on of my biggest pet peeves is how little design/art people actually try to research about phenotypical differences when creating an monster/making a character based on an animal. like animals from the same species can change sooooooo much!
take the very famous Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) for an habitat based change exemple!
first this is how they look living in the siberian arctic:
ultra fluffy dense coat, stocky limbs, rounder body and small ears for retaining body heat!
now look at how they look in the arabian desert (no this is not a fennec!)
pointy boy unlimited! very long limbs, big tail and ears for body heat dispersion, super lean built.
so when you are designing an animal or using it as a base for a character, try researching a bit more for potential subspecies!