Species

Species is a term used to split various unique creatures into separate groups. Numerous species populate Azeroth including "orcs, humans, gnomes, trolls, scorpids and murlocs, among many others". ^{(LoM 141)} Generations of offspring from the interfertile parents of two different species can also exist. ^{(MG 175)} Many races can interbreed including humans, high elves,night elves, ogres, orcs, and draenei — producing races like half-elves, half-night elves, half-ogres, half-human half-ogres, and half-draenei. These offspring are often called half-breeds.

Satyr, dryads, keepers of the grove, centaur, magnataur, and nerubians may also be truly hybrid races. ^{(LoM #?)}

Species is often used interchangeably with race, although this is not always the case (not all races are necessarily unique species).

Definition

In World of Warcraft, Blizzard interchanges the terms species and race, giving them roughly the same meaning.

Unfortunately, Blizzard is not always consistent on how they use the terms. Sometimes they use the term '"race" when they mean the biological definition of "species". This has led to conflicts between sources, where one source says blood elves and high elves are the same "biological race" ("biological species" would have been a more proper use of words in that syntax), while most sources say they are separate races (culturally and biologically).

Humans are the dominant (as in “most obvious”) intelligent species on Azeroth, but they are by no means alone. Elves, dwarves, tauren, imports such as orcs, and so on all share the world with humanity. In some cases, such races have proven far more influential than humanity over the long term. ^{(WRPG 38)}

In the Warcraft universe, races like elves, dwarves, humans, orcs, draenei, ogres, goblins, tauren, etc are considered separate species  ^{(RotH 251)  (WRPG 38)  (LoC 80)  (LoM 141)  (CoH 43)  (APG 61,82)  (HPG 139,154)  (MG 88,175)} and separate races.

For example, "since the beginning of the First War, orcs have interbred with a number of species" that vary largely in appearance; mostly with humans, "but half-ogres and half-draenei are not unheard of". ^{(HPG 139)}

Known lore "species"

This is a list of sapient "species" established in lore. Additionally, each grouping within the same group, such as various types of dwarves, elves, or trolls, are considered separate species/race or subspecies/subrace depending on the source.

• Annihilan
• Centaur ^{(LoM 31)}
• Draenei ^{(HPG 139)}
• Dragon ^{(W3Man 80)  (MoM 27)}
• Dwarf ^{(LoC 80)}
• Elf ^{(LoC 80)  (MG 88)}
• Ered'ruin
• Eredar
• Faceless ones
• Flametongue ^{(MoM 41)  (LoM 123)}
• Furbolg ^{(W3Man 54)}
• Gnome ^{(LoM 141)}
• Gnoll ^{(MoM 51)}
• Gryphon
• Harpy ^{(MoM 56)  (MG 88)}
• Hippogryph
• Human ^{(WRPG 38)  (LoC 80)  (LoM 141)  (APG 61)  (HPG 139)  (MG 88)}
• Kobold
• Magnataur ^{(LoC 125)}
• Mo'arg
• Murloc ^{(LoM 141)}
• Naga ^{(DF 67)}
• Nerubian ^{(LoM 141)}
• Orc ^{(LoC 80)  (LoC 80)  (LoM 141)  (APG 61)  (HPG 139,154,222)  (MG 88)}
• Ogre ^{(APG 61)  (HPG 139,154)}
• Pandaren ^{(MoM 82)}
• Quilboar ^{(W3Man 54)  (MoM 82)  (MG 111)}
• Sayaad
• Scalebane ^{(LoM 123)  (MG 49)}
• Shivarra
• Tauren ^{(MoM 82)  (LoC 80)}
• Troll ^{(LoM 141)}
• Titan ^{(S&L 107)}
• Wyrmkin ^{(MoM 41)  (LoM 123)  (MG 49)}
• Wyvern ^{(HPG 222)}

"Subspecies"

Subspecies (aka subrace) ^{(WoWRPG 50)} are generally considered lesser groups within a main race/species. However, even these subgroups are considered separate race or species themselves in some sources.

• Draenei subspecies can include:^{[citation needed]}
  • Eredar who broke from their demonic brethren, the Broken, and the Lost Ones.
• Dwarf subspecies can include: ^{(APG 82,86)}
  • Wildhammer, Ironforge (Bronzebeard), or Dark Iron dwarves.
• Elf subspecies can include:^{[citation needed]}
  • Night elves, high elves, blood elves, and felblood elves. Although, some consider blood elves just a cultural sect of high elves.
• Humans could be considered a subspecies of the Vrykul.^{[citation needed]}
• Orc subspecies include:^{[citation needed]}
  • Mag'har, Durotar orcs, fel orcs, and tainted orcs.
• Mo'arg subspecies include:^{[citation needed]}
  • Gan'arg
• Tauren subspecies can include:^{[citation needed]}
  • Mulgore tauren, Taunka, and Yaungol.
• The various types of trolls are usually considered separate subspecies, though occasionally separate species. ^{(LG #?)  (MoM #?)  (HPG 143)  (APG 82,86)} The terms appear to be interchangeable to Blizzard.
• Aesir and Vanir are considered two of the titan's various subspecies. ^{(S&L 107)}

"Species" introduced by expansion

The following is a list of the various species added to the game for each of the World of Warcraft expansions.

The Burning Crusade

This section concerns content exclusive to The Burning Crusade.

• Arakkoa
• Ethereal
• Gan'arg
• Gronn
• Sporeling

Wrath of the Lich King

This section concerns content exclusive to Wrath of the Lich King.

• Frostborn (dwarf)
• Gorloc
• Iron Dwarf
• Tuskarr
• Vrykul
• Wolvar

Cataclysm

This section concerns content exclusive to Cataclysm.

• Djinni
• Ettin
• Gilgoblin
• Hobgoblin
• Tol'vir
• Worgen (as sapient)

Mists of Pandaria

This section concerns content exclusive to Mists of Pandaria.

• Grummle
• Hozen
• Jinyu
• Mogu
• Saurok
• Yaungol
• Pandaren

Warlords of Draenor

This section concerns content exclusive to Warlords of Draenor.

Note: This is a generic section stub. You can help expand it by clicking  Edit to the right of the section title.

• Goren
• Saberon
• Botani