Since you seem to be determined to find something important consider this. With the regulatory environment becoming increasingly repressive, hybridization may become the last refuge of private hobbyists. Ask yourself who has jurisdiction over a jungle corn, Florida or California? This would represent an extreme scenario but by and large I think that hybridization represents a true step towards domestication, a designation we will all eventually need to seek if we want to be able to continue working with these animals.



That being said, perhaps you shouldn't take this thing so seriously. Why does this have to be important? Ad hoc captive propagation of these animals is only important from the perspective that fewer animals need to be wild collected to fill the demand created by the pet trade and even this is arguable. Does it matter if animals filling this need are pure? If someone unlearns a life long fear of snakes though association with a captive animal does it matter if it was hybrid?



Further, I disagree with your observation that hybrids look like one of the parent species. This is not always the case. I have seen some very attractive and distinctive looking hybrids and crosses. Taking you point though, even when the parent species are similar there is still the advantage of hybrid vigor. What surprises me is that nobody raises cane when animals are line bred to the nth degree in order to "extract" unique traits. Cross a slamming desert king with the best 50/50 Cal king you can find to produce distinctive, vigorous and highly attractive crosses and somebody is going to have something to say about it.

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