So another forum member brought up a very interesting question/topic and I thought it would be good to start another thread and hear everyone's thoughts on this question:
Hi Christy. Looking at the picture with all your leopards gives me a chance to ask a question I have been wondering about. They are all different in coloring. Have you had them all since hatchlings? Have they kept their original coloring, ie. blacker babies are darker adults, lighter babies are lighter adults? Or has their original coloring made any difference in their final look?
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Somebody-s-Hungry#ixzz1SFS4wV7l
With referring to Leos, I also think you have to look at the subspecies, as there are varying differences in shell pattern and color between a pb and pp. I have noticed that many of my hatchlings I have raised up keep their same color and the ones that are lighter stay lighter and the ones that are darker go darker. However, I stay in contact with people who I have sold my hatchlings to and I am quite surprised sometimes when I see them and they are either much darker than they were when I had them or have even gone lighter (blonde).
The question is having a blonde/high-blonde genetic or not? Is it nurture or nature sort of speak? Environment or genetic.
I have read prior threads on this subject and some beliefs were that temperature played the major role in determining the shell color/pattern. That when kept in the 70s during the first couple years they will be darker and those kept at an overall 24/7 temp being higher 80s-90s will have lighter shells.
Then I spoke awhile back with another forum member and they said this, "The leopards will grow a lighter color if they're grown rapidly; even if they're grown rapidly in cooler or warmer temperatures. They tend to grow rapidly in warmer temps, but if they were growing rapidly in cooler temps, they would still be light in color (meaning, it's based on the growth rate, not the temperature). I don't think light color is genetic at all.
I would like to hear other opinions on this topic
Hi Christy. Looking at the picture with all your leopards gives me a chance to ask a question I have been wondering about. They are all different in coloring. Have you had them all since hatchlings? Have they kept their original coloring, ie. blacker babies are darker adults, lighter babies are lighter adults? Or has their original coloring made any difference in their final look?
Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Somebody-s-Hungry#ixzz1SFS4wV7l
With referring to Leos, I also think you have to look at the subspecies, as there are varying differences in shell pattern and color between a pb and pp. I have noticed that many of my hatchlings I have raised up keep their same color and the ones that are lighter stay lighter and the ones that are darker go darker. However, I stay in contact with people who I have sold my hatchlings to and I am quite surprised sometimes when I see them and they are either much darker than they were when I had them or have even gone lighter (blonde).
The question is having a blonde/high-blonde genetic or not? Is it nurture or nature sort of speak? Environment or genetic.
I have read prior threads on this subject and some beliefs were that temperature played the major role in determining the shell color/pattern. That when kept in the 70s during the first couple years they will be darker and those kept at an overall 24/7 temp being higher 80s-90s will have lighter shells.
Then I spoke awhile back with another forum member and they said this, "The leopards will grow a lighter color if they're grown rapidly; even if they're grown rapidly in cooler or warmer temperatures. They tend to grow rapidly in warmer temps, but if they were growing rapidly in cooler temps, they would still be light in color (meaning, it's based on the growth rate, not the temperature). I don't think light color is genetic at all.
I would like to hear other opinions on this topic