Pretty much any species CAN have silvering or dilution factors to some degree. This would be a really easy mutation to add, a lot like piebald, BUT different. Genetically piebald and dilution genes aren't always linked, though in some species, namely birds, they can be. In cats and dogs piebald has nothing to do with dilution, they are on different loci.

I'm not sure how extensive it should be in game, but it exists on a gradient from nearly white to lightened variations of the base color. I was thinking it could display something like:

Dilution (30%) or Dilution Heavy/Medium/Light

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Normal Non-Dilute Lion:


20% Dilution:


50% Dilution:


70% Dilution:

Skin and eyes are NOT always diluted alongside the base color, though they usually are. All of the above examples have skin and eye dilution. The following example will not.

60% Dilution | No Skin/Eye Dilution:

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Red-Phased Examples:
Normal Non-Dilute Red:


80% Dilution:

*Brown Eyes lighten to an Amber Shade and amber Lightens to Yellow.

60% No Skin/Eye Dilution:

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Black-Phased Examples:
Normal Non-Dilute Black:


50% Dilution

*Black Eyes often lighten to a Bluer Shade, so I gave the lightened Jet eyes a slight blue tinge.

80% No Skin/Eye Dilution:


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Patches of dilution are also possible. This is very rare in nature, but it does happen! Because we humans like rare things, we've bred it into some domestic animals. Examples include harliquim merle dogs, pseudo-merle cats, and tortoiseshells and tabbies with dilute patches.

Patched 30% Dilution:


Patched 60% Dilution:


Patched 20% Dilution:


Patched 50% Dilution:

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Of course it doesn't need to be as elaborate as I made it. I think a flat 30-50% dilution would be just as nice or a simple Light/Medium/Heavy. Percentages would make it more complicated and would require more coding and such. I do think it would be awesome to have the ability to get dilute lions though~