Interesting little read, and I've no doubt that there has been much more struggles with hypo animals than what is mentioned there or it wouldn't be brought up so often.

That said though, I can also see the arguement that we are a handful of years and several generations of outcrossing further along now. Maybe there is something about the hypo gene that can't be outcrossed out of it enough to make a visual/visual pairing a good idea, but for now it would appear to me that we won't know that for sure until it's tried...and if it fails with weak babies, then more outcrossing and trying again a few more years and outcrossings down the road.

Personally I don't plan to do a visual/visual pairing, although I also like seeing mixed litters or clutches. At the same time, I also wouldn't fault someone for trying this occasionally to see if it seems to be "safe" yet. I understand it has the potential to create weak animals that may need more care, but I don't see it in the same light as breeding desert female ball pythons where we now know there is a high chance of it killing her.

I do think that there should be honest disclosure to buyers if the animals come from a visual/visual pairing. I met Trace at the recent Tinley show and I got a good impression of him, he seems like a straight forward guy to me and if he does this I believe he would be honest about the litter.

If there is more info out there about why this should never be attempted, I'm definitely open to listening to it and hearing why not to. Right now I just don't see fault in trying to do a visual/visual pairing if you know you have two animals that have been outcrossed away from each other.

Charlie

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