Noobie Question about Black Pastels

Hi!
I've been seeing pictures of black pastels with yellow dots and stripes down the back. Mine has pumpkin orange stripes and dots down her back. Is there really that much variability among the morphs? I just assumed the orange coloration was part of what made a black pastel a black pastel, but I guess I am wrong. Here's a (bad, sorry) picture:

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...lackpastel.jpg

It doesn't show all that well because it is smaller than I would like, but it is really the color of a pumpkin.

PS: She is such a pig, always looking for food. Just had to get that in. Wanted to embarrass her a little.

They change with age.

This is a picture of my breeder male and one of his offsprings

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...AndSon0109.jpg

This is the same breeder male when I first got him

http://stewartreptiles.com/BallPytho...ckPastel01.jpg

The pictures do not even show how orangy my male used to be and how his offspring is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

The pictures do not even show how orangy my male used to be and how his offspring is.

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Very True, I have seen that offspring in person and it is orangey!

Ah, so they change as they get older. DOH!!! I should have been able to figure that one out myself. I better take lotsa pictures then, because I like the orange. It's ok though, because I love her pattern and that stripey thing going on up her tail. Plus, she's really outgoing. I couldn't get her into a ball if I tried.

Love the Black Pastels...Nice looking...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IguanaMama

Ah, so they change as they get older. DOH!!! I should have been able to figure that one out myself. I better take lotsa pictures then, because I like the orange. It's ok though, because I love her pattern and that stripey thing going on up her tail. Plus, she's really outgoing. I couldn't get her into a ball if I tried.

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Black Pastels, like most morphs, are variable in color and pattern. I hatched more than a few Ian G. line Blacks last season (from same breeder male). A few were high orange at hatch and still are at 800 grams. Yours is pretty. Nice pick-up. I love the outgoing ones as well!!! ;)

Here is my boy, he's the VPI line and has kept good coloration
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...ecloseup-1.jpg

Thanks for the info. One of these days I'll dust off my glasses and read the (extremely thick) instruction booklet that came with my camera so I can get nice pictures of all my beautiful animals. Digital photography is not intuitive for me, I think it's going to take some work.