Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Man this year seems like it's going to be the year of the Hybrid's. Lot's of good pairing going on. I have two main things I look at when evaluating hybrids. I want to know what everyone else looks at or what makes a certain hybrid better than another. I will give my big two after a couple of responses

Your big 2 has got to be how the head looks and the amount of blue. That's my guess. Or the breeder. I hope this year is the year of the hybrid. It is wonderful that people are trying to preserve such a beautiful species-pure or not. I hope you get a male to match the female you have. So weird how small a world it is! Hope everyone who is trying to produce these are successful! Good luck

Even low percentage lewisi's have blue heads. Pure caymanensis have some blue on thier heads. Ive even seen cubans with slight blue on their heads. The thing that sets a an 'alleged" good lewisi hybrid or american lewisi apart is a blue or gray body. Not brown. Mabey a little or slight brown only on the top 1/2 to 1/4 inch of the upper back just below the dorsal spines, but thats it. I see so many hybrids that, if if put a bag over their heads, you would think they were a cuban or caymanensis.

You are totally correct Mark! The head means nothing! A BIG thing I look at is the dorsal crest spines....if there not blue all the way down into the beginning of the tail it's not a hybrid worth investing in, at least unless you just want a pet but I would definitely not attempt to breed a hybrid that didn't have blue spines at least to the beginning of the tail. With that said, I have never seen a 85% hybrid or better that didn't not have blue spines, they may be out there but I have not seen one. Heck scroungh the internet, all those pure lesisi have blue dorsal spines even if there body's are brown or grey! My tip of the day is research your hybrid before you acquire it. I would definetly get photo's of the parents of any hatchlings, otherwise you can just be buying a total mutt.

I wasn't talking about how much blue was on the head of a particular animal. I was talking about the head shape of Lewisi, and the total amount of blue over the body. Sorry for the confusion. Anyways, you guys know much more than me, I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy! Love that people are talkng again on this, I thought this forum was dead for a minute.