals are as demure, as mindful, as the tardigrade. Never heard of one? That’s because they have very modestly existed in more or less the same form for millions of years.

Even more modest? They’re microscopic. But if you were to look at one under a microscope, you would see a squishy looking mashup between a bear and the Michelin man, complete with eight legs.

My favorite thing about these bizarre little creatures? They’re what’s known as “extremeophiles.” They can live for up to 30 years without food or water. They can thrive in extreme cold and boiling heat. And they can withstand the enormous pressures of the deep, deep ocean. These survival skills are all thanks to a unique protein in their bodies. They don’t need flashy evolutionary adaptations like claws, wings, or camouflage. How demure, how mindful.

—Sarah Gibbens, digital editor

Arabian babbler

While many animals are not afraid to fight for love and lean into the drama of a turbulent romance— like the penguin—the Arabian babbler likes keeping things low-key. These birds will sneak off for a private rendezvous when they’re ready to mate, even working to keep their communication private with secret signals.

It's not just because the pair are bashful, researcher Yitzchak Ben-Mocha told us in a 2018 story on these animals. The Arabian babbler live in communities in which only the dominant male and female chicks breed. Keeping things private allows them to keep infighting out of the bedroom and communities together. If another male does cross the line? Well then the losing bird will need to prepared to be ostracized from the group.

—Crystal Henry, photo editor

Panda

Giant pandas are beloved around the world, so they may not be your first thought for demure. But wild pandas are very demure, very rare: they are solitary and live only in remote, mountainous regions in central China. They instead thrive in breeding centers and zoos, where they're considered cutesy and may be mindful of their popularity.

Pandas often appear sedentary, especially when eating, and given their vulnerable status, they're largely seen as relaxed creatures. But giant pandas can be skilled tree-climbers and efficient swimmers, so they must be mindful of their diet. A typical panda needs to eat about 28 pounds of bamboo for nearly half the day to satisfy its daily dietary needs.

—Emily Martin, digital producer

Three-toed sloths

Sloths are the epitome of demure.

Mindful is their middle name as the cuddly creature is known for its calm, cool, and collected composure. They aren't flashy or loud like other animals, but their solitary lifestyle has allowed them to survive for the past 65 million years. Three-toed sloths enjoy the little thing in life, such as eating leaves and sleeping for about 15 hours a day. While they have razor sharp claws measuring in at about three inches long, these gentle animals only use them in self-defense.

Have you heard slow and steady wins the race? Yeah, give the three-toed sloths their gold metal. Their slow motion movements allow them to be outsmart to predators such as hawks and big cats that rely on their sight to hunt prey. Sloths can also use the algae that grows on their skin as camouflage in the tropical forest. 

—Domonique Tolliver, SEO editor

Black cats

Black cats have always had this air of mystery and elegance, which to me, is what “very demure, very mindful” is all about. Whether they’re sitting on a windowsill, watching the world go by, or curled up in a cozy spot, black cats’ subtle grace and quiet confidence speaks volumes without a single meow. They’re proof that sometimes, less really is more. 

—Starlight Williams, digital editor

Manatee

These graceful swimmers are so peaceful that one of our writers described them “evolutionarily devoid of aggression.” So demure.

Manatees generally keep to themselves in the coastal waters and rivers in which they dwell. So mindful.

Manatees can eat a tenth of their body weight in just 24 hours, but you won’t catch one bragging about it. So modest

But what seals the deal for me with manatees? They’re just plain cutesy. 

—Amy McKeever, digital editorial manager