Mystery baby post-shed... whaddya think?

[Lolo76]

When I posted pics of this baby pre-shed, some people thought he might be a black pastel... fyi, he came from a clutch with 2 light mojaves & 2 light normals. This guy looks nothing like the mom or mojave dad, but suspiciously resembles my black pastel (who did spend a little time with mom last season). He just shed yesterday, so I thought I'd post some new photos. Think he's a black pastel, or just a neat-looking "dinker" normal?















For comparison, here he is with a (very tiny) normal sibling - she/he hasn't shed yet, but obviously there's quite a difference in coloring & pattern!

[Lolo76]

Nobody has an opinion? Maybe I should have posted this on the general forum...

[Jessica Loesch]

Well, it looks like normal pattern but it is a nice dark color. I would say normal because of the pattern though.

[snakecharmer3638]

IMO He looks to be a normal. They very so much in pattern and color so sometimes they can throw you off.

[Lolo76]

I know normals can vary greatly, as none of mine look exactly alike - but I've never seen one quite like him, not to mention he looks nothing like either of the definite parents. Weird!

[Lolo76]

Maybe the black pastel was a second dad, but his egg was a normal? That was my original thought, until people (on my other thread) started saying he looked like a b.p.

[Jessica Loesch]

That's a great thought. I bet you might be right. Or the mojave's mom/dad's genetics.

[Simple Man]

Normal wild-type

Regards,

B

[LotsaBalls]

I would bet black pastel. In some of the pictures you can see squiggles around some of the alien eyes.

[Jessica Loesch]

I would bet black pastel. In some of the pictures you can see squiggles around some of the alien eyes.

a lot of normals have bouts of this pattern. It does not have the common black pastel pattern.