Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So why are people hybridizing C. lewisi? This animal is so critcally endangered and in my opinion shouldn't even be considered as an animal to hybridize. I know that they are making a come back but they still aren't out of the woods. I just don't understand, because I don't see any pure C. lewisi for sale in the classified section just the hybrids and that just churned my stomach to see the carelessness of the breeders of those animals. If anyone could comment that would be very appreciated.
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Pretty much all the lewisi available to the public are hybrids so there are no options, to breed them to something like a Cuban does seem a little funny though. Did anyone see the lewisi cornuta crosses in the classifieds? Kind of funny, it would be an interesting mix though. And one more thing, Joel, how the hell did you catch that Ricordii? I know there are a few tame ones, was that one of them you guys caught? KB

Joel's post mentions noosing, so it must have been relatively bold to allow that to happen.

people want blue caymans. since you cant get the real thing the next best is a hybrid. there's demand so someone supplies.
Kevin, the ricords as you pobably know are very skittish. we did not see that many though there was evidence that they are around. I noosed 2, one was in cactus and the evil cholla(sp) and once I noosed him I couldnt get him out and fearing for his health I let him go. the second one I noosed lived closer to the main trail and let me get closer. The 2 other we used live traps.
Cornuta are funny. they damn near put their head in the noose for you. As the noose got close a couple of them would try to taste the cord. We had a cornuta walk right into a trap for the bait as we stood there watching. We also saw some really cool behavior with the rhinos.

Personally I agree, and was told that my pair was pure until DNA tests were done on the parents and it was discovered that there was some cayman brac blood in the female (the mother of mine) that came from the grandmother of mine. In essence, the grandmother was at the most 50/50 (but could be a higher % lewisi) and was bred to a pure male who produced a 75% female who was bred to a pure male who produced my pair. They look pure, but are not. If I ever buy any new animals to breed to my lewisi line, the parents better look pretty darn close to pure, or I just wont do it. Just producing low percentage hybrids year after year is just hurting the hobby (including individuals with a genuine goal of species preservation) and makes proffessional institutions laugh at us when we want to get animals for breeding loans because they put the preservationist and the profiteers in the same catagory.

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