The problem is that once you sell a hybrid, you no longer have any control over what happens to it or if the true identity of that animal is ever passed on to other owners after subsequent sales to additional individuals. Also, P. brongersmai from Malaysia and Sumatra are physically identical as far as scalation and only have extremely minor pattern differences. Additionally, true Malaysian brongersmai are extremely rare and I don’t believe any have been brought into the U.S. in over 20 years.

I believe you are extremely over-simplifying the phenotype outcome of this cross. The five main scalation features used for identification of brongersmai, curtus, and breitensteini are:
1. Presence or absence subocular scales
2. Do the supralabials directly contact the orbit of the eye.
3. Size and length of contact between the anterior pair of parietal scales.
4. Are there one or two supraocular scales above the orbit.
5. Number of ventral scales.

When hybridizing different species within this group, you can get different mixes of these five characteristics even in the same clutch that makes identification extremely difficult. For example some individuals from the same litter of hybrids may have subocular scales and some of the litter mates may not, but they are all true hybrids. When you get different sets of these five characteristics in the same hybrid litter, it gets more difficult than rocket science. Add to this the blurring of the distinguishing coloration and pattern markings of each species and you have a definite genetic identification mess.

Kelly

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