Ontogenetic Coloration Change

Green Tree Pythons and many other reptiles go through ontogenetic development, or the irreversible change of pigment and/or pattern of an individual over time. Below are some of the color changes I've documented.

Chondros are like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get!

4 months old

Hades

TC.21.12

A very special individual that changed from deep red to bright red with specks of yellow to primarily black, with yellow dorsal triangles outlined with blue highlights within 2 weeks of eachother. Produced here in 2021 Cronus X Rhea.

Hera

TC.18.07

Siblings to Hades, her ontogenetic coloration went to a dark army green, then brightened up to lime green while maintaining her yellow dorsal triangles. Hera has her mother's eyes. Produced here in 2021 Cronus X Rhea.

4 months old

4 months old

Zeus

TC.21.10

Zeus had an early ontogenetic change that took months to fully finalze from a bright red neonate with minor blushing to black specked mite phase like patterns with yellow dorsal triangles. Produced here in 2021 Cronus X Rhea.

4 months old

Tigra

SS.18.01

This 50/50 Carpondro had a cream base color with dark grey tiger bands going down the body. Its ontogenetic color change was much less drastic and more gradual. The cream color freckled out as with many F1 carpondro hybrids the carpet python side of the hybrid outweighs many characteristics of chondros. As Tigra matured, she turned quite yellow with the black showing iridescence in the right light. Produced from Tony Jerome/Selective Scale in 2018 with a Jayapura type X Jungle Carpet python