Mr. Hollander, I am quite surprised by your response. As a person with a genetic background, the mere fact that these crosses can produce fertile offspring is shocking. It defies the Linaean classification system; that a "species" crossed to another "species" can not produce fertile offspring. In the domestic fowl, which your father worked with, it is well known that the hybrids of the four junglefowl show many problems and very, very low fertility, and then almost always only in males. Between red and green junglefowls, the number is around 1 male in 100 fertile, and yet a corn and a king can cross with 100% fertility, and this is sommething that is to be discouraged? Once a snake is taken into captivity it is no longer a "wild species". Such has been noted again and again by zoo workers; that captives change and are no longer like their wild counter parts. It is called domestication and while it may take thousands of years to achieve to the extent of domestic fowl or cattle, that is still what it is. I hesitate to think anyone is going to do a wild release program with motley lavender hypo corns. They are a domestic and have no more validity in regards to conservation or "purity" than any hybrid. They are for shoe boxzes only.

Further, these hybrids, for those with the interest and insight to actually research them rather than just have preconceived predjudices, are a doorway to the reconsideration of the Linaean system and the question of exactly what a "species" is.

Brian Reeder
Panoplia Geneticus

[ Show Entire Thread ]