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Hey guys,

I having noticed on kingsnake that someone is selling a cherryhead they call a "black pearl" because it has a black shell.

Does anyone know what causes the shell to lack the orange/yellow on the scutes? The reason I ask, is I have one that has a black shell and I have always thought it neat, but odd.

Any ideas?


ARKelly




Sorry about the pictures, but the flash sort of washed them out.

I think it is just normal variation in specie. I've seen light and dark carapaces out of the clutch. I think it is very striking myself but am curious as to wheather it throws that color in any clutches.

Yah I love that one on Kingsnake! Yours is gorgeous too! I can't answer your question though!

I'm getting a hatchling from Terry that pretty much lacks all it's colors... I don't know if the head will stay light, but I don't think it's going to go red like yours (tho' Terry, correct me if I'm wrong)...

I find it striking also. I will try for better pictures in hopes to show you what she really looks like. With the marbeling she is developing, she is actually starting to look gray in color. Very neat. She is also the roundest cherry I have ever seen. Almost like a basketball.

I plan on adding her into my breeding group once she is big enough. She is 8" right now. I, too, am curious to see if it is hereditary.

ARKelly

According to my GURU.. it is caused by the baby "pipping" too early.. { don't know why? ].. actually before the colors develop. Each and every one of my females over a 4 year period of time have created a hatchling lacking "colors" to some degree. And never more than one from a clutch. An '06 that I know of is doing fine.. so it must be strictly cosmetic!

That's the best I can do!

As far as the 'head', etc. getting more colors we'll have to see about that one Kelly!

Don't know if we've learned anything from this one?

I've learned that colors or not they are beautiful torts. And now the possible causes of the lack of the lighter colors are cosmetic. I'm learning more and more about Red Foots every day. Thanks for the lesson.
ARKelly She is a beauty what does her Plastron Look like?

Robyn, we'll turn you into a muddy tort yet. LOL

Maybe Itort, maybe

Does anyone know what causes the shell to lack the orange/yellow on the scutes? The reason I ask, is I have one that has a black shell and I have always thought it neat, but odd.

Any ideas?

ARKelly,
The dark scute centers on your cherryhead are just his/her individual characteristic. Some have big yellow/white centers, other less so. In your case it is simply a really dark individual.
One of my big females also has a nearly all black carapace even though she has intense red on her head and legs. Actually, I think it makes for a neat looking animal.
In Turtle NERD's photo, his hatchling looks like it may be a premature pipper. That is when an eggs gets exposed to outside air before the scutes have hardened off and they get that funky dried look to them. All of the new growth that occurs after hatching will be OK though.