Pastel questions

alright. So im planning on getting a pastel this sunday at a local reptile show if I can find one that I like well enough. If not ill probably look around on here or kingsnake..

but I was wondering about the looks of them, ive noticed some of them look darker then others, and sort of orangish. Ive read that the orange is the part that browns out but the ones ive seen were like yellow on the top and the sides are more orange. The browner pastels ive seen all off the browning out was mainly on the top...

also is it just because theyre young or is it like a quality thing?

EX: the orangish ones, http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...nakepastel.jpg



or should they actually look more yellow if its going to be a nicer yellow snake like this

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...03/pastels.jpg


The second pic looks more yellow instead of the washed out/ fadded looking yellow. Or do all hatchlings just look like the first pic normally????

The first thing I look for is the head. Go for the most extreme blushed out head that you can on a pastel, next look at the intensity of orange in the pattern. If the head is super blushed out, it's likely going to mature nicely.

Check these out. Look how intense the blushing is on the heads:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...a/IMG_4133.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...a/IMG_4122.jpg

Still "orangey" as a baby, but still crazy blushed head:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...telFemale3.jpg

A little older, still super blushed head:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...a/IMG_4521.jpg

Older still - super blushed head:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...a/IMG_4618.jpg

And for how she looks today - go to my website to The Nest link and click on the pastels.

I'm working with lemon pastels, and they do go through an ugly duckling stage before they come into their lemon colors.

look for light green/yellowish eyes.. most of them brown out on top.. so yeah, strong blushing is key to nice looking offspring

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

The first thing I look for is the head. Go for the most extreme blushed out head that you can on a pastel, next look at the intensity of orange in the pattern. If the head is super blushed out, it's likely going to mature nicely.

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But will the yellows be nice? Thats really my main concern is how bright and clean the yellow is. I dont really even care about blushing to be honest, but if that is like a trait that = a good colored pastel then... i do. :)
I like lemon pastels too if that helps any.

Intensity of the orange? I thought orange was bad. Or does the orange turn to yellow??? Like i said, is that just the way hatchlings look when theyre new?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Check these out. Look how intense the blushing is on the heads:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...a/IMG_4133.jpg


Still "orangey" as a baby, but still crazy blushed head:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...telFemale3.jpg



And for how she looks today - go to my website to The Nest link and click on the pastels.

I'm working with lemon pastels, and they do go through an ugly duckling stage before they come into their lemon colors.

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I actually like that "orangy" one the most I think... The others just look like faded to me. I prefer a bright yellow. idk... lol. So for the ones that I think look pale/faded, do they just get more and more yellow?

Theyre good looking snakes just my personal preference is a clean yellow, so minimal spots and stuff in there, and dark but not like brown...

:banana:

I like "libra" on your website for the lemon. is that the one you posted?
- taking that as a yes since its the only female, i like how the yellow turned out, and as a baby she was darker, so how do the lighter pastel hatchlings turn out? like the other pic from when i quoted you.

I've only worked with lemons - and they do have shades of orange to them as babies. Most pastels that I've seen do have some "shade" of orange in their pattern as babies. You want the least intense orange.

Here's another example of a lemon (my founding male, Winston) as a baby, and then as an adult. Adam Wysocki hand selected him for me.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...sjun06-09b.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...on/winston.jpg

When he arrived:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...instonJan7.jpg

About a year old:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...stonBlush5.jpg

At 2 years old:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...ton/Winny2.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by I<3Dreamsicles

I actually like that "orangy" one the most I think... The others just look like faded to me. I prefer a bright yellow. idk... lol. So for the ones that I think look pale/faded, do they just get more and more yellow?

Theyre good looking snakes just my personal preference is a clean yellow, so minimal spots and stuff in there, and dark but not like brown...

:banana:

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All those pictures are of the same snake - if you look at the neck pattern - it's a progression of how she matured. That is Libra from hatching to how she looks today.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by I<3Dreamsicles

I like "libra" on your website for the lemon. is that the one you posted?
- taking that as a yes since its the only female, i like how the yellow turned out, and as a baby she was darker, so how do the lighter pastel hatchlings turn out? like the other pic from when i quoted you.

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Libra is on the right in the picture with 2 babies - and she's all the rest of the pictures as well (except the second set of pictures, which are of Winston, my founding male - Libra's father).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

All those pictures are of the same snake - if you look at the neck pattern - it's a progression of how she matured. That is Libra from hatching to how she looks today.

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:O :oops:

i couldnt tell lol. I didnt think the really light ones were the same as the pic with the "still orangy" so.... what about the first picture that I posted, that look sort of orange, How would they turn out. I noticed there isnt much blushing on the head... But does blushing = better yellow?

- and Winston looks great too. the first pic is a really intense yellow lol. looks almost orange. I like it. But hes still a nice bright yellow too in the older pics.

In my experience, a pastel with a super blushed head is going to mature into a nicer adult. One with a brown head and super intense orange will not.

Well, I must agree w/rabernet though are exceptions to the rule. I have a pastel little guy looked like orange when i recieved him over a yr1/2 ago. he is holding his color well he is still real orange but time will tell. My pastel does have extreme head blushing and his back is the same.

I agree with Robin. An extremely blushed out head is usually a good indicator of a good example of the morph.

My male pastel is very blushed out all over and especially his head. Very yellow and very little orange or brown on him.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../snakes040.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...AS08M-0213.jpg

so i guess blushing is what to go for then? does it even matter what the yellow looks like then as a hatchling????

id say the color matters as a baby, you want to look for:
color, least orange in the snakes pattern
head blushing.
ask to see the parents, thats why i chose my boy.

here mine, the head blushing isnt as intense but the yellow is still light but not as intense as the others in this thread. This was taken a month and a half ago at 600 grams
http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/o...9/DSC00066.jpg

As a baby, he was about 150 grams, he had a kinda orangey color to him
http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/o...9/DSC01223.jpg
http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/o...9/DSC01216.jpg

stay away from orange, like the sides of the first pic i posted in the thread? on the sides how its kind of orange and not really yellow. The yellow on those ones looks kind of dark too, or does that lighten up?

Yeah the ones in your first post look kinda gold/orange, I would personally pass on them. Try to stay away from orange. The best indicator on how the snake will turn out is by seeing the parents, you want a nice pastel x a light normal or another nice pastel, then you should get a nice looking baby.