Heraldic Beasts?

[Bugbear]

I guess that by the time his head makes it onto a ring, any beastie is heraldic, though, of course, some are entirely heraldic, such as the Gryphon/ griffon/ griffin. I have long wondered how we can distinguish between the head of an eagle and the head of a griffon (which has the head of an eagle) if all we see is the head. ...A number of them depict entire animals in a way that doesn't necessarily evoke heraldry, like running dear. ...

I have some very old writing paper with a boar on it, which I assume to be the crest of some ancestor. That leads me to reconsider what I said (or ask for help) on the topic of crests on rings... Some crests are entire animals (my ancestral boar) while others are heads (eagles, bears, dragons, unicorns). I expect the dead giveaway for a head would be the presence of a torse or wreath, while the whole animal might be heraldic or might be some football mascot...

Does anyone else know more than I do? I suspect it is impossible to know much less. Sorry for the derailing. I know we are verging towards another forum,so I will close by saying Traditional Highland Dress. There, that should help.

So how do we untangle the heraldic beasts from the run of the mill totem beasts?

I've have brought up before, on the forum, my parents purchasing a fake "family crest," as well as, belonging to a youth group that had fake heraldry when I was a child; and I'm not happy about it either. Our American coins and paper money have, what sounds to be, elements of heraldry on them. Where are the lines drawn in the use of these artistic depictions, so we can at least know what not to do?

I know nothing!