History Main / DubSpeciesChange

* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''

* In the Russian translation of ''Literature/TheTalkingParcel'', Weasels are replaced with Stoats. Probably because the Russian word for "stoat" has a much better and more mystical ring to it than the word for "weasel".

* When media created by Chespirito (Roberto Gómez Bolaños) that featured his mock-superhero character "El Chapulin Colorado" was translated into English (such as ''Series/ElChavoDelOcho''), the name was instead translated to "The Crimson Cricket", as it would not be [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal alliterative]] in English if transliterated: "The Red Grasshopper".

* Infamously, after Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'' turned the protagonist and the other deer characters [[AdaptationSpeciesChange from roe deer to white-tailed deer]], the German dub used the German word for roe deer (''Reh'') for Bambi and his mother, but the word for red deer (''Hirsch'') for Bambi's father, the Great Prince (since he, due to his impressive antlers, looks more like a red deer than a roe deer to those familiar with European deer species). This lead to [[CommonKnowledge the common misconception]] among Germans that roe deer are just female/juvenile red deer.

* ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats'': The Big Cheese was intended to be a fox in the original Japanese version. However, the English dub refers to him as a [[YouDirtyRat rat]], despite not changing his design (his tail is very obviously a fox's and not a rat's).

* ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats'': The Big Cheese was intended to be a fox in the original Japanese version, however, the English dub refers to him as a [[YouDirtyRat rat]], despite not changing his design.

* Three of the animal-shaped mechas used by the protagonists of ''[[Anime/TimeBokan Time Patrol Tai Otasukeman]]'' had their species changed in the Italian dub: the seal mech became a sea lion, the frog mech was turned into a toad and the tanuki mech is referred to as a groundhog.

** Redd is a {{Kitsune}} in the Japanese version, completing the TanukiKitsuneContrast with Tom Nook. In the western releases he is just a fox.

* ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'':
** In the English dub, Kine, a sunfish, was described as a blue surgeon fish in the episode "A Fish Called Kine". Strangely, despite this, the later episode "Kirby Quiz" accurately refers to him as sunfish, both in original and dubbed versions.
*** The Italian dub of "A Fish Called Kine" has Curio describing Kine with the [[BinomiumRidiculus fake Latin name]] of ''Nasellus Loquacis'', implying that he's a European Hake ("Nasello" in Italian).

* The English dub of ''Anime/SonicTheHedgehogTheMovie'' changes Knuckles's species from an echidna to a mole. Admittedly, it could be just Princess Sarah (the only person who calls him "Mr. Mole") confusing his species.

** In the Spanish translation of the books, Neville Longbottom's pet toad Trevor is turned into a turtle.

** In Italian, the Beagle Boys are called "Banda Bassotti" (Dachshund Gang), again implying a species change.

->''"In Italy, Linus and Sally aren't waiting for a mystical Great Pumpkin to rise from the sincerest patch around bringing joy and presents to little children. In Italy, the Peanuts characters in the story are hoping to catch a glimpse of, wait for it, the Great Watermelon. The story goes, when the tale was first released onto the small screen in 1966, Italians weren't familiar with Halloween and its traditions. So while working on the translation, they decided to go with a piece of produce that households would recognize and find particularly humorous."''

** The Italian translations of most iterations of the franchise refer to the titular character as a porcupine rather than a hedgehog.
** Fang/Nack is a wolf/jerboa hybrid in the original Japanese version, but in the western releases he is instead referred to as a weasel.

* In the original Japanese version of ''[[Anime/AggressiveRetsuko Aggressive Retsuko]]'' and all versions of the Netflix adaptation, there's a badger character named Anai ([[ALizardNamedLiz from "anaguma," Japanese for "badger"]]); however, in the English subs for the original show, he's a prairie dog [[DubNameChange named Doug]].

* The English dub of ''Anime/PomPoko'' refers to the main characters as raccoons, even though they're actually {{Tanuki}} or raccoon dogs.

Compare and contrast DubNameChange, when names are changed to fit better with the new language; {{Woolseyism}}, when other things are altered to make sense in the new language; CallARabbitASmeerp, when mundane objects have made up names; CallASmeerpARabbit, when made up objects have mundane names; CallAPegasusAHippogriff, when mythical creatures take on the names of other mythical creatures; AdaptationSpeciesChange, when the animal in question is an outright different species in the adaptation; InformedSpecies, when the species is stated by the narrative but does not look accurate; IAmNotWeasel, when the animal objects to being called by the wrong species InUniverse; and IstanbulNotConstantinople and ThinlyVeiledDubCountryChange, when real geographic locations have their names changed in the context of the story.

** Tom Nook, Timmy and Tommy, are tanuki in the original Japanese version, but the English translation refers to them as raccoons. The {{Punny Name}}s hint at their true species.

* When media created by Chespirito (Roberto Gómez Bolaños) that featured his mock-superhero character "El Chapulin Colorado" was translated into English (such as ''Series/ElChavoDelOcho''), the name was instead translated to "The Crimson Cricket", as it would not be [[AlliterativeAppeal alliterative]] in English if transliterated: "The Red Grasshopper".

* When media created by Creator/Chespirito that featured his mock-superhero character "El Chapulin Colorado" was translated into English (such as ''Series/ElChavo''), the name was instead translated to "The Crimson Cricket", as it would not be alliterative in English in it's original name: "The Crimson Grasshopper".