I do think the whole lineage thing has gotten a bit exhaustive. After keeping multiple species for awhile, I decided to focus on thayeri because I loved many things about the species. I spent alot of time tracing provenance as I acquired my collection because reading the forums (and talking to some breeders) gave me the impression that this was most important in keeping thayeri. I have to agree with John, that was the least fun part about keeping thayeri.

I agree with what Joe said above and what Michelle said below. I think if you keep your own notes, and know what you like and want, then you can build your collection any way that suits you. If you dont want hybrids, then only buy from breeders who can provide you with the info that assures you that the animal you are interested in doesn't have any other species (to the best of their knowledge) in its background. In thayeri, we cannot have truly "pure" or locality thayeri simply based upon a couple of factors...the way they were originally collected, and the overall uncertain phylogeny of the species/subspecies.

I think as a group (of breeders), we have to get away from microscopically grilling every hatchling produced that looks a little different. Thayeri already exhibit so much diversity of form. And since we started out with such a relatively small group of founder stock here in the US, we may just now be tapping into genes and forms that we have never seen before. Every aberrancy or new subtle color or pattern variation does not have to come from other species blood mixed in somewhere back in the parents lineage. The sire and dam may simply be harboring genes in a combination that has not been expressed phenotypically before.

Just think of the uproar that amel thayeri would have caused if it came out just a year or so ago instead of when it did. People would have been publicly on here, and privately via phone conversations accusing that breeder of having amel ruthveni or some such hybridization in their background. Again, every new variation does not immediately signal hybridization in thayeri.

I say, be as careful as you personally deem necessary in acquiring your collection. Ask the breeder the questions that are important to you when purchasing. If they can provide you the answers to satisfy your questions, then purchase what you like from them. And don't publicly or privately badmouth anyone else's choices unless it directly impacts you. If you think a snake they have doesn't fit your ideal, then simply don't purchase any offspring from that snake. Simple as that. Just my thoughts.
-----
God Bless Evolution.

[ Show Entire Thread ]