The Animal, Plants and Nature categories are meant to be straightforward and I think they do come across that way as long as you read them all and acknowledge that they all exist. Some people do not read the descriptions before categorizing (bad choice) or they see one category and assume that is right without exploring other possibilities, but this is true for all parts of dA whether it is Photography, Digital, etc.

We all need to be aware and read the descriptions and make sure we do not make these common mistakes:

- Putting dog and cat photos in Domesticated Animals. If you take a look at newest submitted into Domesticated you will see how many people make this mistake.
- Placing any animal in Wild Animals (birds, insects and reptiles ALL have their own category)
- Pictures of trees belong in Flowers and Plants not Landscape.
- Astro Photography is for planetary objects outside of our atmosphere. Sunsets, sunrises, moonrise etc probably belong in Sky or Landscape and Waterscape.
- All pets/working animals go in Domesticated Animals EXCEPT Dogs & Cats, Reptiles and Birds which have separate categories.
- Human & Nature - This gallery is specifically for the close interaction between humans and nature. It is not for pictures of people sat on grass or on the beach or on a hill.
- Snails are not insects or reptiles and belong in Wild Animals unless the shot is underwater. A snail is a mollusc.
- Small piles of Stones are not Geology. Neither are images of mountains and hills
- If the animal is not underwater then it is NOT Underwater photography.
- A picture of your stuffed animal or a lifeless shell can go under Still Life.
- Fluffy toys and pictures of your 'Wild' partner do not belong in Animals, Plants and Nature

A simple definition of some of the problem galleries of Animals, Plants and Nature:

Wild Animals: animals that do not live with people, that means no pets. Captive animals in Zoos/Reserves belong in Wild Animals.

Dogs & Cats: domesticated dogs and cats, all images of these animals should go here.

Domesticated Animals: animals that live in the home or on farms.

Reptiles & Amphibians: reptiles can include turtles, squamates (snakes and lizards), tuataras and crocodilians (alligators, caimans, etc.) amphibians include frogs, toads, salamanders, etc.

Underwater: underwater, taken from below the water level, scenes that can include animals and plants but not people.


If you see any of these mistakes made, either report it or politely inform the deviant via the Note system. With a bit more knowledge hopefully this will become less of a problem for Animals, Plants and Nature.

_{Written by =feetpeet, help and wisdom added by ^KevLewis}

Some properly categorized pieces: