With all due respect, why is it that so many people think "money" is the primary motivation behind producing crosses/hybrids? This line of reasoning is illogical at best, pathetic at worst. Please tell me who you know that is getting rich producing hybrids? Most DxJ's go for $75-$150 ea!!!! That doesn't strike me as a very profitable business venture.



I can understand the reasoning behind those who are against some of the more extreme X's (such as the Woma x Carpet), ...but seriously folks, we're talking about *Diamonds and *Jungles here. This crossing is not new, and certainly isn't a stretch. The fact is, Coastals and Diamonds naturally interbreed in the wild, and so do Coastals and Jungles. Some recent studies even assert that there is no difference between Coastals and Jungles, so how much of a leap is there in breeding a Diamond to a Jungle? As someone already pointed out, DxJ's are not only healthy, but even more resilient than pure Diamonds.



The lack of "pure" Diamonds for sale in the States has nothing to do with X's, and everything to do with their volatility in and inconsistent breeding record. They are expensive and somewhat risky investments. Considering their utter lack of keeping & breeding success, it would not be difficult to imagine a day when high percentage Diamond X's are our only means of keeping these beautiful snakes in this country. So rather than X's posing a threat to the Diamond population in our hobby, they may be the mechanism of their survival.



Sincerely,
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Will Leary

Reptilicus Reptiles

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