"i would just like to see one valid reason not to do it, it doesnt hurt anyone and the snakes are healthier and i have not heard of one NOT BEING FERTILE yet. so genetically if they are that close than why not?"



Firstly, there is no evidence whatsoever that hybrids are healthier. That's just hogwash.



Secondly, just because reptile hybrids are usually fertile, that does not mean that they are genetically closer to one another than are mammalian hybrids. The fertility issue says more about the distinctions between reptiles and mammals than it does about questions concerning hybridization.



Thirdly, it is not true that hybrids don't hurt anyone!



If you want to produce a hybrid, you can. Why? Because the parent species of snakes you want to cross are still available. But what if they were not? What if you wanted a Jungle Corn (kingsnake x cornsnake), but you didn't want any milksnake in the mix? Should you have the right to do that? Sure!



But...what if all of the corns out there had already had milksnake introduced into their lines? If that were true, you could never have a "pure" jungle corn again, because, no matter how often you make the crosses back and forth, there is no way to undo what had been done in the introduction of the milksnake bloodlines!



Now, what if you just wanted to produce pure corns? Should you be able to do that? Sure! But if everyone with two snakes thought that they should breed them, just because they're pets and no harm can come from it...then sell those resulting offspring into irresponsible hands...before you know it, there are no pure corns any longer.



And don;t think that the wild populations will save us, either! There are captive corns and other snakes released into the wild populations by the hundreds, if not thousands, every year! Yes, most of them don't make it, but a lot of them do.



So, if you want a hybrid...Great! Knock yourself out! Go for it!



But please be responsible with it! Don't breed the animal "just because it's cool" and if you do, don't sell the babies as anything other than the hybrids they are, and don't sell them to disreputable people.



I have no problem with your right to own hybrids, so long as the exercise of your right doesn't conflict with my right to breed pure corns. When your right constrains the exercise of mine...well, now we have a problem.
-----
Darin Chappell

Hillbilly Herps

PO Box 254

Rogersville, MO 65742

[ Show Entire Thread ]