I know merle is a marking for dogs and not lions, but Lioden hasn't always been true to life *cough* pink lions *cough*, so there's no reason that lions on Lioden can't have merle too!

Now, Lioden doesn't have merle as a marking or a mutation, but I'm not suggesting merle as a mutation anyway. Rather, I'm suggesting double merle as a mutation!



(image is a link btw) Here you can see the difference between regular merles and double merles. Double merles have much more white spotting than regular merles. They're called double merles because they have Homozygous Dominant alleles of the merle gene, whereas regular merles have Heterozygous alleles for the merle gene (that's two active merle genes versus one active merle gene). This doubled gene makes many double merles both blind and deaf.

Double merles have eye problems. Every double merle has sight and/or hearing problems because of its doubled gene. These eye problems have many forms, usually manifesting as a combination of problems. These problems include
- micropthalmia (physically small eyeballs)
- "starburst" pupils (irregular shaped pupils, edges of the pupil look "torn")
- "dropped" pupil (pupil is physically lower than the center of the iris)
- anopthalmia (no eyeball, empty socket looks pink and swollen)
- blindness

Double merle could either be its own mutation, or it could have a very slim chance of popping up in piebald/nonpied and/or pied/pied breedings. to be honest, i'd rather it be limited to pied/pied breedings for the sake of retaining the "double" part double merle, but that's just my opinion

also, i'd rather it be nonlethal, but have the same debuffs as blind/eyeless lions (can't be kinged/sent to hunt). Double merles really only have problems with deafness and blindness for the most part


image by Ankokou #3124


examples of the merle pattern by Brighty #22310

suggestions:
- red and blue double merles (2 mutations, like the multiple pied mutations) (Heda Redbox #56702)
- mutation appears as a total overlay rather than a partial overlay (total overlay being like achromia and melanism, partial overlay being like piebald), shows as white with patches of merle and eye deformations (Ankokou #3124)
- debuffs similar to the blind and eyeless mutations?