Visual difference in photos pastel vers normal

Hi everyone,
I'm trying to understand the difference between normal and pastel, the problem is that in photos I find depending on the lighting the same snake can naturally look different or I'm just colorblind. I'd like to post a pic the snake I'm holding is same snake same camera two differ places therefore lighting naturally may be different. In the picture of snake being held looks to me like pastel, the next picture she looks as normal as they get. I'm new to ball python morphs and just learning, think I'm color blinde lol.
If anyone has some spare time on their hands would u mind sending pics of normal and pastal together? If I see the snake it makes sense when more yellow is present but when looking online for pastel I just can't see what I should be looking for! Looks pastel to my color blind eye till I travel hours to find out normal. Hopefully I posted correctly.
Thanks for ur time

http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii528/Snakesgeckos/e8c493dc.jpg

Where o where did my pictures go?
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/...s/e8c493dc.jpg
Not sure what I did wrong again, wanted pics to be together but u get the idea?

The snake pictured (1st pic/post) looks like a normal or the worst case of a browned-out pastel I've ever encountered, lol! If you're not dealing with hatchlings, it can be difficult to tell if it's a pastel or just a very light normal in adults, unless you're dealing with a reputable breeder. Most pastels will brown out as they age, in that the yellows they had as babies will fade or get "muddy" looking. Some will hold their colors into adulthood but not many. I'm not sure that there are any "markers" that really indicate a pastel as an adult...someone else with more experience with them will have to chime in on that front. Sorry couldn't be more help and good luck to you!

I find it easier to look for the pastel patterns instead of colors. Colors vary quite a bit but it's hard to mistake the pastel patterns!

This is my example of a browned out older pastel.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/IMAG0338.jpg

Your BP looks like a normal to me. Here's a comparison of mine:

Normals:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...ril1220125.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...ril1220121.jpg

Pastel:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...ril2120126.jpg

Belly pic of same Pastel when she was smaller:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3.../Feb620126.jpg

One key to IDing a pastel is the green eyes, but keep in mind some norms have green eyes too. Pastels have clean bellies though, as you can kinda see in my last pic. Lots of normals will have belly tracks/checkers but pastels should have clean/non-speckled bellies that are white. Hope that helps a little. And of course nice pastels will be bright yellow, though some normals will have high yellow sides too which I believe confuses some people. You'll get an eye for IDing morphs the more you look at them.

I've had the same issue!!! I cannot tell the difference and that's why I had the whole snafu with Draco because he was VERY yellow compared to every other normal I have ever seen, but I was told he is normal. So, this is exactly the thread I needed. Thank you :)

Pastel

Hatchling:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...a/IMG_0002.jpg

650 grams:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...a/324785d0.jpg

Normal:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...d/IMG_0093.jpg

It's easy when they look like that! ^
I think the op is looking for the differences of a normal to a browned out pastel?
Let me see if I can wake up some snakes!

The dead giveaway for a pastel of any quality is the brownout line. They all have it. It is the line on the side where the yellow of a hatchling or the brown of an adult fades into the belly.

I'll show you a few examples.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...IMG_0149-1.jpg

This is my pastel male. You can see quite clearly the brown line that runs his length.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ot-...-Pastels

This is a fantastic guide to identifying morphs, and in each of these photos you can see the brown out line. You have to look closely sometimes, but it is there. A clear line running down the length of the animal on it's sides.

The snakes pictured above have it as well.

All pastels have it, high yellow or high brown. This is for me the single best identifier of pastels.

Gale

This is the best I could do tonight. This is my browned out, NERD line, 08 pastel (in shed) next to a lighter colored normal.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/IMAG0591.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tfpets

I find it easier to look for the pastel patterns instead of colors. Colors vary quite a bit but it's hard to mistake the pastel patterns!

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^^^This right here!

Pastels are a color AND pattern morph. A browned out pastel still looks like a pastel.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobNJ

^^^This right here!

Pastels are a color AND pattern morph.

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Since when?

I agree that even heavily browned out pastels look different from normals, but pastels aren't a pattern morph.



If you can't tell that a pastel is a pastel, that snake isn't worth your time or money (for breeding purposes)

I don't really get why so this has been the center of so much talk lately. Even a very browned out pastel is obvious to point out. A pastel is a pastel and a normal is a normal it's pretty clear cut even with a "low grade" pastel. (I say "low grade", because call me crazy I actually like the look of a browned out pastel.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Since when?

I agree that even heavily browned out pastels look different from normals, but pastels aren't a pattern morph.



If you can't tell that a pastel is a pastel, that snake isn't worth your time or money (for breeding purposes)

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Since always....

Dakota - yours is a normal.

Pastels were originally named "Pastel Jungle", due to their jungle pattern. There are non-pastel jungles, though most have proven to not be genetic, but the jungle pattern always accompanies the pastel mutation.

Additionally, the eyes of a pastel are light--usually some shade of olive green. The head is always blushed out. As has been pointed out here, the brown-out line also gives them away.

Just for poops and giggles I figured I'd throw my comparison pictures in.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r.../newest011.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...nakes003-1.jpg