this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2026
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No, but the criteria is 1. Interbreeding is possible and 2. Can produce fertile offspring
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Cama_(animal)
Disclaimer: not qualified to talk about this with any degree of authority.
I thought species were most commonly defined as naturally producing viable offspring. Animals that can produce fertile offspring but only in captivity were lumped in with mules and other hybrids.
I'm now reiterating the disclaimer that I shouldn't even be allowed to speak on a public forum about this subject. It's amazing I haven't been arrested.
There's multiple species definitions and none of them are very satisfying because it's trying to impose a clear distinction where one doesn't really exist.
species categorized by fertile offspring want to describe a situation like this with clear, distinct boundaries between populations:
But evolutionary groups tend to be more like gradients & gaps like this:
You can try adding specific boundaries to the 2nd, but there'll always be some weird edges that don't really fit, like asexual reproducers for example.
Honestly your first picture could also be a good example to demonstrate ring species, which are a great countertexample to the "reproduce to produce fertile offspring" definition of species.