Talk:Wight/@comment-25626822-20141107160447/@comment-25035274-20141110155811

That's mutational variant, not subspecies. A shirohebi's baby would still be a shirohebi, as shirohebi is a fully realized species in its on right, not a one-off mutational variant. Same for the apophis, sphinx, hostaurus, minotaurus, etc.

A hobgoblin is different, as it is a rare, one-off mutational variant. They're rarely born to regular goblins. As their births are so rare, they cannot reliably be considered a fully realized species of their own.

Similarly, the Alp is born through a specific process, and cannot be born through regular means. Yet they are not mules, and thus their children must take 'some' form. And that form is the generic succubus.

Basically, Wuld, the rule you're referencing applies specifically to the rare mutation types. Not the proper subspecies. If it applied to the proper subspecies', then those subspecies would, in fact, not be subspecies. In order for a species to 'be' a species, it must be able to produce more of its species. If it cannot, it is not a species.

The exception would, of course, be the mule. And the mule is basically an evolutionary dead-end. So much so that the term is not always used just for equine mules.