My apologies if this has been suggested already - I tried to search for it, but nothing came to my attention.

It was something that kind of hit me this evening - how is it we have so many genetically mutated, healthy adult tailless lions?

I know Lioden is a game and doesn't need to be 100% realistic - I love my pink-furred, blue-ish-maned boy and wouldn't have him any other way It just got me thinking about genetics and an unfortunate circumstance I recently witnessed with a feral Manx kitten.

I wasn't able to find anything about the genetics for tailless lions (the few things I was able to find were of a lioness that had her tail bitten off later in life), but sacrocaudal dysgenesis in other species (the most widely-known being Manx cats) can come with a whole host of developmental disorders that aren't compatible with life unless there is some sort of medical intervention. These can range from incontinence/constipation and inability to move their hind limbs (as the nerves to the caudal portion of their GI tract and legs aren't fully formed) to the incomplete formation of the lower spine leading to the spinal column showing through the skin.

The variation where the spine shows through the lower back (spina bifida aperta) would probably be the most visually interesting one to implement, however cystica (when the spinal cord herniates and causes a large lump under the skin) would also be interesting if people would prefer something a little less graphic. If cubs with cystica are implemented, they would probably live about as long as cubs with sirenomelia or extra hind limbs (5-6 months) because of the hind limb paralysis and possible seizures, whereas if cubs with aperta were implemented, they would likely die much earlier (possibly 2-3 months) due to similar but more severe complications and the added likelihood of infection.

I apologize for the lack of sketches - I tend to only do digital when I have a lot of time, and don't have a good scanner for anything more traditional Regardless, it's a unique lethal mutation I would love to see on lioden, even if it wouldn't be correlated to the tailless mutation.

In short:
-Lethal mutation where lower spine is not properly formed
-Can result in hindlimb paralysis, incontinence/constipation, and seizures
-Not associated with tailless mutation, though inspired by it

Please let me know what you all think, comments with constructive criticism are always welcome!