I don't think it is all that easy to produce hybrids in many cases. Yes they are fertile. Where does that idea come from that reptile hybrids aren't fertile? I hear it often, and it is proved wrong every time with snakes anyway - as long as it is with snakes that will breed with one another. A hybrid done in a lab might be another story.. a gartersnake with a python.. yeah, OK, maybe not working out.

I understand your concern about species preservation. That really requires habitat preservation, otherwise you just have captives that stay in captivity. And lets face it, all of our captives pretty much stay that way.

If an institution was trying to introduce animals into the wild, then they shouldn't hybridize those animals they are introducing. But if I or someone has a hybrid in a sweaterbox, what is it that you fear? Heck, laws will end this hobby faster than your worry about hybrids. And if laws get so bad that in order to protect wild snakes they only allow hybrids, you and I will have hybrids.

This hobby is driven by various things, one of which is variety. I think hybrids can add to that. I don't have any myself, but I might have one if the really interesting looking ones didn't cost so much lol.
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Mark

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