Cross breeding species!!

[dkoehl26]

So yesterday I was looking on kingsnake and came across an angry ball. It is a ball python breed to a angolian python. It said buy this guy and breed it to your blood balls which to me sounds like a blood python breed to a ball python. My question is to all of you do you agree with the cross breeding of species.

[cinderbird]

hybrids are a very debated thing in reptiles.

PERSONALLY; I LOVE hybrids. True hybrids, not integrades (ie: black blood x red blood python, or any of the carpets interbreeding. The reason for this is because the resulting animals are too similar to the parent animals and can be bred back to pure stock and muddy bloodlines.). With true hybrid animals, the resulting offspring look like a mixture of the two parent species and can't be confused for the original species. True hybrids like ball x woma, blood, or GTP x carpet, etc are incredible animals. And as long as they are offered as what they actually are (and NOT a fancy new bp morph or something) then I see no problem with it. A long term goal of mine is actually to produce a limited amount of hybrids. I also plan on microchipping every animal and giving the proper documentation with it.

[OhhWatALoser]

As long as they are advertised as what they are, I see no problem with it. I just think some of them don't look that great, none of the ball python crosses impress me much, I do like the carpondros though (carpet/gtp)

[Sariel]

What Cinder said, Hybrids are a HUGe debate in the reptile comminity. There are alot of "purists" who are highly against the practice for various reasons such as, muddying up gene pools to the point of like carpet integrades where its quite difficult to know if you have a pure animal anymore, or just simply because it is unnatural.

Personaly, I don't have an issue with hybrids at all as long as great consideration is made before delving into the project. Always consider the animals first, especialy if the cross is somthing that hasnt been done yet. Just because you can cross an animal, doesnt mean you should. Keep records and pictures of all parents/resulting offspring, perhaps even micrchip them as mentioned. There is a valid concern with people selling watered down hybrids later in the years as pure animals, while responsible people keeping records certainly cant stop that, it can ensure that buyers have sources down the road to know comfertably that they are getting what they are paying for.

Ethics should always come first in business and careing/breeding animals. I'd actually like to see alittle more of it practiced in our hobby. Not to say we're over run with scam artists and poor practice, but there is a fair share out there.