Category:Variant

Tuxemon within a species may vary based on their genetics or environment. Variants could be purely mechanical, purely cosmetic or mechanical and cosmetic, and either be fixed from a monster's birth, fixed from some point after birth, or able to be changed.

Genetic

Regional variation, for example, a butterfly tuxemon could have different wings based on which route it's captured in.

Magmaturtle's default form is a fiery turtle, but a sea-dwelling subspecies would have a different Type and techniques.

Sub-species
Speciation

The Furnursus and Bursa families may be closely related: both are fiery bears with a meditative/psychic side.

Sexual dimorphism

Differences within a species based on the sex (see Wikipedia).

At its most extreme, this could result in different species - like Nudiflot M and Nudiflot F.

Congential

Congenital conditions are from birth, but not necessarily inherited, and are unusual - could include different colouration or features

Colour variations exist for some tuxemon:

Epigenetic changes are from birth and inherited, but not resulting from DNA (see Wikipedia)
Atavisms (Wikipedia)
Random variations that emerge at birth but do not reflect genetic variation, like different monsters in a species having different patterns of spots

Environmental

Permanent changes based on environment

Memnomnom's masks take the form of a dead king's face. This could also belong to the tool use category if it turns out that they can change their masks.

Jemuar have different gems based on the rocks found where they were born.

Katacoon evolves based on which technique it knows.

[image] [image] [image]

Temporary changes based on environment, like changing colour from eating berries of a particular colour
Changing based on the season (io9; Wikipedia)

Brief, cyclical or voluntary

Triggered changes, like a skink losing its tail to distract a predator or a cuttlefish changing pigmentation; a tuxemon could change its colours to match its trainer, and if its trainer changed clothes it would change colouring. A tuxemon could have different abilities based on which status they had when they were caught.

Morphs that involve Booster Tech or Badges - like the Botbot family - are an example of this, since the transformation can be reversed or a new one selected.

=>

Tool use, like a hermit crab getting different powers based on what shell they use as their home or a coconut crab getting more defence while it has a coconut shell, or a domesticated monster wearing clothes or getting a haircut (see Wikipedia)
Stimulant reaction, like a dragon becoming ultra-powerful for a period after touching a magical stone

There's art for some monsters that doesn't match their main form (e.g. Moloch and Jemuar). This could be a form that is temporarily unlockable, e.g. through injecting them with a stimulant.

Changing based on pregnancy or parenthood, where the changes only last for the duration

Other

Fusions
Permanent or indefinite magical or scientific transformations
Morphing is a form of change
Changes that occur through maturation, like growing more tails, growing larger, more monsters joining a swarm