Hybrid snakes...

[davo]

well it's in our hobby like it or not... Personally I don't like them in the slightest, but there you go. I know people that do like them, people that don't mind them as long as you can tell them apart from parent populations (visibly a hybrid) so not to infect a sometimes already weak gene pool. So here is a Carpall... ball python crossed with a carpet python.

 

[davo]

burmball.... burmese and ball python

 

[davo]

albino african rock/burmese python

 

[davo]

Wall python... woma x royal. There might be some angolan in there too, i'm not sure.

 

[davo]

carpondro.... note the first pic is a carpondro and a gtp.... this is where the real problems begin.

 

[davo]

I've since been researching hybrids, and it's not just one or two... there are absolutely tonnes. I greatly misinterpreted how big this hybrid scene is, it's scary.
Out of all of them though, I think this is the weirdest 50 50 cross i've seen... a reticxJCP.

 

[davo]

Thats a lot of pythons, and there are sure to be more... but heres a boa cross, Emerald X Amazon tree boa, both adults.

 

[Nic]

I don't think the weakened gene pool is really that big of a deal on a captive level... I personally like the hybrid snakes.. don't really see a problem with them in a captive environment having any problems with much of anything..... now if they were to be abandoned in the wild then I would see a problem.... don't know if I made any sense there I'm in a lot of pain so if it makes no sense ill say I'm sorry now......

 

[TheBloodyIrish]

My main concern with those hybrids is that when you get into the second and third generation, where you can't tell the differences between species anymore.

It's sad that there are breeders treat reptiles as dogs and not recognizing them as separate species. If anything that can compare to different breeds of domesicated animals, it would be in term of morphs. However such a comparison is inaccurate.

I don't think the weakened gene pool is really that big of a deal on a captive level... I personally like the hybrid snakes.. don't really see a problem with them in a captive environment having any problems with much of anything..... now if they were to be abandoned in the wild then I would see a problem.... don't know if I made any sense there I'm in a lot of pain so if it makes no sense ill say I'm sorry now......

A lot of people have that view, however there are some species in captivity that cannot be imported from the wild unless it is obtained from the illegal pet trade; so extra care must be taken with those species. All it take is for the hybrid to have clutches that look just like the normal snakes, and it already enter the gene pool if people don't keep track of it. Quite frankly, it is hard to keep track of a snake for 30 to 40 years.

There is nothing wrong with it if it is just for pleasure, however if it breed; that is where the "no-no" comes in.

 

[davo]

My main concern with those hybrids is that when you get into the second and third generation, where you can't tell the differences between species anymore.

That is my problem with captive hybrids Nic. I want to know I am buying a species, not some crazy cross. Same goes for some of these 88% or high diamondxjungle python crosses. For someone who doesn't want them, then hybrids could create a problem, as I would like to say that 100% of dealers would be honest in what they are selling, but they are not. On a hybrid discussion I will take this quote from http://www.captivebred.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13200&start=10

Having seen what has happened to some of the dwarf hamster species (buy a dwarf hamster from a pet shop and unless you know that it came from a show breeder you are GUARENTEED that you are buying a hybrid. They have massive problems, head tilts, diabetes, glaucoma... and a hybrid is nigh impossible to tell from a pure in many cases even if you do know what you are looking at.
The same has happened with pallid and cheesemans gerbils and now every single pallid/cheesemans in the UK and the rest of Europe is a hybrid and our pure captive stock is lost.
Careless breeding of these hybrids has resulted in total destruction of a species (in captivity).
So as I say... as long as the hybrids never look like either of the parents and the breeders and subsequent breeders of these animals are always honest and make it clear that this animal is not pure and shouldnt be used in a line that will then be used to breed more 'pure' stock then fine...