If you don't like rants, don't bother reading please.
Lets talk original species.
First lets start with conversation by looking at actual species.
The one on the top is a cuttlefish and the one on the bottom is an octopus.
Both are within the same kingdon, phylum, and class. (Animalia, Mollusca, Cephalopoda) but the sub-order is different, making them seperate species.
Both the octopus and the cuttlefish change color based on environment, can squirt ink, have tentacles, have a hard beak, a mantle, two eyes, 'feeding' arms, and 8 arms. The only real differences are that cuttlefish have an internal cuttlebone, have the little fin around their mantle, they breed differently, and are smaller in size (I'm sure there are more I just don't feel like hunting for them >w< )
So then why is it that species that look canine seemed to get bashed with being unoriginal?
Lets say I wanted Virus's species to be my own original species? (I'm not posting a picture because she's right to the left of the journal xD) She looks physically like a Pharaoh Hound. But she has a reptilian tail, long claws on the dewclaws, dragon-like teeth, and very long ears along with hair that appears mane-like which are all thinks pharaoh hounds do NOT have.
Click here to see a Pharaoh Hound That's more differences than I found between the octopus and the cuttlefish. But I will say, since the species has traits common to other people's characters, there's a chance someone else could come up with something similar. For example, :theshadowedgrim:'s fursona, Mell;
(I did steal the tail idea from her but I asked her first when I made Rover so it's all good and I love her xD) Mell and Virus both have canine anatomy, reptillian tails, long claws, and long ears. The only difference is that Mell doesn't have the mane or excessively long dewclaws and her body has long hair instead of short. (Mell came before Virus and I'm not claiming that TheShadowedGrim copied me, I am simple pointing out the similarities between two characters and I will be honest--I love Mell) I'm not going to go to her and say,
"Hey, your fursona has the same tail as mine you have to change it" because that'd be stupid. If I made Virus her own species, I'd have to realize that there are probably going to be a lot of other characters that look like her as well and I can't knit-pick.
Moral of the story:
Anything can be a species as long as there's something that sets it apart--whether it's like the cuttlefish's cuttlebone which you can't see, or it's Virus's ears which you can. Anything can be a species, but if it's similar to an existing species people will make similar characters and don't be a dick about it.
PCE.
