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whats makes a pastel a pastel? I bought a very pretty boa from a pet store about a year ago! she is light in color and has pink highlights...i will post pics tomorrow!

thanks for your replies
Paul
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R.I.P Steve "croc hunter" Erwin Sept 2006

Here's a snip from a website that covers the description of a Pastel Boa

Now let's look at Jeff's description "A Pastel is this: A boa that has an odd overall wash lacking the normal amount of black and a reduction in black pigmentation, in particular throughout the pattern. This is particularly apparent in babies, which have the same kind of washed-out pattern as Hypos.

The saddles, as well as the side blotches, have less black than "normal". In fact, often the side blotches have no black whatsoever. That's it. No more. No less. Too often people think "Pastel" as I have described it is a color trait.

Even after reading my little [tome], some people can still come away thinking that the Pastel Trait has everything to do with color. It does not. The Pastel trait allows color to be seen in more of it's beauty. The Pastels people love the most are the ones with the most color. However, the Pastel trait is about the degree of black, period. Jeff also has stated that the pastel is not a dominant or co-dom trait as many people have speculated. I can't make Hypos without using a Hypo. I could not go to a show and select the right animals and "make" Hypo Boas. I can't "make" an albino without having an animal that carries the gene. I can however, "make" Pastels. Meaning, I could go to a show and through carefully picking the correct animals, without selecting Pastels, I could in probably just two generations "make" Pastels. This is because it is a polygenic that can be bred for.

I hope that helps
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Snake room janitor

Here is a Pastel. Nice coloration but very little black (most of the black is washed out and almost blue.

Now this fellow, although is dripping with color...is NOT a pastel.

Hope this helps,
Amie

Beautiful boas. Where did the come from?
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

I agree -- those are teaser pics, and you must fill us in . Both are real nice.
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Snake room janitor

The pastel is an Inferno pastel produced by Tony Hawkins. The picture of her is actually about two years old. She's in shed right now, but I'm planning on posting some new pictures of her soon.

The red/orange fellow I got from Joe Rollo with no info on him. Joe got him at a show that's all I know. Coincidentally he's in shed right now too...

Amie

They are both beautiful!
I love the pastel's red medallions, gorgeous!
-April
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

If your boa isn't from a known 'pastel' line, it's not a pastel. In my mind, 'pastel' is a line, not a trait.

So many people call my girl, Zahara, a pastel. She is not. I do not know her history as she was a rescue. I say she is just a 'high-pink' boa with reduced black. Here she is looking her best in 2003:

Here she is this year, not a great pic but notice, she has black in her side medallions, based on Jeff's description, that means she is not a 'pastel'-type boa. She's also darker ever since having had babies in '06. (I really need to get some better pics of her!)

Here is one of her babies. Now, he does not have the color normally thought of in a pastel. However, look how faded those side medaillians are, no black at all! More like a 'pastel' than his mom. Who knows if he'll color up a lot, some of his siblings are dripping with color, so I'm thinking he won't. (I won't label him pastel since neither parent is a 'pastel'... dad was actually a harlequin.)

Just trying to show how this whole debate can go on and on. There are lots of super nice, highly colored boas out there, just because it has pink does not a pastel make. heh Many people want to label a nice looking boas as a pastel for markteing purposes IMO.
TGIF!
-April
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

That first one sure is a screaming good picture.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

April, I do think that yours are pastels (both of them), based on the lack of black shown in the saddles. I've seen "Pastel Dreams" that carried more black in the side diamonds and still be considered Pastels. Here is something that I just found while googling a search on Pastel Boa descriptions. It came from Brashers site. The last few sentences sums it up ---

"I have talked to Jeff many times about this trait and would like to use some of his own text to help describe the trait. The first and foremost thing I believe addressed is the genetic makeup of the animal. The pastel is a result of polygenics.

So what is polygenics? Polygenic = multiple alleles. A simple way to look at this genetically is rather than looking at a single gene having two alleles, you may look at each gene as having many possible alleles that affect color mutations such as the many colors in your eye. This is often times overlooked in the overall color and appearance of a reptile.

Now let's look at Jeff's description "A Pastel is this: A boa that has an odd overall wash lacking the normal amount of black and a reduction in black pigmentation, in particular throughout the pattern. This is particularly apparent in babies, which have the same kind of washed-out pattern as Hypos.

The saddles, as well as the side blotches, have less black than "normal". In fact, often the side blotches have no black whatsoever. That's it. No more. No less. Too often people think "Pastel" as I have described it is a color trait.

Even after reading my little [tome], some people can still come away thinking that the Pastel Trait has everything to do with color. It does not. The Pastel trait allows color to be seen in more of it's beauty. The Pastels people love the most are the ones with the most color. However, the Pastel trait is about the degree of black, period. Jeff also has stated that the pastel is not a dominant or co-dom trait as many people have speculated. I can't make Hypos without using a Hypo. I could not go to a show and select the right animals and "make" Hypo Boas. I can't "make" an albino without having an animal that carries the gene. I can however, "make" Pastels. Meaning, I could go to a show and through carefully picking the correct animals, without selecting Pastels, I could in probably just two generations "make" Pastels. This is because it is a polygenic that can be bred for. "
Their are lines of Pastels, but these were all created from non-pastels at some point and then bred selectively for pastel traits, thus becoming a known lines.
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Snake room janitor

I guess he who identifies, names and describes something first gets to be right. As much as a couple people who first bought their "Pastels" from me, tried to force the idea that a Pastel was only a Pastel if it came from me, it still was not true. A Pastel is a really washed out Boa with reduced black. A description but not necessarily a bloodline.

That being said, as gently as I can by the way, why isn't this, one of the most absolutely beautiful Boas I have ever seen anywhere...

why isn't this Boa, which is certianlly a Pastel of over the top caliber, not in my hands!? I have never seen that critter before. Where do you live? I am trembling as I type this. I am not kidding. That is one of those... one of those animals I would just about commit a felony to obtain. Perhaps several felonies so long as nobody got hurt...

Great looking Pastel Boa April!
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I guess I just always thought it had to be from a pastel line to be considered one. Thanks for the discussion!

Can you beleive I got that boa as a 'rescue'? She was in craigslist for $50 as a 'salmon'.... so of course I didn't believe that and went to go see her for myself. That was in 2002 and she was very skinny, ribs sticking out and everything, but the beauty was there and I couldn't pass her up. She's not going anywhere, she's one of my favorites. This is her first litter in '06 below, 18 babies, no slugs. I'm thinking of pairing her up with an albino this coming season. Thanks for all the nice comments!
-April (in the bay area, CA)

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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow