User blog comment:Lord Loss/Monster Hunter Theory... Blog/@comment-5020152-20120829202114

Here's yet another theory from me, this time concerning Fire-element monsters. Namely, all six types of Rathalos/Rathian.

The generally accepted theory is that these wyverns change color depending on their age (red/green is young, blue/pink is middle-aged, and silver/gold is old). However, I think it is far more likely that they are all separate species.

If they were all the same species, wouldn't members of all three pairs mix in at least one or two Quests? But we don't have any "Hunt an Azure Rathalos and Gold Rathian" or anything like that. No, the Quests we initiate to hunt/capture these monsters all feature the two wyverns from each respective pair (for example, Rathalos and Rathian, never Rathalos and Pink Rathian).

This leaves me to believe, since we never see a male and a female of different couples together, that these three groupings of Fire wyverns are all separate species.