problem with hybrids?

[StudentoReptile]

Originally Posted by aaron_cg

That's part of tracking a snakes genealogy. For breeders, it's important to know those things.

As far as just someone whose looking for a pet, not nearly.

Very true.
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What many noobs and beginners fail to grasp, is that many species, such as carpets, BCC & BCI, GTPs, ATBs, ETBs and now even retics, many species of kingsnakes & ratsnakes, redfoot & yellow foot tortoises, etc [just to name a few] ...these snakes have very unique & specific subspecies and localities that are distinct from each other.

So for example, a "red-tailed boa" is not just a red-tailed boa anymore. It really was just a marketing label for pretty much any snake species under Boa constrictor, although several do not have red tails in adulthood. You have Columbian boa, Hog Island boas, Cay Caulker boas, Argentine boas, true Suriname red-tails & true Guyana red-tails, etc. So when you walk into a pet store or reptile show, and see "red-tailed boas" for sale, the ID tag is misleading because you really don't know where the snake came from and what locality or subspecies those snakes are, unless you are a BCC/BCI aficionado AND you know where the snakes were acquired from.

AND there are many hobbyists (much like coin and stamp collectors, and hobby train, plain or car collectors), who desire a particular locality or subspecies to add to their collection. That the snake is a "red-tailed boa" or a "carpet python" is not enough. They need to know details, and just like a purebred dog missing its bloodline papers, if they don't like what they find, its a no-sale.
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So you see what this is already an issue with those particular species in those markets. NOW...when you add the element of hybrids in the mix, that presents an added pressure to maintain proper records of pure lineage of the parent animals. Imagine the frustration when someone just throws a "red-tailed boa" with a "amazon tree boa?" Well, was it a Cook's tree boa with a Hog Island Boa? I mean, what happens when you cross a mutt dog with another mutt dog = another mutt!!!!

There's plenty of "mutt" boas, carpet pythons, kingsnakes, etc floating around the hobby already, and now people want to make more hybrids...because its "neat." I agree, some hybrids do look appealing, but can we please address the mutt problem first before we create more hybrids?

[franks]

Originally Posted by StudentoReptile

Very true.
---
What many noobs and beginners fail to grasp, is that many species, such as carpets, BCC & BCI, GTPs, ATBs, ETBs and now even retics, many species of kingsnakes & ratsnakes, redfoot & yellow foot tortoises, etc [just to name a few] ...these snakes have very unique & specific subspecies and localities that are distinct from each other.

So for example, a "red-tailed boa" is not just a red-tailed boa anymore. It really was just a marketing label for pretty much any snake species under Boa constrictor, although several do not have red tails in adulthood. You have Columbian boa, Hog Island boas, Cay Caulker boas, Argentine boas, true Suriname red-tails & true Guyana red-tails, etc. So when you walk into a pet store or reptile show, and see "red-tailed boas" for sale, the ID tag is misleading because you really don't know where the snake came from and what locality or subspecies those snakes are, unless you are a BCC/BCI aficionado AND you know where the snakes were acquired from.

AND there are many hobbyists (much like coin and stamp collectors, and hobby train, plain or car collectors), who desire a particular locality or subspecies to add to their collection. That the snake is a "red-tailed boa" or a "carpet python" is not enough. They need to know details, and just like a purebred dog missing its bloodline papers, if they don't like what they find, its a no-sale.
---

So you see what this is already an issue with those particular species in those markets. NOW...when you add the element of hybrids in the mix, that presents an added pressure to maintain proper records of pure lineage of the parent animals. Imagine the frustration when someone just throws a "red-tailed boa" with a "amazon tree boa?" Well, was it a Cook's tree boa with a Hog Island Boa? I mean, what happens when you cross a mutt dog with another mutt dog = another mutt!!!!

There's plenty of "mutt" boas, carpet pythons, kingsnakes, etc floating around the hobby already, and now people want to make more hybrids...because its "neat." I agree, some hybrids do look appealing, but can we please address the mutt problem first before we create more hybrids?

Agree 100% I have no problem with crossing locals etc- but I really wish people didn't breed them. There is nothing "wrong" with it per Se but personally I like the locals kept pure. I like researching the environment my particular snake is from and trying to replicate it as much as possible. It's part of what makes the hobby so fun for me. I go a little overboard (having my mom bring back rocks from anze Borrego for my rosy boa of that locale) but I love it. Irian Jaya carpet pythons (my favorite) are a perfect example of this. We are not even talking hybrids here- just crossing localities. Many believe that the Irian Jaya makes the nicest Jaguar (I actually do not see a difference) but because of this there are 10 IJ'S for sale of mixed locality for every 1 pure one that I can find.