<p>We aimed to understand Brazilians’ perceptions of species with a historically established presence in urban areas across Brazil. We hypothesize that ecological and sanitary factors influence people’s views, as urban fauna in Brazil is categorized based on these criteria, leading to differences in species acceptability. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling and completed a Google Forms survey, where they selected and justified their preferred animals for a hypothetical city: pigeons, urban rodents, bats, sparrows, capybaras, marmosets, and opossums. Data analysis included qualitative discourse analysis and descriptive statistics based on content analysis. Results were grouped into three categories: exclusionary cities, partially exclusionary cities, and inclusionary cities. The sparrow was the most accepted animal, followed by the capybara, marmoset, opossum, bat, pigeon, and urban rodent. The findings confirm our hypothesis and highlight the importance of ecological and sanitary factors in shaping perceptions of synanthropic animals. We conclude that the statements provided by respondents underscore the complex and multifaceted nature of the meaning-making processes related to synanthropic animals. Understanding perceptions of interspecies coexistence is crucial for promoting more harmonious and respectful relationships with all species in urban environments.</p>