Animal symbolism, where does it come from?

The lion is the king, the owl is the keeper of wisdom, the raven is an omen of death, the wolf is the strong and solitary wanderer, the fox is cunning, the snake is deceitful and the rabbit is the coward.

Some symbolic attributes to animals I can certainly understand. The horse is majestic, the monkey is cute and hilarious, and the cat knows more than you think it does.

But wolves live in packs, the owl looks ominous but it doesn’t teach you why you should fear the night, and if ravens were death manifested I’d be dead already, since besides pigeons, those were the most common urban birds in two places I’ve lived in, and rabbits may be ’‘cowards’’, but back one in a corner and it’s gonna fuck you up worse than a pit bull. (Besides, Richard Adams would beg to differ.)
And fuck man, the snake’s gotta eat too, doesn’t he?

I guess a lot of it comes from mythology, so please don’t mind my lack of comprehension on the subject. (Wouldn’t ask if I knew.) A lot of it comes from imagination and attribution I suppose; the male lion has a mane and it gives it that regal appearance, plus it just lies around while his females do all the work. Sheep is man, and the goat is rebellion.
Still, does anyone have anything informative to say about the history of animal symbolism and how man has, and does, interpret it?
(smart ass answers and insulting Symbeline welcome)