Pastel Progression

As pastels get older do most start to lose their yellow a bit or does it get brighter, or does it stay the same.

All ball pythons will darken with age ... normals, pastels, albinos, axanthics, etc ... in scientific terms it's called an ontogenic color cage ... many other species go through the same thing ... I don't think I've ever seen anything that talks specifically about the "whys" and "hows", but if I had to speculate, I would guess that it is caused by a combination of diet and hormones over the lifetime of the animal.

Some pastels "change" more than others ... a very very nice looking hatchling pastel has a much better chance of still looking very very nice as an adult ... a "but hurkting" hatchling will not get "better" as it matures and will most likely still look "but hurkting" as an adult. Also, some lines of pastels generally hold on to their colors better into adult hood than others.

-adam

"but hurkting"......lol

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

"but hurkting"......lol

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better learn the lingo if you want to hang! ;)

-adam

You guys hang? But I thought you rolled. Dang I'm confused. :doh: :neener:

I may have found a pastel that could convince me to try breeding balls instead of boas but its eating live crawler mice and right now the only live I can get is small mice.

stretch 'em!

They stay on crawler/hopper mice for like a month of their lives...then they can go right up to small adults.

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Originally Posted by greenmonkey51

I may have found a pastel that could convince me to try breeding balls instead of boas but its eating live crawler mice and right now the only live I can get is small mice.

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Unless it's really really tiny, small mice should be fine. Why not ask the breeder if he/she could hold it for you on deposit until it's up to small mice (which should only be a couple of weeks) and then ship?

-adam

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

You guys hang? But I thought you rolled. Dang I'm confused. :doh: :neener:

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It takes more that knowing the lingo to roll with me. ;)

-adam

The weight on the site says 58g, would it just take a couple weeks for it to grow and start taking small mice.

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Originally Posted by greenmonkey51

The weight on the site says 58g, would it just take a couple weeks for it to grow and start taking small mice.

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Wow, that's tiny! ... Talk to the breeder and see what he/she says ... I've held animals for customers (with a deposit) until they were eating a specific prey item/size/type without any hesitation. Shouldn't be a big deal at all.

Good luck!

-adam

If you really have zero access to hopper or fuzzy mice, I would hope that the seller would accomodate you and hold onto it until it gets up to size. They grow like weeds so I don't think that would be an unreasonable request- maybe even offer to throw him a few extra bucks to cover the extra feeder bill. Couldn't hurt.

I've got a 68g baby right now that ate 2 hoppers as its 2nd meal ever. Shouldn't be a big deal.

Talk to the breeder. But i have fed mine small adults since the moment i get them.Samuel.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

I've got a 68g baby right now that ate 2 hoppers as its 2nd meal ever. Shouldn't be a big deal.

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Alright, that baby topped it already...ate a small rat pup last night, 3rd meal ever. Got it down pretty easily too. Just a little food for thought for those of you hesitant to upsize on prey items....:)