Thanks to TIM MORRIS for sharing all this information!!!
“In 2002 Trooper and I embarked on a Merauke project together. Back in the late 90’s Paul Miles brought in a group of Meraukes from overseas. We were all hoping for striped chondros… best we got were very partially striped animals… we were never able to produce fully or nearly fully striped chondros as seen in pics of Meraukes and Aussie chondros… These were, however, poss het for albino as Trooper’s Merauke Outcross was a het…Since I wasn’t set up for artificial incubation, once the eggs were laid I boxed them up and drove to Troopers (from Columbia MD to Arlington Va ~ an hour drive) where Troop set them up.”
“Another legendary contributor to designer types was “ole yeller” who was one of many outstanding critters Trooper produced at the National Zoo in 1990-91… This line became known as the “Biak Outcross” line. The first pic is “Ole Yeller” (TW 31.91) – he was a yellow neo… the other pics were of sibs…and the Dam – a prolific clutch… “
“Probably the most famous of “ole Yeller’s” progeny… named by eventual owner Buddy Goetzger “Daddy Pants” (aka TW 151.94). He was bred twice to my TMB female producing notables like “crazy” – originally “BG #8.” The other pic is a developmental shot of crazy…”
“The sire to Mr. Blue was a twin (and runt) of what became another of the high profile Trooper Walsh litters… Here is what became known as “Legend” (originally TW 2-27.93) – sire to Mr. Blue. And… during the ’95 Orlando Expo I got these shots of one of his siblings… this one… became known as the “computer chondro” or “calico”… (TW-5.93)”
chondros continue to change (color-wise) throughout their lives… our first example is an ole yeller sib that hatched in 1991. See the pictures for specific dates but these pictures are of the same animal from 1994 – April 2009. This was a yellow neo male NZP 305954.chondro
In a more dramatic example of continual color change comes another ole yeller sib NZP 305948. He was aslo a yellow neo. First pic was taken in Dec 1994; The second, July 2015.
So while I was going through pics I came across this extraordinary find…This is a female hatched by the legendary Al Zulich in March of 1983… a yellow female. NZP 303729. The first pic was taken Dec 1994 (but remember she’s a 1983 animal…). The second pic was taken by me at NZP on July of 2015… do the math… let it sink in… yes it is correct…a 32 year old female chondro… probably close to a record… if not A record!
Legendary TW holding one of his crown jewels… this is 47.93… aka “Powder” taken at TW’s home (undated pic but I’m thinking around late 90’s early 2000’s
