The Forest Demonic
The forest demonic's pelt is darker, ranging from a dark mahogany, to a dark brown. In more uncommon cases their pelts climb to a darker mid tone, but the dark fur was grown for camouflage.
The body shape of a male Forest Demonic is larger than that of a normal African lion in more width than height. A female being only slightly larger than that of a normal lioness. Its large body mass alone makes the Forest Demonic the physically largest of the subspecies. The paws of this sub-species are quite unique. If held in front of their mouth and nose, the paw takes up another inch of space. Large by nature, these paws were developed for the utmost of stealth. Their speed has decreased a bit, having no need to run at high speeds through the forest. Although an extended dew claw, nearly touching the ground in stride, makes up for that factor with its extra grip.
Their hind legs also hold extremely long dew claws. Extended periods in the forest soon gave the creatures the ability to climb trees at an amazing pace, an easy ambush tactic or to hide. The dew claws also provide brilliant strikes in battle, as they are able to be separately controlled and are often oversize.
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*Click to view full body picture.
Example of an adult male Forest Demonic Dax © Panicandy
Example of an adult female Forest Demonic Nikia © Gill
The Prairie Demonic
The Prairie Demonic is a sub-species that evolved to live out prairie life like its close cousin the lion. Their colors range from brown mid tones to lighter tans. The body shape of the Prairie Demonic is almost like a mix of a lion and a cheetah. While it is still extremely large like a demonic lion, it is very long and slender. Coupled with a long tail and longer legs, this adaptation makes the prairie demonic the fastest of all the sub-species. This speed is unsustainable over long periods of time, however. Like the Forest Demonic, Prairie Demonics also have two sets of dew claws. One set in the front, and one in the back. However, unlike the forest, only the Prairie's front set are fully functional. -More to be added-
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Example of an adult male Prairie Demonic. Kegan/Hassun © Gill/Panicandy
Example of an adult female Prairie Demonic. Kallisto © Panicandy
The Tundra Demonic
The Tundra demonic is a sub-species that evolved to live out life in harsh winter climates like that of a snow leopard. Their colors range from light creamy tones to very light tans. Allowing them to blend with their surroundings. They posses relatively the same body shape as a Prairie demonic only instead of short fur they posses large amounts of long fur, especially on their front and back legs. Which makes them look larger than they really are, but provides the warmth they need to survive. Unlike the forest and prairie demonic, Tundras do not posses dew claws on either their fore paws or hind paws. -More to be added-
Example of an adult male Tundra Demonic. Faustus © Panicandy
Example of an adult female Tundra Demonic.
Behavior
-To be added-
Reproduction
All sub-species of the Demonic Lion are able to breed once they hit their teenage years. In the general scheme, they breed like lions, often not choosing a single partner. If a demonic does choose a single mate, it is often the female that persuades the male into being her mate. It is not often that Demonic Lions mate for life. If the partner happens to die, the Demonic Lion will either resort to its natural breeding habits or search out another mate.
Once a female becomes impregnated, she becomes very irritable. Males will often steer clear of a pregnant female, no matter how highly it thinks of itself or how powerful it is. The female will continue this behavior until her cubs are born and reach late cub-hood.
The average litter consist of 5 to 6 cubs. The cubs are more than often born at about size .35. However, runts and oversize cubs do occur. They are born with head 6, and the males born with mane 3 in a very light and down-like state. The cubs are born blind and deaf, and stay that way for about a week, before their eyes fully open, and they gain their hearing.
Once male Demonics hit their teen years their hair begins to grow a bit more, and they gain tuft 1. As stated above they also become able to breed, and if they can find a female in which to breed with they will waste no time. -More to be added-Demonic Lion Species © Gill & Panicandy Characters © Respected owners
{::BREED VARIANTS::}
The Oddities
Mutations
Being that all of the mutations are recessive, for there to ever be the slightest chance of having a cub with a mutation both parents must carry the gene corresponding to that mutation. They do not have to have the pigmentation, but only carry the gene to possibly pass it onto their cub.In order of rarity, from least rare to most rare.
Melanism
A development of dark-colored pigment in the skin that is rarely found in Forest and Prairie Demonics and even more rarely found in a Tundra, because of its being a recessive mutation. A Forest Demonic that possesses this mutation is the darkest of the three sub-species. The hue becomes a slightly lighter grey scale when found in a Prairie and so on. Most commonly, dark individuals become fitter to survive and reproduce in their environment as they are better camouflaged. This makes some species less conspicuous to predators. Often this excludes Tundras. Because if a Tundra possesses this mutation it is a negative in that it does not allow the Tundra to blend into its environment. This is why Melanism being found in Tundras is extremely rare, they often die off as cubs or young teens. Typically, adaptive melanism is heritable: A dominant gene, which is entirely or nearly entirely expressed in the phenotype is responsible for the excessive amount of melanin. Melanin has several physiological roles in maintaining health, such as the synthesis of vitamin D. Melanin is the primary determinant of the degree of skin pigmentation and protects the body from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Genes for melanism in felines may provide resistance to viral infections. Although, this excessive amount of Melanin can rarely cause the rise of Psychosis symptoms and makes their desire to kill or torture even greater. They may look completely sane at most times, but the symptoms of Psychosis leak and can occur at a moments notice, the duration varying. The amount of an effect that this rare downfall has on the individual all and all depends on the degree of Melanin.-More to be added-
Example of an adult Melanistic male. Raegan © Panicandy
Leucism
A condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals caused by a recessive allele. Being a recessive mutation it very rarely occurs, but can in every sub-species. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin. Most leucistic animals have normally colored eyes instead of red or dark, but it can occur.-More to be added-
Example of an adult Leucistic male. Hualde © Gill
Erythrism
Causes the Demonic to have an excess of red pigmentation and sometimes a decrease in other pigmentation. A Forest Demonic is the only of the other sub-species that could possibly be Erythristic. Their black or dark brown pigments are converted to red/Mahogany hues. The excessive amount of red pigment masks the other colors. Erythin is the primary determinant and protects the body from extreme heat, solid and liquid. This gives these special Demonics the ability live around an active volcano's environment, or wherever there may be lava exposed in the cracks of the earth. Where very little four legged creatures may roam, which provides a safe place for them to settle and breed. Although, because of the lack of enemies and their relatively care free lives, they are often more vulnerable in battle, but make up for it with their extraordinary hunting abilities. This mutation is Homozygous recessive and sex-linked, which keeps it from showing up that often. Normal traits are usually controlled by dominant genes.-More to be added-
Example of an adult Erythristic male. Aleksander © Panicandy