Animal styles, questions from someone who knows near nothing of them

Well guys, I put this foreward here that I know very little on animal styles of kung fu outside of training with a snake style guy a while back, and wanting to learn more about styles I am unfamiliar with out of personal interest. If I am incorrect in anything I put below, I apologize if it causes any offence, I'm just trying to get some information.



So I hear about these animal styles and it has me thinking. I'm finding theres a lot of kung fu schools scattered about that I can actually get to, but theres some things Im finding that have me asking questions. I'm curretly training in wing chun, and my teacher explained it to me that Wing Chun is basically Crane, boiled down to the absolute most practical point and skipping out what wasn't necessary. Now, there's other animal styles I'm finding out about, besides the obvious we see in kung fu films (dragon, snake, crane, mantis, tiger) like white ape, but some things I'd like clearing up for me.



I heard of a style called Tiger-Crane, which according some sources I am finding is part of Hung Ga and wondered if it's a hybrid style of Tiger and Crane. If that's true, would training in that give me the full knowledge of both Tiger and Crane, or is it some name similarity?



I know a Lau Gar instructor who told me its basically bits of all five of the big five animal styles pulled together into something designed for sparring, more like Sanda. But how much of it comes from their curriculum I dont know. Is it like what Wing Chun is to crane from what I was previously told?



Ive heard the five animals are taught together as part of Hung Kuen, yet I am seeing schools that may only teach one 'animal style'. Particular ones of interest I found online. One is dedicated entirely to Dragon style Kung Fu, then there's a school that is apparently Crane only. Do I take it then that each animal style is massive in syllabus enough to justify them being taught as seperate systems from one another? Or is it like Wing Chun, with few forms and the schools may have specialized into those styles for one reason or another?



I hear the animals are mostly found in southern styles as opposed to northern styles as well. If anyone has experience in something like the Northern Shaolin and these Southern animal styles, how do they compare to one another in terms of training styles?



I know this is a lot (and probably would require thorough answers), Im just really curious.



Thanks for any information.