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paws
š
Updated:2025-10-21
š Created:2011-07-01
š ID:1838
Description
A paw is the appendage at the extremity of a character's forelimbs and/or hindlimbs, typically portrayed without an opposable digit. In essence, they are the feet of most digitigrade quadrupedal mammals (fox, wolf, cat, leopard) as well as some plantigrade species (bear, mouse, rabbit). Paws usually feature claws and pawpads, depending on the species. Some animals (like rabbits) do not naturally have pawpads but may be depicted with them. Walking with paws may leave pawprints.
Hands that resemble paws are called handpaws, and for feet they are called hindpaws. Characters featuring handpaws are sometimes associated with semi-anthro characters.
Not to be confused with
- paw_gloves - Clothing in the shape of paws should not be tagged as paws.
General guidelines
- Hooves are not commonly referred to as paws.
- The digits of a paw may be treated as toes, if treated as a foot, and fingers, if treated as a hand.
Interaction tagging
Depending on the nature of the interaction, a concept may be tagged as either a hand action `hand_on_`, or a foot action `foot_on_`, and sometimes a forepaw action `forepaw_on_`.
To find hand actions involving paws, it is suggested to search using this format: {{handpaw hand_on_face}}.
Related tags
- claws
- digitigrade - Such as the hindpaws of felids (felid/feline), and canids (canid/canine). Plantigrade hindpaws do exist in species such as bears, and some artists may hybridize paws with humanoid feet. Those types of hybridized feet might be considered paws, especially if they have pawpads, but some designs may be better described as only feet.
- pawpads - Spongy like surface on the underside of many paws. Pads on the fingers are know as fingerpads.
- pawprint - Also known as animal tracks, pawprints are the printed representation of paws.
See also
- feet
- avian_feet
- hindpaw
- hooves (Ungulate feet)
- humanoid_feet
- webbed_feet
- hands
- paws
