Looking back at this, I think the species in MLP should be more inspired by counterparts, instead of direct counterparts to IRL human ethnocultural groups, mostly due to the rather shakiness of later season’s material (i.e having an asian culture represented by Earth ponies rather than Musk Deer, Ibex or SOMETHING, and letting the Earth Ponies function as a sort of Anglo-Saxon-Nordic-Slavic counterpart (in line they are a bunch of rednecks and such) Whilst the unicorns are like Mainland High Germanic-French. The Pegasi function as the Mediterranean Romance (Greeco-Roman, Spanish, Portuguese, Maltese, etc) The Bat-Ponies function more as a sort of Scythian/Khazar-Iranian-Punjab counterpart (Indo-Aryan), and the Kirin are the non-Indo Aryan, Mongoloid-Magyar counterparts (Huns, Magyars, Xiongnu, Western Mongols, Turks, etc) Finally (and obviously) the Saddle Arabians work as the counterpart to the Afro-Asiatic populations (Egyptians/Copts, Berbers, Arabs, Kurds, etc)

So… Where the fuck’s Australia?!

@OhBobSAGET101  
>Spartans  
More like Macedonians, IMO.

Should note The Pegasi are more like the Spartans, they were a Warrior group as well, and they fit the Pegasi’s Hellenic Design

>100% earth pony
 
But Amore was a unicorn.

Ooooh…  
Coyote Gusta…
 
I may just headcanon this.
 
As long as folks quit calling em by a name coined for a different critter and universe altogether, I’ll be happy.

@CoyoteCrow4  
“Alae nocturnae”
 
But frankly, Nycterids should suffice. From Greek “Nykterides”, which means “bats”.

I know that. The name means “Hand-Wing”
 
Just think it’s odd to use the name for one thing as the name for another thing. (although they did it with vampires in the Blood+ anime… )
 
Go ahead and look up the etymology behind the other pony races too (even the word ‘pony’ itself!). Actually fairly interesting. Greek, Latin, Celtic, Luwian, even Proto-Indo-European!

@CoyoteCrow4
 
Chiroptera is the scientific name for bats.

@Mephistopheles
 
Might could work. Chiros=Hand & Pteros=wing in Greek.
 
I wonder about Latin… Nocte-Night Alis-Wing
 
Noctals. shrug_

@CoyoteCrow4
 
Chiropterans?

I saw the explanations for the three main races, and the Saddle Arabians and Zebras are kind of a given. But I’d like to see an in-depth explanation as to the Crystal ponies and Bat-Ponies (SERIOUSLY need a cooler name…)

There are reasone given for the pegasi and the unicorns, the zebra and the saddle ariabians, as well as the crystal and batponies. So are earth ponies just placed by exclusion or something? Don’t they get some explanation as well?

Alicorns = American

One of my ocs is a Japanese Pegasus.

I’m a Formosan Unicorn.

@Hypastpist  
I’m a Filipino Bat Pony as well

hehehe
 
im a filipino bat pony

@Mephistopheles  
Are Armenia and Georgia even in Europe? Or in Asia.
 
Sure.

@SeraphimDawn
 
Do Armenians and Georgians count?

@Mephistopheles  
Celts, Guals, Germans, Slavs, Romans, Norse, Basque, etc.

@SeraphimDawn
 
Define “pure European native”.

There should be Okapis in the show.

@Deserter  
:(

Is it also possible for a pure European native to be a unicorn?