blending in

[ChileanTaco]

An image when he was just a bit younger.
No, it's not a bad camera quality or too yellowish lights - he blends in so well! He still does.
I know they can adjust their color, and I know they can have different colors as babies (Taco was mostly chocolate brown with brown-grey when he was younger, see photo in the other thread, "bedtime"), juveniles, adults... but I was really surprised how well he manages to blend in, just the right ochre with a bit of mauve, just like his climbing structure.
Still, with his 350 g now, he can blend in so well that when I take my glasses off I have a hard time spotting him, hiding in plain sight

Just some coincidence? Or does the color of their surroundings have an influence on the color they show?

"Taco" is no special morph. Got him from a local breeder here and he was sold to me as a "standard" (they have morphs but sell them at a waaays higher price, so they know what the difference is ).

 

[xp29]

An image when he was just a bit younger.
No, it's not a bad camera quality or too yellowish lights - he blends in so well! He still does.
I know they can adjust their color, and I know they can have different colors as babies (Taco was mostly chocolate brown with brown-grey when he was younger, see photo in the other thread, "bedtime"), juveniles, adults... but I was really surprised how well he manages to blend in, just the right ochre with a bit of mauve, just like his climbing structure.
Still, with his 350 g now, he can blend in so well that when I take my glasses off I have a hard time spotting him, hiding in plain sight

Just some coincidence? Or does the color of their surroundings have an influence on the color they show?

"Taco" is no special morph. Got him from a local breeder here and he was sold to me as a "standard" (they have morphs but sell them at a waaays higher price, so they know what the difference is ).

Standard, normal, whatever you want to call, them they are all special besides the standards generally are genetically stronger!

 

[ChileanTaco]

@xp29

I agree on that, and I had never looked into getting a morph. It's absolutely not important to me.
I was just really wondering whether it was a coincidence that I picked ochre/mauve for the climbing structure and he now looks like that, or whether he adapted that color over time to blend in better. Also the almost white marbling of his climbing structure, look at his back, looks absolutely like he's mimicking that.

I made the climbing structure some weeks before I got him, hadn't even seen him at that time and got him as a chocolate-brown baby

 

[Chris.]

He looks really gorgeous. I think they might be able to adapt their color a little bit except for only lighter and darker. But I'm not sure on the science on this
And that is with us seeing them daily and getting used to how they blend and where their favorite spots are. Visitors will often stand in front of the tank for some minutes and then ask afterwards "do you see him somewhere?". Yeah, he's right there

My vet also told me that the normals will be more "perfect" animals. My boy is a "Red Translucid Leatherback Tiger" and has two ribs that did not grow as intended (they are almost 90° to the other ribs. Doesn't impact him too much but the vet told me it was due to those morphes beeing just.....not as perfect.

 

[ChileanTaco]

My vet also told me that the normals will be more "perfect" animals. My boy is a "Red Translucid Leatherback Tiger" and has two ribs that did not grow as intended (they are almost 90° to the other ribs. Doesn't impact him too much but the vet told me it was due to those morphes beeing just.....not as perfect.

I guess there is more inbreeding with them. And for some morphs regarding body features that don't suit them well (thinking of: silkies, of which I personally always think "poor guy/gal" and which I personally would have taken only as a rescue animal but not supported them being bred).

 

[Chris.]

I guess there is more inbreeding with them. And for some morphs regarding body features that don't suit them well (thinking of: silkies, of which I personally always think "poor guy/gal" and which I personally would have taken only as a rescue animal but not supported them being bred).

I agree 100%. I find it only important to say that beeing a silkie, having a higher "degree" of being inbread or stuff like that does not make them worth less as living beings. It's not the animals fault after all, it's the humans that breed them.
I'm sure you agree with this, because you said you would take them in as a rescue, but I wanted to make that crystal clear. They all deserve to live and be loved....And I love my little inbreed supermorph

Pretty far off topic there, sorry

 

[ChileanTaco]

I agree 100%. I find it only important to say that beeing a silkie, having a higher "degree" of being inbread or stuff like that does not make them worth less as living beings. It's not the animals fault after all, it's the humans that breed them.

This is absolutely my opinion - this is why I would take them as a rescue (I even looked into rescues first before getting Taco from a breeder), but not would support breeding them. Same goes for other types of pets where I would not support the breeding but would take a rescue whenever I have the chance to get them a good life (mentioning the latter as sometimes you just cannot decide by emotions alone; ). For me the worth of an animal doesn't depend on colors, patterns, symmetry or such - I'm happy when they are healthy, that's the most important thing, and if not, I try to help to make that happen as good as possible.

They all deserve to live and be loved....

Absolutely, so much. (This has sometimes also posed some kind of "ethical dilemma" on me: buying a neglected pet - wasn't bearded dragon, was hermit crabs - from a pet store to save it from this pet store as well as from possible owners who might not care adequately for it, but might it be replaced by another one being neglected?)