https://media.giphy.com/media/FfuSZc9l0P9bG/giphy.gif
Yeah, no. Dragons come in many shapes and colors and sizes. Just because the forelimbs aren't separate from the wings doesn't default a dragon to being a wyvern. Yes, wyvern body type. Still a freaking dragon.
Im confused. Your subject line says she's not a dragon, she's a wyvern. But the body of your post says she's a dragon not a wyvern?
Dragons are mythical creatures. They can look like and be whatever you want them to be.
I love the Dragon/ Wyvern debates, ever since I learned what a Wyvern was from this guy: http://www.herpy.net/gallery/data/media/68/enemy26.png
From what I learned, a Wyvern is to a Dragon as a Ray is to a Shark. Seeing as 
was born from a dragon and a human, that would make her a hybrid rather than a cousin species. Think Liger, but more badass / attractive .__.
ok that would also classify smaug as a wyvern? because he basicaly looks li....... GUYS I FOUND SHYVANNA'S DAD
Wait what? She isn't a horse?
Wyverns have back legs and wing. With no foreclaws. Soooooo there is that
She doesn't look like a classical dragon because she is half dragon. She probably isn't skilled enough to unleash her full draconic powers, hence why she looks how she looks while in dragon form. Who knows, maybe Shyvana would be able to turn into full fleshed dragon after years of training.
Wyverns have bird-like bodies (no arms). Shyv has arms and wings. She's a dragon.
Since dragons and wyverns are fantasy creatures, their physical description may vary a lot between sources - think that the Jörmungandr ( thank you wikipedia for the copypaste!) that is a sea serpent from the norn mithology is considered a dragon!
This does not mean that a creature can be mixed with an other: if you draw a cat and say that it' s a dog it' s objectively wrong because there is a definite line between what it is and what it is not.
So, what defines a dragon?
Fire? Limbs? Wings?
No. Power.
If you look at the many representations of the dragon on the occidental culture, both in traditional and modern sources, you can see different things described in different ways but that feel the same: the dragons are cunning and intelligent, the dragons are majestic and powerful... and most of all, they know it.
This is why dragons are depicted by staying over a mountain of gold, or are depicted with a princess as a prisoner or some other valuable treasure: they don' t need it, but they can take it because no one can contest it; aware of their position they acknowledge every other being as a lesser being and want to enforce their presence. Think about Smaug from The Hobbit - depicted or not with different limbs, he fits this description perfectly. Even Saphira from Eragon fits this description, but she is bound to her knight with a ritual that makes her more tame and more respectful for other beings ( not much, but enough).
Wyverns, on the other hand, are just beasts. With low intellect and driven by basic instincts they can barely speak in most of representations.
The Dragon on the river might be instead a wyvern ( or a dragon that is not very talkative) but in Shyvana case is apparent that her father was not a beast, but a creature gifted of intelligence, rationality and power ( at least over magic, or else she could not be conceived ).
NOW I AM A DRAGON! FEEL MY DOUBLED PASSIVE! I WILL SURELY DEFEAT YOU!
A Wyvern is a type of dragon.
Epic fail.
Depending on the base culture, dragons don't even have wings...
Seeing as how Dragons aren't actually real, and different fictional universes can each have their own terminology for the same mystical creatures, she can within all rights be what ever Riot says she is, in this case, a dragon.
This is what she would be Kingdom - Animalia Phylum - Chordata Class - Reptilia Order - Dracoformes Family - Draconidae Genus - Draconis** Species - Wyverneus
So she is a reptile but her species is Wyvern. Just like you can't call a Hyena a Wolf, or a Lion a Tiger. So same class but different species
I approve of this
Yeah,her origin(the fact that she was born from a dragon)aside,I think a good rule of thumb is that wyvern are usually not able to spit fire.
Overall I wonder if they'll change shyvanas dragon form once she gets a VU(not that this would happen anytime soon).I mean they once talked about how shyvana doesn't really fullfill the dragon-fantasy that good.
