Carnivore biome feedback

[Cynogale bennettii II]

I was leafing through my copy of 'A Field Guide to the Carnivores of the World' today and decided to compare the biomes of the species and subspecies of Carnivora in Planet Zoo with what has been recorded in real life; there are quite a number of animals that do not occupy the full range of natural habitats. The book only focuses on species and so for subspecies I have investigated other sources - much of the information for the felids for instance came from 'Wild Cats of the World'.

African wild dog
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Mostly occurs in savanna-woodland mosaics but will inhabit forest patches in East Africa and also ranges deeply into areas of true desert
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland

Arctic wolf
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Tundra
Description from text: Occupies mostly open tundra habitats within the Arctic Circle; they will also use open coniferous forests
Realistic biomes: Taiga, Tundra

Bengal tiger
Current in-game biomes: Grassland, Temperate, Tropical
Description from text: Occurs mainly in tropical dry forests but also in tropical rainforest, temperate forest and wetlands; this variety of tiger also ranges up to over 4,200m in the Himalayas (a similar elevation to the red panda)
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Grassland, Taiga, Temperate, Tropical

Cheetah
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Most abundant in areas of dry grassland and woodland; also occurs in true desert both in Africa and its Asian range (the cheetahs in-game are referred to species level); in its Asian range the deserts they inhabit can get cold enough to experience snowfall
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland
Note:- Because no subspecies is noted, cheetah should also be listed as occurring in Asia

Dingo
Current in-game biomes: Desert, Grassland
Description from text: The wild Australian population occurs in almost all habitats, including true desert, grassland, temperate woodlands, alpine moorland and tropical rainforest; they also occur in tropical habitat in New Guinea and are commensal with humans across Southeast Asia
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical
Note:- The dingo occurs widely as a commensal animal in New Guinea and Southeast Asia and should therefore also be listed as an Asian species

Formosan black bear
Current in-game biomes: Temperate, Tropical
Description from text: These bears live in mountainous woodland that remains sufficiently warm year-round for them to not enter periods of hibernation like temperate Asiatic black bears on the mainland
Realistic biomes: Temperate, Tropical

Giant panda
Current in-game biomes: Temperate
Description from text: Occurs only in temperate montane forests
Realistic biomes: Temperate

Grizzly bear
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate, Tundra
Description from text: Grizzly bears occur in a mixture of coniferous and temperate forests across North America; they are starting to move north into tundra habitat and are also recolonising prairie ecosystems after being hunted to local extinction in the recent past
Realistic biomes: Grassland, Taiga, Temperate, Tundra

Himalayan brown bear
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Tundra
Description from text: Occurs on high alpine meadows and rocky areas in mountainous areas; recent genetic research has found that a lowland population of Himalayan brown bears occurs in the Gobi Desert
Realistic biomes: Desert, Taiga, Tundra

Jaguar
Current in-game biomes: Grassland, Temperate, Tropical
Description from text: Most common in dense tropical and subtropical lowland forests; is strongly tied to water but can also live in arid desert habitats – they will also occupy grasslands but only if there is sufficient tree cover and shun open habitats
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Desert, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical

Polar bear
Current in-game biomes: Aquatic, Tundra
Description from text: Polar bears are largely restricted to arctic sea ice and coastal habitats; however they do also range inland and often use coniferous forests as seasonal habitat in parts of their range
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Taiga, Tundra

Red panda
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate
Description from text: Lives in dense and cool temperate forests, often at high elevation; there was also a more lowland-dwelling population on the Meghalaya Plateau in India which inhabited tropical rainforest (not recorded since the 1960s)
Realistic biomes: Taiga, Temperate, Tropical

Siberian tiger
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate
Description from text: Lives in mountainous temperate forest consisting of both deciduous and coniferous trees; it has been suggested that Caspian and Siberian tigers are synonymous – in Central Asia they occupied wetlands and deciduous forests
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Taiga, Temperate

Snow leopard
Current in-game biomes: Taiga
Description from text: Occurs mostly in open high-altitude habitats with little vegetation, although they also occur in open coniferous woodlands; in their northernmost range, they live closer to sea level and occur in areas of open steppe and cold desert
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland, Taiga

Spotted hyena
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Mostly occurs in wooded savannah grasslands although they occur in montane forests and moorlands to 4,000m in Kenya and will penetrate into tropical rainforests along roads; they will also occur in deserts provided there are nearby watercourses
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical

Timber wolf
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate, Tundra
Description from text: This is a difficult one to decipher – true timber wolves (C. l. occidentalis) which specifically inhabit North America, inhabit boreal and temperate forests, open grassland and tundra; the more generic grey wolf occurs across Europe and Asia as well - here it also occurs in desert habitats
Realistic biomes: Desert (if including Eurasia), Grassland, Taiga, Temperate, Tundra

West African lion
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Today is restricted to tropical grasslands, although they survived in desert landscapes until recently (Ennedi Plateau in Chad until the 1940s, Mauritania until the 1970s)
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland

 

[DrBurrito]

I was leafing through my copy of 'A Field Guide to the Carnivores of the World' today and decided to compare the biomes of the species and subspecies of Carnivora in Planet Zoo with what has been recorded in real life; there are quite a number of animals that do not occupy the full range of natural habitats. The book only focuses on species and so for subspecies I have investigated other sources - much of the information for the felids for instance came from 'Wild Cats of the World'.

African wild dog
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Mostly occurs in savanna-woodland mosaics but will inhabit forest patches in East Africa and also ranges deeply into areas of true desert
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland

Arctic wolf
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Tundra
Description from text: Occupies mostly open tundra habitats within the Arctic Circle; they will also use open coniferous forests
Realistic biomes: Taiga, Tundra

Bengal tiger
Current in-game biomes: Grassland, Temperate, Tropical
Description from text: Occurs mainly in tropical dry forests but also in tropical rainforest, temperate forest and wetlands; this variety of tiger also ranges up to over 4,200m in the Himalayas (a similar elevation to the red panda)
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Grassland, Taiga, Temperate, Tropical

Cheetah
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Most abundant in areas of dry grassland and woodland; also occurs in true desert both in Africa and its Asian range (the cheetahs in-game are referred to species level); in its Asian range the deserts they inhabit can get cold enough to experience snowfall
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland
Note:- Because no subspecies is noted, cheetah should also be listed as occurring in Asia

Dingo
Current in-game biomes: Desert, Grassland
Description from text: The wild Australian population occurs in almost all habitats, including true desert, grassland, temperate woodlands, alpine moorland and tropical rainforest; they also occur in tropical habitat in New Guinea and are commensal with humans across Southeast Asia
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical
Note:- The dingo occurs widely as a commensal animal in New Guinea and Southeast Asia and should therefore also be listed as an Asian species

Formosan black bear
Current in-game biomes: Temperate, Tropical
Description from text: These bears live in mountainous woodland that remains sufficiently warm year-round for them to not enter periods of hibernation like temperate Asiatic black bears on the mainland
Realistic biomes: Temperate, Tropical

Giant panda
Current in-game biomes: Temperate
Description from text: Occurs only in temperate montane forests
Realistic biomes: Temperate

Grizzly bear
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate, Tundra
Description from text: Grizzly bears occur in a mixture of coniferous and temperate forests across North America; they are starting to move north into tundra habitat and are also recolonising prairie ecosystems after being hunted to local extinction in the recent past
Realistic biomes: Grassland, Taiga, Temperate, Tundra

Himalayan brown bear
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Tundra
Description from text: Occurs on high alpine meadows and rocky areas in mountainous areas; recent genetic research has found that a lowland population of Himalayan brown bears occurs in the Gobi Desert
Realistic biomes: Desert, Taiga, Tundra

Jaguar
Current in-game biomes: Grassland, Temperate, Tropical
Description from text: Most common in dense tropical and subtropical lowland forests; is strongly tied to water but can also live in arid desert habitats – they will also occupy grasslands but only if there is sufficient tree cover and shun open habitats
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Desert, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical

Polar bear
Current in-game biomes: Aquatic, Tundra
Description from text: Polar bears are largely restricted to arctic sea ice and coastal habitats; however they do also range inland and often use coniferous forests as seasonal habitat in parts of their range
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Taiga, Tundra

Red panda
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate
Description from text: Lives in dense and cool temperate forests, often at high elevation; there was also a more lowland-dwelling population on the Meghalaya Plateau in India which inhabited tropical rainforest (not recorded since the 1960s)
Realistic biomes: Taiga, Temperate, Tropical

Siberian tiger
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate
Description from text: Lives in mountainous temperate forest consisting of both deciduous and coniferous trees; it has been suggested that Caspian and Siberian tigers are synonymous – in Central Asia they occupied wetlands and deciduous forests
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Taiga, Temperate

Snow leopard
Current in-game biomes: Taiga
Description from text: Occurs mostly in open high-altitude habitats with little vegetation, although they also occur in open coniferous woodlands; in their northernmost range, they live closer to sea level and occur in areas of open steppe and cold desert
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland, Taiga

Spotted hyena
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Mostly occurs in wooded savannah grasslands although they occur in montane forests and moorlands to 4,000m in Kenya and will penetrate into tropical rainforests along roads; they will also occur in deserts provided there are nearby watercourses
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical

Timber wolf
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate, Tundra
Description from text: This is a difficult one to decipher – true timber wolves (C. l. occidentalis) which specifically inhabit North America, inhabit boreal and temperate forests, open grassland and tundra; the more generic grey wolf occurs across Europe and Asia as well - here it also occurs in desert habitats
Realistic biomes: Desert (if including Eurasia), Grassland, Taiga, Temperate, Tundra

West African lion
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Today is restricted to tropical grasslands, although they survived in desert landscapes until recently (Ennedi Plateau in Chad until the 1940s, Mauritania until the 1970s)
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland

Such proper feedback deserves a proper response:

First of all, I'd like to thank you for properly sourcing your feedback. Many people here tend to make requests without citing any of the information in their posts. All of the information here is sourced and valid. However, I'd like to give my feedback on the post based on how this information should apply to the game itself.

I would like to analyze the selection with these three main principles in mind:

In-Game Biome Categorization: The game categorizes/lumps several biomes under broader umbrella biomes and thus this effect should be reflected in the animal biome requirements. For instance all coniferous biomes/ecoregions are lumped under Taiga, including the true taiga, coniferous montane and subalpine forests and temperate coniferous forests. This is why all temperate biome only foliage in the game is broadleaf.
Marginality: As I've said, all of the information in the original post is valid and properly sourced. However I believe filtering out marginal suitability for animals is necessary to avoid many animals having most biome tags. What I mean by marginality is 1) if the species/subspecies only marginally makes use of the nearby habitats outside its main habitat (e.g. forest savannas for the southern cassowary), or 2) if only a small population/subpopulation of the species is found in a habitat that is limited to a small area, it should be excluded. However this principle should not apply if the use or area of the said habitat is limited/small yet not marginal.
Aquatic Affinity: The game has two mechanics to address water loving animals. Water/swimming space requirement and habitat suitability. The latter only applies to animals that are semi-aquatic. All water loving/demanding animals should get a water requirement (species specific ratios), but only the true semi-aquatics get the biome tag. Therefore I would exclude the Aquatic Biome from animals like tigers and jaguars, even though they love and should require water in their habitats. All of the aquatic plants in the game also have their respective terrestrial biome tags as well, so this shouldn't limit these animals from having those plants in their enclosures.

Now let's see how these principles apply to each of the animals listed in the original post:

African Wild Dog: The OP has suggested the addition of the Desert Biome in addition to the Grasslands Biome. The use of deserts and other xeric habitats by African Wild Dogs is by no means marginal. Both in the southern (Kalahari) and northern (North Africa/Sahara) stretches of their range, they have multiple subpopulations that make use of these xeric habitats that constitute an important part of the overall population. Desert Biome tag should definitely be added.
Arctic Wolf: The entire range of the Arctic Wolf lies north of the treeline. Surely they might seasonally make use of the transition zone but its use is marginal. If we are to have an animal in the game that only has the Tundra Biome tag, it should be the Arctic Wolf instead of the Polar Bear. Taiga should be excluded for its marginal use, just like how Grasslands was excluded for the Southern Cassowary.
Bengal Tiger: Even though it has been found that Bengals are indeed found in much higher elevation than previously thought, I still think it should fall in the marginal category for the population size and area covered proportional to the overall range, as well as gameplay reasons - different niche for the Siberian tiger in terms of habitat design. Aquatic Biome should be excluded for the reasons stated above.
Cheetah: Both in Africa and Asia, Cheetahs inhabit vast areas of true desert and other xeric habitats. It is a biome that is definitely lacking for the Cheetahs in-game. Another tag that is missing is the Asia tag.
Dingo: One thing that should be noted about the Dingo is the differentiation between purebreds and hybrids. Pure dingoes are found in the Central and Northwestern parts of Australia, thus Temperate Biome of the more populated areas should/could be excluded. They are mostly found in deserts and grasslands but the Tropical Biome could be considered as a tag. Dingoes are very closely related to the New Guinea Singing Dogs, but according to the classification system the game uses, they are separate from Dingoes.
Formosan Black Bear: Their range includes temperate and subalpine coniferous forests, therefore Taiga tag could be considered.
Giant Panda: Right now Giant Pandas in the game are not compatible with coniferous foliage/biome, which in real life form an important part of their native range. Thus they are in desperate need for the Taiga tag.
Grizzly Bear: Since temperate coniferous forests are classified under Taiga in the game, more than 95% (perhaps 99%) of the Grizzly Bear range in the game is classified as Taiga and Tundra. Technically, according to the game's classification of temperate broadleaf forests as Temperate, this tag would technically be excluded to avoid compatibility with the Eastern Coast broadleaf species that make up almost all of the North American Temperate plant assets in the game. Although I wouldn't be against keeping it (I would actually prefer that) as it also counts towards transition zones as well as species like ferns and mosses that are found all across temperate North America (which for some reason only have the temperate tag), including the coniferous zones. I also agree with the Grasslands tag being added, a decision that is perhaps as vital as keeping the Temperate tag.
Himalayan Brown Bear: The relict Gobi Desert population was thought to be more closely related to the Tibetan Blue Bear in the past, but recent phylogenetic analysis has shown they are be more closely related to the Himalayan Brown Bear, perhaps even a population of the same subspecies. However last I checked, there was no consensus on this (probably due to conservation concerns - as there are only two dozen Gobi Bears left in the wild), therefore for now they should be treated as a separate subspecies in the game, at least as a separate ecotype that is specific to a subpopulation (like the two tigers). The range map in the game doesn't include this population anyways. Desert Biome should be excluded.
Jaguar: They might be found in relatively more arid regions with enough tree cover, but use of true deserts is probably even less than marginal, as said habitat isn't even listed in the IUCN profile of the Jaguar. However they do inhabit dry/xeric shrublands, so I'm on the fence about this one.
Polar Bear: The use of Subarctic Forests/Taiga is by no means marginal. A definitely necessary addition. Another tag that is still missing is Asia.
Red Panda: As you have mentioned, there was only a single, small historic population of Red Pandas occupying the Meghalaya subtropical forest ecoregion. I believe this is a good example to marginality both in terms of area covered and population size. Therefore the Tropical tag should be excluded. Another thing to mention is, highland/plateau subtropical forests are often tagged as Temperate in the game (e.g. Capuchin and Baird's Tapir). So the exclusion falls in line with both perspectives.
Siberian Tiger: As I've mentioned earlier, exclusion of the Aquatic Biome would be more appropriate.
Snow Leopard: Alpine Grasslands in the game are categorized as Alpine Tundra. Low precipitation/desertic alpine regions would also fall in the same category. Therefore the biome tag that is actually missing for the Snow Leopards is the Tundra Biome tag. As the tree line gets lower as you go northward, so does their elevation suitability. They are a predominantly alpine tundra (above the treeline) species that seasonally uses the surrounding subalpine forests during cold spells. However this type of use is not truly marginal nor is it valid only for one population/locale. Therefore it shouldn't be considered marginal. Inclusion of Taiga as a secondary biome is appropriate. Alpine tundra is more vital to snow leopards than it is for Himalayan Brown Bears, yet only the latter has the tag for some reason.
Spotted Hyena: Their use of Tropical forests is very marginal, so I would specifically exclude this biome. As for Temperate Broadleaf, their decline in Eurasia corresponds to the decline of Grasslands and increase in temperate broadleaf forests. Taking this as reference, I would say Temperate Biome would be marginal as well. However Desert Biome could be considered as they are relatively more common in semi-deserts and xeric savannas. However use of true deserts is still more marginal than that of African Wild Dogs and Cheetahs, therefore I wouldn't be surprised if this tag was to be excluded.
Timber Wolf: As you've mentioned, this one is hard to decipher as long as they don't fix the taxonomic issue with the wolves in the game. Since the inclusion of the 'generic' gray wolf would mean the inclusion of the Arctic Wolf twice, I would consider them to be C. l. occidentalis.
West African Lion: Suitability of the Desert Biome for the lion in the game would have to be considered marginal as suitability of deserts is still listed as unknown by the IUCN both in the West African subpopulation profile as well as the global species profile.

 

[ElectricMonk]

LOTS

but...

Dingo: One thing that should be noted about the Dingo is the differentiation between purebreds and hybrids. Pure dingoes are found in the Central and Northwestern parts of Australia, thus Temperate Biome of the more populated areas should/could be excluded....

On the other hand, the native (precolonial) range of purebreds did include temperate areas, so the assignment to this biome is justified. However, since Oceania does not include any temperate biome (according to the Frontier globe) temperate can not be included, since it doesn't exist in the dingo's range, past or present.

 

[NZFanatic]

I would consider them to be C. l. occidentalis.

Really? I consider them to be Canis lupus lupus personally.

 

[DrBurrito]

On the other hand, the native (precolonial) range of purebreds did include temperate areas, so the assignment to this biome is justified.

That's right. Honestly this one can go either way. That's why I chose to use "should/could" instead. Dingoes are a special case since they descended from domesticated ancestors and due to their commensal relationship with indigenous Australians, they could effectively disperse all across mainland Australia, which could otherwise prove more difficult. Since the dingo is a special case, they can also be assigned the two missing biomes they are relatively less common in, or left as is. Their use of forests is not marginal enough to warrant an exclusion, but when combined with the purity discussion, it becomes more tangible. It's really up to Frontier to decide how to approach this specific case.

However, since Oceania does not include any temperate biome (according to the Frontier globe) temperate can not be included, since it doesn't exist in the dingo's range, past or present.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I think the front-end globe is the Achilles heel of the game in terms of scientific accuracy. It desperately needs a revision.

Really? I consider them to be Canis lupus lupus personally.

I specifically said C. l. occidentalis since that was the subspecies mentioned by the OP. What I meant was it is better to think of them as a subspecies instead of the 'generic' gray wolf when considering biomes for them (due to the Arctic wolf taxonomic confusion). But if you ask my personal opinion, I would say the in-game wolves are a bit too big for the Eurasian wolf on average. Even though C. l. lupus is also a very large subspecies, northwestern wolves are still larger, making up for the very large in-game wolves (0.95 and 0.82 meter average shoulder height for males and females respectively). This, as well as their common name makes me think Frontier was thinking about this particular subspecies.

 

[NZFanatic]

I specifically said C. l. occidentalis since that was the subspecies mentioned by the OP. What I meant was it is better to think of them as a subspecies instead of the 'generic' gray wolf when considering biomes for them (due to the Arctic wolf taxonomic confusion). But if you ask my personal opinion, I would say the in-game wolves are a bit too big for the Eurasian wolf on average. Even though C. l. lupus is also a very large subspecies, northwestern wolves are still larger, making up for the very large in-game wolves (0.95 and 0.82 meter average shoulder height for males and females respectively). This, as well as their common name makes me think Frontier was thinking about this particular subspecies.

Fair enough. My personal belief is that yes, they intended for it to originally be the Northwestern wolf, but were caught out by a lack of European animals. Hence why the name 'timber wolf' stuck but the species binomial was changed. I prefer to think of it as the Eurasian wolf, primarily because of a lack of European animals and the fact that I always build my zoos in Britain (not enough Australian animals to do my third choice, and zero New Zealand animals to do my first choice realistically).

As much as I often complain about the lack of taxonomical clarity in this case, I suppose in some ways it is a small blessing since some of us can choose to make it a North American wolf and others can choose to make it a Eurasian wolf.

 

[Ursidae]

I was leafing through my copy of 'A Field Guide to the Carnivores of the World' today and decided to compare the biomes of the species and subspecies of Carnivora in Planet Zoo with what has been recorded in real life; there are quite a number of animals that do not occupy the full range of natural habitats. The book only focuses on species and so for subspecies I have investigated other sources - much of the information for the felids for instance came from 'Wild Cats of the World'.

African wild dog
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Mostly occurs in savanna-woodland mosaics but will inhabit forest patches in East Africa and also ranges deeply into areas of true desert
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland

Arctic wolf
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Tundra
Description from text: Occupies mostly open tundra habitats within the Arctic Circle; they will also use open coniferous forests
Realistic biomes: Taiga, Tundra

Bengal tiger
Current in-game biomes: Grassland, Temperate, Tropical
Description from text: Occurs mainly in tropical dry forests but also in tropical rainforest, temperate forest and wetlands; this variety of tiger also ranges up to over 4,200m in the Himalayas (a similar elevation to the red panda)
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Grassland, Taiga, Temperate, Tropical

Cheetah
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Most abundant in areas of dry grassland and woodland; also occurs in true desert both in Africa and its Asian range (the cheetahs in-game are referred to species level); in its Asian range the deserts they inhabit can get cold enough to experience snowfall
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland
Note:- Because no subspecies is noted, cheetah should also be listed as occurring in Asia

Dingo
Current in-game biomes: Desert, Grassland
Description from text: The wild Australian population occurs in almost all habitats, including true desert, grassland, temperate woodlands, alpine moorland and tropical rainforest; they also occur in tropical habitat in New Guinea and are commensal with humans across Southeast Asia
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical
Note:- The dingo occurs widely as a commensal animal in New Guinea and Southeast Asia and should therefore also be listed as an Asian species

Formosan black bear
Current in-game biomes: Temperate, Tropical
Description from text: These bears live in mountainous woodland that remains sufficiently warm year-round for them to not enter periods of hibernation like temperate Asiatic black bears on the mainland
Realistic biomes: Temperate, Tropical

Giant panda
Current in-game biomes: Temperate
Description from text: Occurs only in temperate montane forests
Realistic biomes: Temperate

Grizzly bear
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate, Tundra
Description from text: Grizzly bears occur in a mixture of coniferous and temperate forests across North America; they are starting to move north into tundra habitat and are also recolonising prairie ecosystems after being hunted to local extinction in the recent past
Realistic biomes: Grassland, Taiga, Temperate, Tundra

Himalayan brown bear
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Tundra
Description from text: Occurs on high alpine meadows and rocky areas in mountainous areas; recent genetic research has found that a lowland population of Himalayan brown bears occurs in the Gobi Desert
Realistic biomes: Desert, Taiga, Tundra

Jaguar
Current in-game biomes: Grassland, Temperate, Tropical
Description from text: Most common in dense tropical and subtropical lowland forests; is strongly tied to water but can also live in arid desert habitats – they will also occupy grasslands but only if there is sufficient tree cover and shun open habitats
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Desert, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical

Polar bear
Current in-game biomes: Aquatic, Tundra
Description from text: Polar bears are largely restricted to arctic sea ice and coastal habitats; however they do also range inland and often use coniferous forests as seasonal habitat in parts of their range
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Taiga, Tundra

Red panda
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate
Description from text: Lives in dense and cool temperate forests, often at high elevation; there was also a more lowland-dwelling population on the Meghalaya Plateau in India which inhabited tropical rainforest (not recorded since the 1960s)
Realistic biomes: Taiga, Temperate, Tropical

Siberian tiger
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate
Description from text: Lives in mountainous temperate forest consisting of both deciduous and coniferous trees; it has been suggested that Caspian and Siberian tigers are synonymous – in Central Asia they occupied wetlands and deciduous forests
Realistic biomes: Aquatic, Taiga, Temperate

Snow leopard
Current in-game biomes: Taiga
Description from text: Occurs mostly in open high-altitude habitats with little vegetation, although they also occur in open coniferous woodlands; in their northernmost range, they live closer to sea level and occur in areas of open steppe and cold desert
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland, Taiga

Spotted hyena
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Mostly occurs in wooded savannah grasslands although they occur in montane forests and moorlands to 4,000m in Kenya and will penetrate into tropical rainforests along roads; they will also occur in deserts provided there are nearby watercourses
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland, Temperate, Tropical

Timber wolf
Current in-game biomes: Taiga, Temperate, Tundra
Description from text: This is a difficult one to decipher – true timber wolves (C. l. occidentalis) which specifically inhabit North America, inhabit boreal and temperate forests, open grassland and tundra; the more generic grey wolf occurs across Europe and Asia as well - here it also occurs in desert habitats
Realistic biomes: Desert (if including Eurasia), Grassland, Taiga, Temperate, Tundra

West African lion
Current in-game biomes: Grassland
Description from text: Today is restricted to tropical grasslands, although they survived in desert landscapes until recently (Ennedi Plateau in Chad until the 1940s, Mauritania until the 1970s)
Realistic biomes: Desert, Grassland

Damn, you beat me to it pal! I was also in preparation of a biome feedback draft back in summer before life got in the way. Noticed the patch notes mentioning user feedback on biomes, so wanted to check it out. Great feedback! The one I had been preparing is a little different in the sense that it will be for the entire roster and not only carnivorans. Would love to see you contributing to that thread!

Marginality: As I've said, all of the information in the original post is valid and properly sourced. However I believe filtering out marginal suitability for animals is necessary to avoid many animals having most biome tags. What I mean by marginality is 1) if the species/subspecies only marginally makes use of the nearby habitats outside its main habitat (e.g. forest savannas for the southern cassowary), or 2) if only a small population/subpopulation of the species is found in a habitat that is limited to a small area, it should be excluded. However this principle should not apply if the use or area of the said habitat is limited/small yet not marginal.

Good point, I'll keep this in mind when going over my draft before I post it.

 

[Cocolori]

Whilst I appreciate the desire of some of the community to have realism within the game and 'accurate' information. I think you need to consider a couple of things a) biome are a broad ecological term that, like species, have definitions but at a certain level of detail become meaningless e.g. the ecological niches species occupy change over time and just because they can live in a particular biome doesn't mean that they do or that that example is not an outlier. B) maybe more importantly, accuracy may need to be sacrificed for game mechanics. If every species had accurate biome flexibility then you would get huge overlap and the game mechanic itself of forcing the player to build differently would disappear. That might be ok for many play styles but not all if them and given this game already has not huge amounts of management challenge I can see why frontier may have chosen simplified biomes with less overlap amongst species than in real life.

 

[Villa11]

Whilst I appreciate the desire of some of the community to have realism within the game and 'accurate' information. I think you need to consider a couple of things a) biome are a broad ecological term that, like species, have definitions but at a certain level of detail become meaningless e.g. the ecological niches species occupy change over time and just because they can live in a particular biome doesn't mean that they do or that that example is not an outlier. B) maybe more importantly, accuracy may need to be sacrificed for game mechanics. If every species had accurate biome flexibility then you would get huge overlap and the game mechanic itself of forcing the player to build differently would disappear. That might be ok for many play styles but not all if them and given this game already has not huge amounts of management challenge I can see why frontier may have chosen simplified biomes with less overlap amongst species than in real life.

I honestly don't think biome tags add a lot to the animals management. So I don't understand how adding some realistic tags could simplify things?
Additionally, you can always still limit yourself to not include flora from specific biomes and continents if you want that.
e.g. I recently made 2 habitats for the 'grey wolves', in one of them I only used NA plants, in the other european to make them feel like Timber and European wolves respectively.

 

[DrBurrito]

B) maybe more importantly, accuracy may need to be sacrificed for game mechanics. If every species had accurate biome flexibility then you would get huge overlap and the game mechanic itself of forcing the player to build differently would disappear. That might be ok for many play styles but not all if them and given this game already has not huge amounts of management challenge I can see why frontier may have chosen simplified biomes with less overlap amongst species than in real life.

I mostly agree with this point. It was the main motivation behind my response to the original post by defining three rules of thumb to filter out as many biomes as possible to avoid repetition and misuse of game mechanics. Quoting myself: "However I believe filtering out marginal suitability for animals is necessary to avoid many animals having most biome tags."

By the three rules of thumb, I mean the following:

In-Game Biome Categorization: The game categorizes/lumps several biomes under broader umbrella biomes and thus this effect should be reflected in the animal biome requirements. For instance all coniferous biomes/ecoregions are lumped under Taiga, including the true taiga, coniferous montane and subalpine forests and temperate coniferous forests. This is why all temperate biome only foliage in the game is broadleaf.
Marginality: As I've said, all of the information in the original post is valid and properly sourced. However I believe filtering out marginal suitability for animals is necessary to avoid many animals having most biome tags. What I mean by marginality is 1) if the species/subspecies only marginally makes use of the nearby habitats outside its main habitat (e.g. forest savannas for the southern cassowary), or 2) if only a small population/subpopulation of the species is found in a habitat that is limited to a small area, it should be excluded. However this principle should not apply if the use or area of the said habitat is limited/small yet not marginal.
Aquatic Affinity: The game has two mechanics to address water loving animals. Water/swimming space requirement and habitat suitability. The latter only applies to animals that are semi-aquatic. All water loving/demanding animals should get a water requirement (species specific ratios), but only the true semi-aquatics get the biome tag. Therefore I would exclude the Aquatic Biome from animals like tigers and jaguars, even though they love and should require water in their habitats. All of the aquatic plants in the game also have their respective terrestrial biome tags as well, so this shouldn't limit these animals from having those plants in their enclosures.

Secondly, regarding the same point, I have also noticed something that Frontier has done with the two chimps and lemurs that contradicts this logic: Assigning all four species (subspecies in the case of the western chimpanzee) to tropical rainforest biome (Tropical as categorized in the game), when they had the chance to include "Grasslands" for the western chimpanzee and "Grasslands & Desert" (and even "Temperate" and "Alpine") for the ring-tailed lemur.

The former, western chimpanzee, is distinct from the strictly rainforest species, the bonobo, in the sense that it makes use of dry savannas (Grasslands), dry forests (categorized as "Grasslands" in the game), as well as rainforests (Tropical). To the extent IUCN describes them as ranging further in savannas than in tropical mixed forests.

As for the latter, the ring-tailed lemur, it is a predominantly semi-arid species, their range primarily consisting of xeric shrublands and xeric thickets (categorized under Deserts) to the southwest and dry forests (categorized as Grasslands in the game) to the northwestern part of their natural range. They are absent from tropical lowland moist forests (categorized as Tropical in the game), but are found in humid and sub-humid subtropical montane forests (categorized as Temperate in the game as seen from the likes of the white-faced capuchin, Baird's tapir, Indian rhino and Indian elephant) that are bordering the ericoid thickets (categorized as Alpine in the game, but technically alpine tundra as it is above the forest line), which they also inhabit (e.g. Andringitra National Park). According to this description, their habitat suitability in the game would be in the following order:

1) Grasslands and Desert - covers most of their range
2) Temperate and Alpine - relatively smaller part of their range, but equally important to their ecology
3) Tropical - only when bordering the other two categories, therefore could be considered marginal and be excluded.

But currently, for some reason, they only have the marginal one (Tropical) as a tag. Furthermore, if we are to take the same categorization for subtropical montane humid forests as precedent (capuchin, tapir, rhino, elephant), then "Tropical" biome wouldn't even be marginal, but entirely absent, since they don't inhabit tropical lowland moist forests.

Therefore, I believe, as responsible players who love this game, it is our duty (some might disagree) to point out these inaccuracies and inconsistencies within the logic of the game as defined by the game. The ring-tailed lemur case is a clear example to an even less suitable categorization (marginality vs inaccuracy due to them being absent from the tagged biome) than any of the suggestions in the original post (by Cynogale bennettii), of which I think most should be excluded due to marginality as I explained in my initial response. For the western chimp, there isn't anything inaccurate, just missing a major biome when the relatively more marginal one is included - basically on the same level with other examples we have been discussing on this thread from the beginning.

Another important thing mentioning in the ring-tailed lemur example is temperature suitability. They should be more heat and cold tolerant than the strictly tropical moist lowland species, the red ruffed lemur. Quoting the IUCN, ring-tailed lemurs encounter the most extreme climatic conditions on the island. They inhabit regions as high as 2600 meters (e.g. the Andringitra Massif), where snowfall can be observed and temperatures can be as low as -12 degrees Celsius, but also the dry heat of the semi-desert region of the southwest. Being a strictly tropical lowland rainforest animal, red ruffed lemurs do not experience these extremes. In short, red ruffed lemurs could do with a reduction of a couple of degrees Celsius on both ends of the spectrum. No lemur species should be exposed to extreme heat or cold in captivity, therefore ring-tailed lemur temperature suitability is better off remaining the same on both ends. Better rocky terrain suitability for the ring-tailed lemurs is another option that should be considered.

a) biome are a broad ecological term that, like species, have definitions but at a certain level of detail become meaningless e.g. the ecological niches species occupy change over time and just because they can live in a particular biome doesn't mean that they do or that that example is not an outlier.

As for your other point, I couldn't agree more. Not only animals can adapt to different habitats in the wild and spread to other regions of the world and thus experience a change in their respective ecological niches, they also tend to do quite well with cross-biome flora and decorations in captivity in most cases. However, Frontier has chosen to continue the trend in the genre, the concept of animals having strictly defined suitability for specific terrain and flora (similar to the predecessors like ZT), therefore that is a design choice that needs to be respected. It also helps players learn more about the animals and build different looking habitats - for less creative players. This is why I think we should make comparisons keeping this basic design choice in mind. For the sake of consistency within the game.

Note: For some of the sourced information on habitat and ecology in the linked IUCN profiles, click the little arrow next to it.

Edit: Also attaching biomes and ecoregions map so it is easier for people to compare distribution maps of animals with: Ecoregions 2017 ©

 

[Ursidae]

that are bordering the ericoid thickets (categorized as Alpine in the game, but technically alpine tundra as it is above the forest line), which they also inhabit (e.g. Andringitra National Park).

This is the same question that needs to be answered by Frontier if they are planning to add another highland primate like the gelada or Hamadryas baboon.

Being a strictly tropical lowland rainforest animal, red ruffed lemurs do not experience these extremes. In short, red ruffed lemurs could do with a reduction of a couple of degrees Celsius on both ends of the spectrum.

This also applies to the Bornean orangutan, lowland gorilla and bonobo. They too shouldn't be exposed to some of the temperatures that are suitable to them in the game right now. When temperatures reach the upper 30's (in Celsius) it starts to become a serious health risk for rainforest animals, especially apes. Same for lower temperatures. It's really strange that temperate climate animals like Chinese pangolins and Bengal tigers have less tolerance to cold than these three equatorial rainforest species.

Although, unfortunately the current temperature ranges in the tropical biome map wouldn't allow for such changes. First they'll need to adjust the upper limit in order to make those changes to the animals. 40 degrees in a tropical rainforest is really absurd. The average daytime high for clear weather should be something around 33, with perhaps a peak of 37 degrees to happen from time to time, as the game has heat waves.

 

[macronecu]

Although, unfortunately the current temperature ranges in the tropical biome map wouldn't allow for such changes. First they'll need to adjust the upper limit in order to make those changes to the animals. 40 degrees in a tropical rainforest is really absurd. The average daytime high for clear weather should be something around 33, with perhaps a peak of 37 degrees to happen from time to time, as the game has heat waves.

This is very true. It is never that hot in rainforest climates. In fact in climatology tropical rainforest, monsoon and tropical savanna climates are separate and only savannas can reach those figures in the game. But strangely enough, we already have a different savanna map. So tropical map temperatures should be adjusted.

I would like to give some examples so people can understand the difference.

Here are some weather stations from tropical rainforest and monsoon climates. We feel they are scorching hot because of the extremely high humidity, not the temperatures. I'm giving examples both from the equator and towards the edge of subtropics with high latitudes, so people can see that doesn't change much. All their records are in the 30's:

Miami: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami
Manaus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manaus
Libreville: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libreville
Chittagong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chittagong

And here are some tropical savanna climate examples. You can see their record temperatures as well as average highs are much higher. But their lower humidity pretty much makes them feel the same with the other two tropical climates.

Calcutta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata
Chennai: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai
Bangkok: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok
Barranquilla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barranquilla
Lagos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos

I especially chose certain locations to be extremely close to one another (Libreville-Lagos and Calcutta-Chittagong) so people can see the difference between temperatures of tropical savanna and tropical rainforest/monsoon climates are not because of location on the globe. You can clearly see with these examples that even having same latitudes and very close to one another in terms of kilometers, they show more difference than their respective identical climates from other parts of the world.

 

[Ursidae]

This is very true. It is never that hot in rainforest climates. In fact in climatology tropical rainforest, monsoon and tropical savanna climates are separate and only savannas can reach those figures in the game. But strangely enough, we already have a different savanna map. So tropical map temperatures should be adjusted.

I would like to give some examples so people can understand the difference.

Here are some weather stations from tropical rainforest and monsoon climates. We feel they are scorching hot because of the extremely high humidity, not the temperatures. I'm giving examples both from the equator and towards the edge of subtropics with high latitudes, so people can see that doesn't change much. All their records are in the 30's:

Miami: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami
Manaus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manaus
Libreville: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libreville
Chittagong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chittagong

And here are some tropical savanna climate examples. You can see their record temperatures as well as average highs are much higher. But their lower humidity pretty much makes them feel the same with the other two tropical climates.

Calcutta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata
Chennai: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai
Bangkok: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok
Barranquilla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barranquilla
Lagos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos

I especially chose certain locations to be extremely close to one another (Libreville-Lagos and Calcutta-Chittagong) so people can see the difference between temperatures of tropical savanna and tropical rainforest/monsoon climates are not because of location on the globe. You can clearly see with these examples that even having same latitudes and very close to one another in terms of kilometers, they show more difference than their respective identical climates from other parts of the world.

Not to mention non of the other biomes in the game take absolute maximum and minimum record temperatures as basis, even averages in some cases. If we were going by the broader definition of record lows and high, tundra and taiga maps would have -80 and -60 degrees Celsius lows respectively. Deserts would be well into the 50's (in Celsius). Based on this logic, the tropical biome being hotter than even the highest recorded temperatures, is like having -120 degrees Celsius in tundra.

In terms of game mechanics, anything over 30-32 degrees would still be uncomfortable for the guests, so for the tropical biome map, having a 32-33 degrees Celsius high in clear weather, and a 35-37 degrees Celsius heat wave would still have the same effect on gameplay, but it will allow for a more realistic map setting as well as more realistic temperature suitability for rainforest animals. Same goes for deserts. Right now the upper limit of the desert map isn't much different than grasslands or tropical. An average high of around 45-46 degrees Celsius in clear weather, and a heat wave of 50 degrees would make more sense and offer a bigger challenge to the player. Right now most savanna animals (even rainforest animals which in reality are very susceptible to heat stress) in the game have similar temperature suitability to very high temps as actual desert animals.

 

[macronecu]

Not to mention non of the other biomes in the game take absolute maximum and minimum record temperatures as basis, even averages in some cases. If we were going by the broader definition of record lows and high, tundra and taiga maps would have -80 and -60 degrees Celsius lows respectively. Deserts would be well into the 50's (in Celsius). Based on this logic, the tropical biome being hotter than even the highest recorded temperatures, is like having -120 degrees Celsius in tundra.

Good point.

 

[macronecu]

Such proper feedback deserves a proper response:

First of all, I'd like to thank you for properly sourcing your feedback. Many people here tend to make requests without citing any of the information in their posts. All of the information here is sourced and valid. However, I'd like to give my feedback on the post based on how this information should apply to the game itself.

I would like to analyze the selection with these three main principles in mind:

In-Game Biome Categorization: The game categorizes/lumps several biomes under broader umbrella biomes and thus this effect should be reflected in the animal biome requirements. For instance all coniferous biomes/ecoregions are lumped under Taiga, including the true taiga, coniferous montane and subalpine forests and temperate coniferous forests. This is why all temperate biome only foliage in the game is broadleaf.
Marginality: As I've said, all of the information in the original post is valid and properly sourced. However I believe filtering out marginal suitability for animals is necessary to avoid many animals having most biome tags. What I mean by marginality is 1) if the species/subspecies only marginally makes use of the nearby habitats outside its main habitat (e.g. forest savannas for the southern cassowary), or 2) if only a small population/subpopulation of the species is found in a habitat that is limited to a small area, it should be excluded. However this principle should not apply if the use or area of the said habitat is limited/small yet not marginal.
Aquatic Affinity: The game has two mechanics to address water loving animals. Water/swimming space requirement and habitat suitability. The latter only applies to animals that are semi-aquatic. All water loving/demanding animals should get a water requirement (species specific ratios), but only the true semi-aquatics get the biome tag. Therefore I would exclude the Aquatic Biome from animals like tigers and jaguars, even though they love and should require water in their habitats. All of the aquatic plants in the game also have their respective terrestrial biome tags as well, so this shouldn't limit these animals from having those plants in their enclosures.

@Timmychompchomp you should read this discussion. This is why it will cause a lot of problems in the game if malayan tapir, caiman and capuchin monkey were to keep their temperate biomes. Since they aren't even marginally suitable it would be like adding tropical to a grizzly bear for instance, just because they used to exist in some parts of Mexico.

Or in other words both the timber wolf and grizzly bear would get grassland and desert biomes before temperate for malayan tapir. Also tropical for the wolf as they are in India. Even that is more relevant than temperate broadleaf biome for those 3 animals.

 

[Chuditch]

With this thread having arisen from the dead, I'd like to add my thoughts to the dingo discussion. The idea that pure dingoes are extinct in temperate regions is largely a myth, with recent studies demonstrating that as much as a quarter of free-living dogs in the state of New South Wales are still pure dingoes. Furthermore, I also think that arbitrarily defining hybridised animals as "not dingoes" is a bit daft - dingo-dominant hybrids (which are far more common because dingo genes are favoured), or admixed dingoes as they are also known, are indistinguishable from pure animals in pretty much every regard outside of genetics, so it has no impact on their appearance, behaviour or ecological importance. To use another case of canid hybridisation as an example, the black coat gene in wolves comes from ancient admixture with dogs, but we don't call black wolves "wolf-dog hybrids", we just call them wolves. Hell, pure dingoes themselves are 2% Tibetan wolf. With this in mind, 97% of wild dogs in NSW are dingoes, both pure and admixed - only 3% are feral dogs or dog-dominant hybrids. The acceptance of admixed dingoes as just plain dingoes is still somewhat controversial (and most zoos specifically seek out pure animals) but it's an idea that's gaining more support as time goes on.

All the pedantry about hybridisation aside and just going off pure animals, there's very little against giving the dingoes the temperate and tropical tag. The best reason I can possibly muster is that the dingoes in-game are based off the desert dingo ecotype, but then again the koala is based off the tropical northern form and yet also gets the temperate tag.

As an additional tidbit, I'd also like to comment that the idea that dingoes are found throughout South-east Asia is considered outdated. While various Indonesian village dogs look fairly similar and are close to the ancestry of dingoes, they do not fall within the dingo clade nor share many of the characteristics that make them unique. The New Guinea singing dog is a dingo (in fact, dingoes in south-eastern Australia are more closely related to New Guinean animals than those in other parts of Australia), but then it comes down to whether you define New Guinea as part of Asia (which Frontier does based on the cassowary).

 

[ElectricMonk]

With this thread having arisen from the dead, I'd like to add my thoughts to the dingo discussion. The idea that pure dingoes are extinct in temperate regions is largely a myth, with recent studies demonstrating that as much as a quarter of free-living dogs in the state of New South Wales are still pure dingoes. Furthermore, I also think that arbitrarily defining hybridised animals as "not dingoes" is a bit daft - dingo-dominant hybrids (which are far more common because dingo genes are favoured), or admixed dingoes as they are also known, are indistinguishable from pure animals in pretty much every regard outside of genetics, so it has no impact on their appearance, behaviour or ecological importance. To use another case of canid hybridisation as an example, the black coat gene in wolves comes from ancient admixture with dogs, but we don't call black wolves "wolf-dog hybrids", we just call them wolves. Hell, pure dingoes themselves are 2% Tibetan wolf. With this in mind, 97% of wild dogs in NSW are dingoes, both pure and admixed - only 3% are feral dogs or dog-dominant hybrids. The acceptance of admixed dingoes as just plain dingoes is still somewhat controversial (and most zoos specifically seek out pure animals) but it's an idea that's gaining more support as time goes on.

All the pedantry about hybridisation aside and just going off pure animals, there's very little against giving the dingoes the temperate and tropical tag. The best reason I can possibly muster is that the dingoes in-game are based off the desert dingo ecotype, but then again the koala is based off the tropical northern form and yet also gets the temperate tag.

As an additional tidbit, I'd also like to comment that the idea that dingoes are found throughout South-east Asia is considered outdated. While various Indonesian village dogs look fairly similar and are close to the ancestry of dingoes, they do not fall within the dingo clade nor share many of the characteristics that make them unique. The New Guinea singing dog is a dingo (in fact, dingoes in south-eastern Australia are more closely related to New Guinean animals than those in other parts of Australia), but then it comes down to whether you define New Guinea as part of Asia (which Frontier does based on the cassowary).

Very good comments - well argued and excellent (and accurate) information included.... I’d back up everything Chuditch says here.

 

[DrBurrito]

@Timmychompchomp you should read this discussion. This is why it will cause a lot of problems in the game if malayan tapir, caiman and capuchin monkey were to keep their temperate biomes. Since they aren't even marginally suitable it would be like adding tropical to a grizzly bear for instance, just because they used to exist in some parts of Mexico.

Or in other words both the timber wolf and grizzly bear would get grassland and desert biomes before temperate for malayan tapir. Also tropical for the wolf as they are in India. Even that is more relevant than temperate broadleaf biome for those 3 animals.

All the pedantry about hybridisation aside and just going off pure animals, there's very little against giving the dingoes the temperate and tropical tag. The best reason I can possibly muster is that the dingoes in-game are based off the desert dingo ecotype, but then again the koala is based off the tropical northern form and yet also gets the temperate tag.

I was wondering if more than 4 biomes can be assigned to one animal and how the education boards would look like if possible.

I was always on the fence about Dingos getting 'Temperate' and 'Tropical' biome tags mainly because of their population density in those areas, which would warrant tons of "marginal" or "near marginal" biomes being added to almost all animals on the roster. In some cases this would result in 5-6 biomes being assigned to certain animals. An example would be 'Desert' and 'Grassland' to be added to the Gray Wolf, resulting in a total of five biomes.

 

[Chuditch]

I was always on the fence about Dingos getting 'Temperate' and 'Tropical' biome tags mainly because of their population density in those areas, which would warrant tons of "marginal" or "near marginal" biomes being added to almost all animals on the roster. In some cases this would result in 5-6 biomes being assigned to certain animals. An example would be 'Desert' and 'Grassland' to be added to the Gray Wolf, resulting in a total of five biomes.

The population density and purity of dingoes in most of tropical Australia is very similar to that of inland regions (aka rather high), so it's far from a marginal biome for them. I've already explained why I don't think temperate is marginal either, but their populations there are at least lower and more fragmented than elsewhere. However, dholes have disappeared from most of their former range across temperate Asia and yet still get biome tags properly representative of their adaptability.

EDIT: Truly marginal tags for dingoes would be "taiga" for those that inhabit the Australian alps and "tundra" for the New Guinea singing dog (the surviving wild population lives above the treeline).

I've never actually thought about how adding too many biomes would impact the education boards. For me personally I'd still choose more accurate biome tags regardless, but it's still interesting to think about how that would work. Perhaps the size of the tags would shrink in order to squeeze them all on?

 

[DrBurrito]

The population density and purity of dingoes in most of tropical Australia is very similar to that of inland regions (aka rather high), so it's far from a marginal biome for them. I've already explained why I don't think temperate is marginal either, but their populations there are at least lower and more fragmented than elsewhere. However, dholes have disappeared from most of their former range across temperate Asia and yet still get biome tags properly representative of their adaptability.

EDIT: Truly marginal tags for dingoes would be "taiga" for those that inhabit the Australian alps and "tundra" for the New Guinea singing dog (the surviving wild population lives above the treeline).

I've never actually thought about how adding too many biomes would impact the education boards. For me personally I'd still choose more accurate biome tags regardless, but it's still interesting to think about how that would work. Perhaps the size of the tags would shrink in order to squeeze them all on?

In that sense 'Desert' and 'Grassland' wouldn't be marginal for the gray wolf either, which is why I did use quotations, as the term marginal here is not exactly the same as the concept I've discussed in the section "three main principles". It is more of a technical limitation, resulting in picking four of "the most suitable" biomes for the animals with the highest levels of adaptability. It would create a consistency issue if dingos were assigned 'Tropical' and 'Temperate' but gray wolves did not receive 'Desert' and 'Grassland' tags. In a sense, it is an attempt to make it balanced and consistent across species. If it isn't possible to assign more than 4 biomes per species, I don't know how it would be possible.