Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a pretty "Applegate" San Diego that gives me just one or two fertile eggs every year, then they don't all hatch. Maybe I just don't have the right regiemen for succesful gopher reproduction. But, I have the opportunity to purchase an adult pair of Pacific Gophers, and am wondering if I could possibly use them to outcross the Applegate girl to. They are closely related catenifer species, so they should produce fertile eggs, right ?

I am hoping to strengthen the San Diego females reproductive output, which I assume has been inbred too much in developing the Applegate line.

Thoughts ?

Personally, I'm a fan of keeping lines as pure as possible... not a fan of creating hybrids, especially when they might make it back into the trade and eventually get called pure annectans or pure catenifer. So mixing subspecies seems to muddy the gene pool a bit too much for me.

Better to hold off and pick up some annectans to get outcrossed, yet still "pure" offspring from your girl.

-Paul

I agree with Paul.

Keep them pure do not cross into another subspecies. Out cross them into annectans. It should help your production and produce healthier animals.

Jas0n

I agree with jason, and if you need a WC male annectans I have one thats just up to the task, crossing catenifer subspecies is kind of gaudy IMO.
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6.7 pituophis c. annectans
1.1 senticolis t. intermedia
1.1 rhinechis scalaris
1.2 lampropeltis m. thayeri
2.1 pantherophis g. guttatus
1.1 lampropeltis t. campbelli

1.1 pituophis x pantherophis
1.1 lampropeltis campbelli x thayeri x nelsoni