Cinnamons and Black Pastels are a co-dominant base morph that will reproduce themselves, in theory, 50% of the time when bred to a normal phase ball python. The Graziani cinnamon pastel line and the Ian G. black pastel are two popular bloodlines in the hobby. Many new lines also exist as new animals have been imported from Africa.
When two cinnamons or black pastels are bred together the resulting offspring are 50% cinnamons, 25% supers, and 25% normals. These Cinnamon and Black Pastels are visual heterozygous animals for the homozygous, super cinnamon or super black pastel. These supers are a solid black, patternless ball python as juveniles. The black does lighten up as the animal matures with age. A super cinny or super black pastel bred to any normal will create 100% cinnamon or black pastels. Some supers have hatched with a deformed duck billed looking face, which breeders debate on which line is more prone to producing these odd looking supers.
The difference between the two lines is apparent as the black pastel has a darker coloration and pattern with squiggles in the donut pattern (alien heads). Each line has its devoted followers, and each line creates new morphs with minor differences. For example, when crossed with a pastel jungle, the Pewters from the cinny line have a softer look where as the Pewters from the black pastel will have a darker contrast.
There have been plenty of cool crosses with the cinny and black pastel genes. Here are some cool crosses one can look up across the Internet.
- Cinnamon spiders
- Cinnamon albinos
- Cinnamon het red axanthics
- Silver streaks
- Sterling pastels
- Silver bullets
- Super cinnamon albino
- Cinnamon lesser platinums
- Cinnamon ghosts