The post below regarding the pricing of two breedable, locality-specific female “temporalis” got me thinking that it might be time for a discussion on locality and lineage, and their value to us as hobbyists and naturalists (armchair or professional). Though this post is somewhat self-serving, I want to be up front about that and state that this is NOT a commercial for my stock. Instead, it’s a public statement about why some of us do what we do. I’ll start with my views and thoughts on the subject, which I’ll punctuate with photos to keep things from being too boring, and then hope some others will chime in with their thoughts. I’d like to keep this as civil as possible, so if you ain’t got something nice (civil) to say, don’t say anything at all! The milk forum is NOT the getula Octagon…



L. t. gentilis – Golden, CO stock (F3)





Lineage is important. Knowing and being able to trace the genetic history of your animals is an invaluable asset. Why and what does it give us? Buying from a breeder who can provide lineage information often means buying from an attentive breeder who cares deeply for the animals he/she works with. This attention to detail often carries over into husbandry, suggesting healthy, well cared for stock. It also means knowing which other animals are part of a given animal’s genetic heritage, shedding light on any crosses or impurities. Additionally, lineage information can help prevent repeated inbreeding and help isolate and eliminate genetic defects.



Now, let’s move on to locality which is sort of a nebulous concept that gets a lot of attention and is the next level of information above lineage. Without getting into a deep discussion of the mechanics of evolution, let’s suffice to say that over time, populations of animals adapt to local environmental conditions in ways that allow them to best survive and reproduce. That’s pretty simple and I think (=hope) just about everyone can agree on that level. In a broader picture, this can be extrapolated to subspecies and their formation due to environmental pressures. My thoughts on subspecies can be found here: http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1774427,1774427 if anyone’s interested in how this all fits together.



So, what does that locality jib-jab mean and how does it matter to our snakes? People interested in locality-specific snakes place a high priority on the subtle nuances and variations between animals originating in different areas, and thus slightly different environmental conditions. It means that the animals’ lineage can be traced back to wild animals with a particular set of in-born characteristics. It means that you have a significant piece of knowledge about the animals’ natural history and provided clues as to why they are the way they are (food preferences, brumation requirements, ect).



Case in point, I keep milks from Carbon County and Stillwater County, Montana. The counties are adjacent to one another, but differ greatly in an ecological sense. Carbon County is very arid, has a scant rodent population, and many Sceloporus lizards. Stillwater County receives much more precipitation and has a considerably more dense rodent population. The milks inhabiting Carbon County are smaller, thinner, and have thinner saddles than the larger, more robust, and wider-banded Stillwater County animals. Carbon County animals show a marked preference for lizards or lizard-scented food items, as well.



Carbon Co., MT habitat – intermountain semi-desert.





Carbon Co., MT L. t. multistrata (photo credit: Jose Ole)





Stillwater Co., MT habitat – rolling, pre-montane plains (with friends for effect)





Stillwater Co., MT L. t. multistrata





How “tight” of a geographic region must be identified before an animal can be called “locality-specific”. That’s something that must be left up to the individual enthusiast. For me, at least, county designation is sufficient. For some alterna gurus, opposite sides of a ridge may be too far apart. In my opinion, there becomes a point when a locality is too narrowly defined that it is no longer valuable in preserving the wild-type genetic variation in the given population.



Solid locality information is not a common thing these days. It takes some extra effort to make locality-specific pairings (searching out mates, etc.) and maintain the pedigree. That extra effort to be able to provide a significant amount of additional information about the animals is worth LOT to some people. That’s why you see higher prices on animals with good locality data.



So, what about a breeder who has generic (or mixed locality) stock, but has great lineage information? I say, “awesome!” If keeping animals that represent what could be found in the wild in a specific location isn’t a person’s goal, this situation is absolutely ideal. There is a forum member, for example, who breeds amazing generic “temporalis” and maintains impeccable lineage information. He’s the kind of guy I’d buy from if I was looking for such an animal.



Now, let the fun begin!



-Cole



L. t. multistrata – Pennington Co., SD

[ Show Entire Thread ]