Mutations
From Grouse House Wiki
Mutations are a rare mix-up in a wolf's genetics that make them more unique! Not all wolves have mutations, but those that do may be more valuable or more visually distinct than other wolves.
Wolvden's mutations system is elaborate and varying! There are multiple different types of mutations, each obtained through different means, and even an ability for mutations to stack.
Mutation Basics
Mutation Basics
There are multiple aspects of a wolf's mutation status that can be complex to understand, but we will break each part down here!
You can find details about a wolf's mutations, if any, under the Looks section of their profile page. Here, you'll find a Mutation section, a Secondary Mutation section, and a Carrier Status section. Mutation and Secondary Mutation provide information on mutations that wolf actively possesses, while Carrier Status informs about mutations a wolf has the capability of generating through breeding.
Mutations and Secondary Mutations
Mutations and Secondary Mutations
Each wolf has two slots available for mutations, the Mutation and Secondary Mutation slots. This means that a wolf could have two mutations simultaneously! However, not all mutations can be doubled up.
Mutations are defined specifically as a "Mutation" or "Secondary Mutation", specifying which slot it will take up. Large, lineart-changing mutations like Brachycephaly are most frequently in the "Mutation" slot. Meanwhile, mutations that have more of a layering effect or have no visible effect, like Albinism or Deafness, will take up the "Secondary Mutation" slot. There is no current scenario where a mutation will be able to take up the slot that it is not typically assigned to.
A wolf cannot have two "Secondary Mutations" or two "Mutations" at the same time. For example, you will never have a wolf with Polycephaly and Sirenomelia, as these both take up the "Mutation" slot. Similarly, you will not have a wolf that simultaneously has two types of Piebald, since all Piebald mutations are "Secondary Mutations".
Any two mutations that fill the Mutation and Secondary Mutation slots separately can be doubled up, just not two that would share the same categorization! So, you could have a Brachycephalic wolf with Melanism, a Polycephalic wolf with Deafness, or many other combinations!
From the list below, you can pair any "Mutation" or "Secondary Mutation" together, and that combination is possible on a wolf in-game!
| Mutation Categories |
|---|
| Mutations |
| Brachycephaly |
| Conjoined Twins |
| Polycephaly |
| Polymelia |
| Sirenomelia |
| Secondary Mutations |
| Albinism |
| All Patches |
| All Piebalds |
| Deafness |
| Hereditary Cataracts |
| Melanism |
| Spontaneous Blindness |
Carrier Status
Carrier Status
Another value informing of a wolf's mutation status is Carrier Status. This trait relates to Genetic Mutations, mutations that can be passed from parents through recessive genes. We'll discuss this type of mutation further down on this page.
In order to reveal a wolf's carrier status, one must pay for the wolf to be analyzed at Gene's Hollow. Here, Gene will take 
Silver Cones in exchange for revealing if a wolf is a carrier for any of the four current genetic mutations. After it's been revealed by Gene, the wolf's Carrier Report will be updated to reflect the results.
If a wolf has never been carrier tested for any mutation, their Carrier Status will display as "Unknown" with a link to Gene's Hollow. Otherwise, you will be able to select View Report to view the wolf's status for each genetic mutation.
In a wolf's carrier report, you'll find four possible statuses for each mutation. If a wolf has a genetic mutation, they are not considered a carrier, but they will still have the ability to pass the mutation to pups.
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
 | The wolf has not been carrier tested for this mutation |
 | The wolf has been tested and is NOT a carrier for this mutation |
 | The wolf has been tested and IS a carrier for this mutation |
 | This wolf has this mutation |
You can learn more about genetic mutations, carriers, and recessive genes in the Genetic Mutations section of this page.
Customization
Customization
Got a wolf with a mutation, but find them a bit lack-luster? Don't fret-mutated wolves can be customized with no consequence!
When you load a wolf with a mutation into the Wolf Customizer, their mutation will not appear. This does not mean that it's being removed, however! After you hit the Customize button, their new look will be applied and their mutation will be completed untouched. So, if you load a wolf with Albinism, you'll be customizing their look underneath their Albinism, and they'll still have the mutation after the customization has been applied.
Wolves with mutations can also have any applicator applied without harming their mutation.
Types of Mutations
Types of Mutations
Mutations can be assigned four different categories depending on their method of obtention and effect on the wolf.
Random mutations are mutations that appear randomly in any breeding, without any prerequisite.
Genetic mutations are passed through recessive genes, and parents must have the gene or mutation for their pup to get the mutation.
Applicator mutations can be applied to any wolf using an applicator, and pups can only get the mutation if their parent has it.
Finally lethal mutations can be random or genetic, and are characterized by causing a pup's death before they can reach adolescence. The lethal categorization is secondary on top of the mutation being random or genetic.
When a wolf has a mutation, you will be able to view that mutation's categories on the wolf's page under the Mutation or Secondary Mutation fields. Each category will display a different icon.
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
 | This is a random chance mutation |
| This is a recessive genetic mutation |
 | This is an applicator mutation |
 | This is a lethal mutation |
We will go into detail on each type of mutation below!
Random Mutations
Random Mutations
Some mutations have the chance to show up randomly in any breeding. The chance, however, is very very low! You could breed hundreds or even thousands of pups and not run into a random mutation!
There are some ways to increase your chance of getting a random mutation. The mother having a lower fertility will provide a small boost, as per the unique quest The Next Generation. Additionally, you may opt to use a Wolf Meat item, purchasable during the Halloween event. This item will provide a higher chance for a puppy in the wolf's next litter to have a random mutation.
There are currently six possible random mutations, listed below.
| Random Mutations |
|---|
| Conjoined Twins |
| Deafness |
| Polycephaly |
| Polymelia |
| Sirenomelia |
| Spontaneous Blindness |
Genetic Mutations
Genetic Mutations
Genetic mutations are produced by hidden genes present in some wolves, called carriers. Hidden genes are always recessive, meaning that both parents must have the hidden gene for a chance for a puppy to develop the mutation. Since you can't see hidden genes from the outside, the only ways to know if your wolf is a carrier of a hidden gene is by gene-testing them at Gene's Hollow or breeding them to another carrier.
Hidden genes originate from newly-generated wolves like wolves befriended in explore or created from scratch in the Customizer. Newly-rolled lead wolves, new befriended wolves, and new customized wolves have a very small chance of carrying one of the four possible hidden genes. If you have a wolf you're particularly attached to, however, who you'd love to have produce a genetic mutation, you may choose to use a Wolf Blood item, purchased during the Halloween event! A wolf given a Wolf Blood before breeding has a chance of producing a pup with a recessive genetic mutation in their next litter, even if neither parent is a carrier of that mutation! This would also allow a wolf that's a carrier of one mutation to birth a wolf who's a carrier of a different mutation.
Wolves are able to be a carrier of multiple hidden genes at the same time. So, you could breed a line of wolves who carry every hidden gene in the game! The genes are treated as completely separate traits, so they will not interact with each other in any way while breeding.
When breeding a wolf with a hidden gene, there is a small chance that they will pass that gene onto their pup, even if the pup does not get the mutation itself. It's not a guarantee, however, for the gene to pass on. Every genetic mutation has the same pass rates, that we'll list below.
| Genetic Mutation Pass Rates | |
|---|---|
| Non-carrier x Non-carrier | 100% Non-carrier |
| Carrier x Non-carrier | 90% Non-carrier, 10% Carrier |
| Mutation x Non-carrier | 85% Non-carrier, 15% Carrier, 0% Mutation |
| Carrier x Carrier | 80% Non-carrier, 10% Carrier, 10% Mutation |
| Mutation x Carrier | 70% Non-carrier, 15% Carrier, 15% Mutation |
| Mutation x Mutation | 70% Non-carrier, 20% Mutation, 10% Carrier |
There are currently four possible genetic mutations, listed below.
| Genetic Mutations |
|---|
| Albinism |
| Brachycephaly |
| Hereditary Cataracts |
| Melanism |
Applicator Mutations
Applicator Mutations
Applicator mutations are mutations which can be obtained by applying them directly to your wolf using a Mutie on Demand applicator.
Mutie on Demand applicators are obtained during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Promotion with any $50 purchase or higher. They can be used to apply a specific applicator mutation to a wolf of your choosing who does not already have a secondary mutation.
Besides being applied using applicators, Applicator mutations also have a small chance of being passed to pups through breeding. These are not genetic/recessive mutations. Applicator mutations cannot be carried or passed as recessive genes through generations. A pup will only have a chance of getting an applicator mutation from their parent is if one of their parents has the exact mutation. Though similar, Patches and Piebald mutations cannot pass any other mutation besides their specific shape.
There are currently six possible applicator mutations, listed below.
| Genetic Mutations |
|---|
| Patches: Mottled |
| Patches: Split |
| Piebald: Biewer |
| Piebald: Frontal |
| Piebald: Torn |
| Piebald: Uneven |
Lethal Mutations
Lethal Mutations
Lethal mutations are mutations which will cause your wolf's death after a certain number of rollovers. These mutations are visible from birth and will kill before your wolf reaches adolescence. Lethal mutations could be genetic or random.
When a pup in your pack is born with a lethal deformity, you will receive a message in your daily rollover summary about an "Unusual Puppy". This will describe what is wrong with the pup. Over the course of the next few rollovers, you will receive additional messages detailing the pup's daily life.
If you leave a pup with a lethal mutation alone, they will die! Luckily, there are a couple methods for keeping the wolf in your pack for longer.
If you like the pup's genetics other than their mutation, you can purchase an Osha from Raccoon Wares for 500 Silver Cones. This item will remove the chosen wolf's mutation while retaining all of their other genetics. If the wolf has both a mutation and secondary mutation, it will remove the mutation first.
Since most lethal mutations are very rare, many players will be inclined to preserve any they get. You can keep a pup with a lethal mutation in your pack using a Jellyfish to immortalize your wolf. Jellyfish can be purchased from the Grove for 
10 Gold Cones. Be sure to get the normal Jellyfish item and not the Translucent Jellyfish item, as these have two different effects!
In order to use a Jellyfish to immortalize your lethal mutation, you must have a spare Immortal Slot. You must pay Gold Cones to purchase immortal slots, with the first slot costing 10 GC and each subsequent slot adding 10 GC to the previous price.
Once you have a Jellyfish and an empty immortal slot, make sure that your pup isn't being protected by a pupsitter, and then use the Jellyfish from your Hoard! This will turn your wolf immortal, which will apply a few effects. The wolf will never age, and it will never be able to breed or perform a role. Essentially, it will act as a decoration in your pack! Once you've immortalized a wolf, there is no way to undo the action besides retiring the wolf, so act carefully!
There are currently five possible lethal mutations, listed below alongside how they are obtained.
| Lethal Mutations | |
|---|---|
| Brachycephaly | Genetic |
| Conjoined Twins | Random |
| Polycephaly | Random |
| Polymelia | Random |
| Sirenomelia | Random |
Mutation Items
Mutation Items
Breeding Items
Breeding Items
Some breeding items can be used to increase your chances of getting a mutation!
| Breeding Item | Source | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Juniper Berries | Purchase from the Fertility Snake | Decreases your wolf's fertility by 10% for their next breeding. Can be stacked until the wolf is at 1% fertility. Lower fertility correlates with a higher chance for a random mutation |
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| Wolf Blood | Purchase from Mohkra during the October Halloween event | Provides a small chance that one pup in the wolf's next litter will develop a recessive mutation even if neither parents are carriers. Can only be fed to a female wolf |
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| Wolf Meat | Purchase from Mohkra during the October Halloween event | Provides a higher chance for any pup in the wolf's next litter to develop a random spontaneous mutation. Can only be fed to a female wolf |
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| Wolf Scrotum | Purchase from Mohkra during the October Halloween event | Can be fed to a wolf with a mutation to provide a higher chance for one pup in their next litter to develop that same mutation. Can only be fed to a female wolf |
 |
Mutie on Demand Items
Mutie on Demand Items
Applicatior mutations are applied using Mutie on Demand items! Each applicator mutation has a specific corresponding applicator, and new applicators are added each year.
| Mutation Item | Source | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Mutie on Demand: Patches Mottled | Chance to obtain when purchasing $50, $75, or $100 worth of Gold Cones in one transaction during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Promotion. |
Applies the secondary mutation Patches: Mottled to your chosen wolf. Cannot be used on a wolf that already has a secondary mutation |
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| Mutie on Demand: Patches Split | Chance to obtain when purchasing $50, $75, or $100 worth of Gold Cones in one transaction during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Promotion. |
Applies the secondary mutation Patches: Split to your chosen wolf. Cannot be used on a wolf that already has a secondary mutation |
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| Mutie on Demand: Piebald Biewer | Chance to obtain when purchasing $50, $75, or $100 worth of Gold Cones in one transaction during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Promotion. |
Applies the secondary mutation Piebald: Biewer to your chosen wolf. Cannot be used on a wolf that already has a secondary mutation |
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| Mutie on Demand: Piebald Frontal | Chance to obtain when purchasing $50, $75, or $100 worth of Gold Cones in one transaction during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Promotion. |
Applies the secondary mutation Piebald: Frontal to your chosen wolf. Cannot be used on a wolf that already has a secondary mutation |
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| Mutie on Demand: Piebald Torn | Chance to obtain when purchasing $50, $75, or $100 worth of Gold Cones in one transaction during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Promotion. |
Applies the secondary mutation Piebald: Torn to your chosen wolf. Cannot be used on a wolf that already has a secondary mutation |
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| Mutie on Demand: Piebald Uneven | Chance to obtain when purchasing $50, $75, or $100 worth of Gold Cones in one transaction during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Promotion. |
Applies the secondary mutation Piebald: Uneven to your chosen wolf. Cannot be used on a wolf that already has a secondary mutation |
 |
Additional Items
Additional Items
| Mutation Item | Source | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Jellyfish | Purchased from the Grove for 10 Gold Cones |
Used to make a wolf immortal. Can only be used if you have an empty immortal slot. Immortalizing a lethal mutation is the only way to keep the wolf in your pack without removing the mutation entirely |
 |
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| Osha | Purchased from Raccoon Wares for 500 Silver Cones |
Removes a mutation from your chosen wolf. If the wolf has a mutation and a secondary mutation, the primary mutation will be removed first |
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Mutation Previews
Mutation Previews
In the tables below, select a stage from the dropdown under each image to view the mutation on a different stage or variant! If you are unable to use the dropdown, you can view every stage and variant at once on the Mutation Catalogue page.
| Albinism | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Genetic |
| This mutation layers on top of all of your wolf's other visible genetics. | ||
| Brachycephaly | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Mutation | Lethal Lifespan: 1.5 months (3 rollovers) |
Genetic |
| Rollover Messages | ||
| Birth | New Puppy was born with an anomaly. All puppies have short snouts and big heads, but this particular pup is very wrinkled and visually deformed, as though someone pushed his face into his head. New Puppy is audibly gasping for air, but he is alive, and he seems healthy for now. | |
| 1/2 Month Old | New Puppy's breathing is laboured. Her tongue barely fits within her shortened mouth. She makes lots of gasping and snorting noises every day. New Puppy's eyes opened earlier than your other puppies, and they seem to prolapse a bit. | |
| 1 Month Old | New Puppy is having serious issues with breathing. There's not a quiet day in your den -- the puppy's snoring and snorting is a constant, worrisome noise. | |
| Death | Unfortunately, New Puppy passed away due to complications with breathing. Every breath he took was just not enough to fill his tiny body with enough air. It seems eerily quiet within your den after the puppy's snorts stopped forever. | |
| Conjoined Twins | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Mutation | Lethal Lifespan: 4.5 months (9 rollovers) |
Random |
| Rollover Messages | ||
| Birth | You were ready to rejoice the rare birth of twins, until a dreadful realisation overcame your joy -- you notice the puppies are joined at the hip. New Puppies seems eager to suckle milk nonetheless, so you embrace them in a loving snuggle. | |
| 1 Month Old | You learn how New Puppies functions as they learn the world themselves. They interact with each other, they cuddle together, they try to get away from each other... But their fate is to be joined forever. They seem to be pooping a little more than ordinary puppies. You wonder if they're not able to control that part of their body. | |
| 2 1/2 Months Old | New Puppies is learning how to walk without falling and tripping. You explain the basics of teamwork to them, and they seem to understand you. A minute later, the puppies bite each other's paws. Ah, parenthood. | |
| 3 1/2 Months Old | When it's time to try solid foods, New Puppies are struggling to properly digest their portions. You often see small pools of vomit around your den. | |
| 4 Months Old | New Puppies are not able to process solid foods without whining in pain and vomiting. They also cannot control their bowel movements, and their stool is often covered in blood. | |
| Death | Sadly, New Puppies have passed away due to problems with their digestive system. | |
| Deafness | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Random |
| Wolves with this mutation cannot become lead wolves, hunters, or pupsitters, and they cannot mentor puppies | ||
| Hereditary Cataracts | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Genetic |
| Wolves with this mutation cannot become lead wolves, participate in training, become an apprentice, or perform any role | ||
| Melanism | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Genetic |
| This mutation layers on top of all of your wolf's other visible genetics except for their eyes. | ||
| Patches: Mottled | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Applicator |
| The dark parts of this mutation will layer on top of all of your wolf's other visible genetics. | ||
| Patches: Split | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Applicator |
| The dark parts of this mutation will layer on top of all of your wolf's other visible genetics. | ||
| Piebald: Biewer | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Applicator |
| The light parts of this mutation will layer on top of all of your wolf's other visible genetics. | ||
| Piebald: Frontal | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Applicator |
| The light parts of this mutation will layer on top of all of your wolf's other visible genetics. | ||
| Piebald: Torn | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Applicator |
| The light parts of this mutation will layer on top of all of your wolf's other visible genetics. | ||
| Piebald: Uneven | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Applicator |
| The light parts of this mutation will layer on top of all of your wolf's other visible genetics. | ||
| Polycephaly | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Mutation | Lethal Lifespan: 2 months (4 rollovers) |
Random |
| Rollover Messages | ||
| Birth | New Puppy was born with an additional head. As scary as it looks, the puppy seems to crawl and find a source of milk just fine using a dominant head, while the other head just mimics suckling jaw movements. | |
| 1 Month Old | Despite his struggles with learning how to walk, New Puppy's stronger head is barking softly at many things while he explores. The other head seems to just be silently observing. | |
| 1 1/2 Months Old | New Puppy has been having seizures the past few days, causing her to lose control of her limbs as more time passes. It's a sad realisation that there isn't much you can do to help. | |
| Death | New Puppy was unable to recover from full body paralysis. Sadly, he passed away. | |
| Polymelia | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Mutation | Lethal Lifespan: 2.5 months (5 rollovers) |
Random |
| Rollover Messages | ||
| Birth | When New Puppy was born, the sight of him frightened his mother. There's just... Too many legs for one puppy to have. The legs seem to be growing out of its body as though there's another puppy hidden deep inside of it. He's moving, however, and he tried to suckle milk. | |
| 1 Month Old | New Puppy is trying to explore the world around him. His extra limbs twitch and move as he crawls around the den. He's very weak and doesn't get very far before getting visibly exhausted. | |
| 2 Months Old | New Puppy is apathetic. He doesn't make much noise and he doesn't move around much. He struggles to play and develop muscles like other pups. This puppy seems to be at his happiest when taking very long naps. His limbs seem to be draining his energy and stumping his growth. You realise he might not live much longer. | |
| Death | New Puppy didn't wake up today. He passed away in his sleep. | |
| Sirenomelia | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Mutation | Lethal Lifespan: 2 months (4 rollovers) |
Random |
| Rollover Messages | ||
| Birth | New Puppy was born looking almost the same as the other pups...But she doesn't move her hind end very well. She struggles to move, but seems to be able to scoot herself around to nurse by using her front legs. | |
| 1 Month Old | It's been tough for New Puppy, and while the other pups start to walk, she is only able to use her front legs and drag her fused back legs behind them. She seems to get around, at least. | |
| 1 1/2 Months Old | It seems all New Puppy has done lately is lay around and cry. She is unable to digest any food and her breath smells stale. The other pups stay away from her, and New Puppy seems incredibly sad. | |
| Death | New Puppy's cries weakened through the night before eventually falling quiet. She was found still as a stone and cold from death in the morning. | |
| Spontaneous Blindness | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Secondary Mutation | Nonlethal | Random |
| Wolves with this mutation cannot become lead wolves, participate in training, become an apprentice, or perform any role | ||
