. (continued BRIEFLY from prevous post)



The same is true of snakes from along intergrade ranges for L.g.getula.



The question is, in our captive breeding, when we're aware of these distinctions and their consequences, what do we do? Do we strive to sustain ssp characteristics as best we can? Or do we throw out any ambition for that because in the end, there's that inarguable possibility that any snake might not be 100% pure? Do we pretend degree doesn't matter? Each of us has to decide: Do we want to be the guy or gal who tries to find the best mate for our snake, the one closest to its ssp or even locale? Or do we want to be the one who crosses willy-nilly with disregard for the identity of what we produce? Whether a honduran might have had in its past an intergrade great-grandfather or a mis-identified ssp great-great-grandmother is one thing. Crossing thayeri X sinaloae or a rat x a king is something entirely different. People can recognize that their actions have consequences, and act accordingly, and imho we're all smart enough to recognize the differences in degrees.



We do the best we can with what we have. Intent. That's what i think constitutes our best respect for the animals that exist in the wild, how we best show our respect for the animals in captivity, and best respect those herpetoculturists who will someday breed from the animals we produce.

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