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If an ability would produce one or more mana of an undefined type, it produces no mana instead.

Some abilities produce mana based on the type of mana another permanent or permanents “could produce.” The type of mana a permanent could produce at any time includes any type of mana that an ability of that permanent would produce if the ability were to resolve at that time, taking into account any applicable replacement effects in any possible order. Ignore whether any costs of the ability could or could not be paid. If that permanent wouldn’t produce any mana under these conditions, or no type of mana can be defined this way, there’s no type of mana it could produce.

To “tap [a permanent] for mana” is to activate a mana ability of that permanent that includes the {T} symbol in its activation cost. See rule 605, “Mana Abilities.”

An ability that triggers whenever a permanent “is tapped for mana” or is tapped for mana of a specified type triggers whenever such a mana ability resolves and produces mana or the specified type of mana.

A replacement effect that applies if a permanent “is tapped for mana” or tapped for mana of a specific type and/or amount modifies the mana production event while such an ability is resolving and producing mana or the specified type and/or amount of mana.

If a cost associated with a special action, such as a suspend cost or a morph cost, has an {X} or an X in it, the value of X is chosen by the player taking the special action immediately before they pay that cost.

If an object’s enters-the-battlefield triggered ability or replacement effect refers to X, and the spell that became that object as it resolved had a value of X chosen for any of its costs, the value of X for that ability is the same as the value of X for that spell, although the value of X for that permanent is 0. This is an exception to rule 107.3i.

The tap symbol is {T}. The tap symbol in an activation cost means “Tap this permanent.” A permanent that’s already tapped can’t be tapped again to pay the cost. A creature’s activated ability with the tap symbol in its activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control continuously since their most recent turn began. See rule 302.6.

If a copied creature is copying something else, Vesuvan Shapeshifter uses the copiable values of that creature. In most cases, Vesuvan Shapeshifter will copy whatever that creature is copying.

Vesuvan Shapeshifter copies exactly what is printed on the creature it's copying and nothing else (unless it's copying a creature that's copying something else or that's a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether a creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and/or Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on. Most notably, if it copies a creature that's not normally a creature, it won't be a creature.

If something copies Vesuvan Shapeshifter, the new copy will also have the triggered ability to turn it face down. However, once face-down, it won't have Vesuvan Shapeshifter's morph ability, so it can't be turned face up unless whatever it's copying also has a morph ability.

If a copied creature has {X} in its mana cost, X is 0.

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger if Vesuvan Shapeshifter is entering the battlefield. Any "As [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[This creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the copied creature will also work. If a Vesuvan Shapeshifter becomes a copy of a creature after it's already on the battlefield, these abilities won't apply as Vesuvan Shapeshifter becomes a copy since it's not entering the battlefield; instead, any "As [this creature] is turned face up" or "When [this creature] is turned face up" abilities will apply.

If a copied creature is a token that isn't a copy of something else, Vesuvan Shapeshifter copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created it. Vesuvan Shapeshifter isn't a token in this case.