Do you know what animal is used on Mozilla’s Firefox browser logo?
If you said, “fox,” I’m afraid you’re wrong.
Try this:
A Red Panda.
In Chinese, “fire fox” is another name for the red panda.
😉
UPDATE!
I’ve gotten some feedback regarding this post and I’ve been challenged as to the accuracy of this fact due to this blog post by the design company. If you read it closely, you’ll find nothing to the contrary. The Firefox logo is a Red Panda.
Besides, why would Mozilla be doing this?
Phil Schneider says
You just blew my mind, thought I was hoping for Knuckles the Echidna.
Eric Dye says
😀
John says
Why would they be doing it? Because the animal shares THEIR NAME… and THEIR NAME got in the news.
“If you read it closely, you’ll find nothing to the contrary. ”
really did you even read it? let me read it closely for you.
“The only concept I had done that I felt happy with was this, inspired by seeing a Japanese brush painting of a fox”
of a FOX
Eric Dye says
Dude. Relax. #sadpanda
Sinclair says
The animal itself may actually be a red panda, but that doesn’t mean the design is based off of one…
Look at the shape of the snout, that’s a foxes snout, it looks nothing like a red panda
I see no resemblance between the Firefox logo and an actual firefox
Vox says
You’re nothing but a liar, sorry.
To be honest, the Mozilla Firefox animal is officially a fox (Based on the red fox, or Vulpes Vulpes, to be exact). The icon was inspired by a bible story picture book. In the story about Samson, Samson had revenge against the Philistines who remarried his wife, by tying pairs of foxes together with flaming ropes and letting them go in the cornfields of the Philistines. The cornfields were burnt, and Samson was avenged. The logo was influenced by a painting of the scene found in the storybook. Want proof? Go here:
http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/branding-firefox
http://thinsmek.com/a-history-of-the-firefox-icon-and-details-on-the-3-5-logo/
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Meet-the-Firefox-OS-Mascot-a-Fox-That-s-on-Fire-332354.shtml
Just because ‘firefox’ is another name for the red panda doesn’t mean that Mozilla’s Firefox is a red panda. It’s like saying that a komodo dragon is a dragon when the fact is that it’s just a lizard and not a dragon. The whole ‘firefox is a red panda’ thing is just a coincidence from the red panda’s alternate name, and donating to red pandas at the zoo is just like what everyone else does when it comes to helping zoo animals by support. Many people donate to zoos that have all kinds of animals, but that doesn’t mean that a certain animal is their mascot instead of what themselves or the company they work for designed it to be.
Heck, the artist himself even was also inspired by seeing a Japanese brush painting of a fox while working on the logo design, and Mozilla’s mascots are often elemental animals (i.e. Thunderbird, Firebird, now Firefox). I have nothing against red pandas, but the truth is the truth, and there’s nothing we can do to deny it, and you want to know what the truth really is?
Mozilla Firefox is a fox.
The End.
Eric Dye says
LOL!
sureshpalanivel says
i am counfused.because i can’t identify about this is red panda??
Karina.G says
Hello,
BEWARE, don’t be mistaken.
If you want to be sure about this fact, only one solution : just check THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF FIREFOX, and go to the Firefox Branding page. Here you’ll see that they speak about the logo. Threy speak about the fur of the animal, and here it what they say :
“The FOX fur is now a softer gradient orange and has much less detail (he also has a proper shoulder).”
It’s a fox.
Btw, The first logo of the compagny was a Phenix . They did the link with the fox, and the fire , and here came “Firefox”.
Also, the tail and the snout of a red panda has nothing in common with the tail and snout we see on the logo : The tail of a red panda has red circle circles and his snout is totally white BUT the tail of a fox is large and fluffly, and his snout is orange AND WHITE below, exactly like the logo.
Cape says
Wow, didn’t know there was a debate going on about the animal in the logo – I always just assumed that it was a fox (obviously, because of the Firefox name).
M says
Actually, if YOU read the designer’s post closely, they say that a red panda DIDN’T work so they based it on a FOX:
” A firefox is actually a cute red panda, but it didn’t really conjure up the right imagery. The only concept I had done that I felt happy with was this, inspired by seeing a Japanese brush painting of a fox:”
Steph says
From Mozilla FAQ ( March 6, 2014 ):
“What’s a Firefox?
A “Firefox” is another name for the red panda.”
( https://www-archive.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/firefox-name-faq.html )
From Jeopardy! ( Episode #30.9 ~ Sept. 26, 2013 ):
Category: The Internet
“The animal for which this computer program is named is actually a red panda. ~ What is Firefox?”
( https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/09/firefox-jeopardy-answer )
( https://archive.fikklefame.com/final-jeopardy-9-26-13/ )
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg158O8iZP0 )
From Mozilla Support ( March 6, 2014 ):
“Ok so I know that not only have people asked this before and you have replied Red Panda. But this goes alot deeper than that. the following link shows an article complete with concept art and quotes from your design team. This clearly shows it to be a fox instead of a red panda.(….)
Is the information in the linked article correct? Did your designer draw a fox as it says or did you just start calling it a Red Panda because your are sponsoring 2 of them?”
“hi, the logo is clearly depicting a fox – however the red panda (common name: firefox) is also a cute mascot for our browser”
“Would you mind putting that information in the other replies and in your FAQ section? This caused quite an argument between my girlfriend and I.”
“the name “firefox” comes from the red panda & the icon apparently from a fox, so you’re both right in a way. a little bit of ambiguity and people discussing the brand of the browser seems to be quite a likeable thing to maintain ;-)”
( https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/988854 )