Portolan Map Possibilities

[Linda]

I'm sorry but even for me (who sees patterns in everything), it's a stretch to associate an armadillo with the alps.

Ah but it is not an armadillo, but an Ibex, with her horns to the ground in a more believable way than most representations (with them stuck in the ground). 

The feet are what convince me, they are analogous with locations of moraines. I can also point to other anomalies that match things in the terrain, i think it is a pretty good mnemonic device if you do want to draw the Alps, and it is certainly more realistic than the tradition of drawing the Alps on portolan charts.