microchipping hybrids

[mr.spooky]

Soon I will be starting a hybrid project. I know that there is alot of controversy on the subject of hybrids, but lets face it, people are going to do it.
Back to the point. My question is, would microchipping these animals have any benifit or atleast set some peoples mind at ease?
Sense hybrids are somewhat "new" and getting a little more exposure to the public, the intrest in them has been, and will be growing. I am by no means trying to set "guidelines" to producing hybrids, but i do think there needs to be a collective effort from those of us that are doing, or trying to do this.
From what iv seen, the biggest oposition has come from the blood python and ball python enthusiest. I have read multiple times about the concerns of crossing these two animals, and after weeding through all the muck, they do make many good points.
Please feel free to comment on the subject of microchipping. If you think this would be benificial, please explain why. If you feel that microchipping would have no benifits, please explain why.
Further more, if you have any legitimate sudgestions as to how producing these animals might be more accepted, i would love to hear that too!
please remember to keep it friendly!!!!!. I persionaly will not coment on any "off topic" remarks.
thanks
Spooky

[purplemuffin]

I think that could be pretty cool. I like the idea. I can see both sides personally.

[Xotik]

Microchipping any animal, hybrid or not, is a very good idea. My cats are chipped, and when I take my snakes in for their checkups, they will be getting chipped as well.

On the topic of chipping a hybrid, it may actually be a BETTER idea to chip your hybrids, only for that if a hybrid snake is found, and it has characteristics of both Blood Pythons and Ball Pythons, whoever finds it may not be able to classify it at all. They may not realize it is a hybrid. With a chip - that at least takes the guesswork out of the snake - as long as who finds it is smart enough to scan for a chip.

Either way, it would give a better piece of mind to everyone involved. I say go for it.

[loonunit]

So, I might have to take this question over to another post, but: what microchip options are you looking at? Home Again seems to require an annual membership. That might be worth it if one membership covers multiple animals, but I don't want to pay $17 per animal per year.

[loonunit]

I mostly worry about ball/angolan mixes myself. Balls outnumber angolans enormously in private collections, so if the offspring were fertile, you could easily wind up with a situation in which it's difficult to find "pure" angolan bloodlines. Would chipping help with that? I'm not sure--it's actually the offspring that you'd want to keep track of.

Honestly, what I think we need to do is sequence some python genomes and cook up some affordable genetic tests. The way they do with dog breeds. But with more dang reliability.

[mr.spooky]

So, I might have to take this question over to another post, but: what microchip options are you looking at? Home Again seems to require an annual membership. That might be worth it if one membership covers multiple animals, but I don't want to pay $17 per animal per year.

ill be honest, iv only looked at a few diferent options as of now. it seems that there are "smaller chips" that are specific for reptiles.. from what iv seen so far, you (I) can buy chips that are registered, or un registered. I as a breeder, i would chip my own hybrids and have them registered, sell them with proper documtation, and be as selective as possible as to who i sold them to and thats all that i could do as a breeder. like i said, it needs to be a colective effort within those of us that choose to own hybrids as to where it goes from there.. no one can make a owner pay that yearly fee, if a yearly fee is the only option. it would be the responsibility of the one that ownes the hybrid to do the right thing.
i hope iv answered the question. this is just a ideal that i had, and nothing more yet. i will be looking into all the options.. thats why i ask for comments!
thanks
spooky

[Wh00h0069]

The problem with hybrids is that once they are produced and sold, there is no telling where they will end up. Many people are against hybrids, and do not want them in their collection. If a bunch of people start producing and selling them, the hybrids could eventually make it into keeper's collections that are against them.

Say people start breeding and selling them. Eventually the offspring will breed and be the offspring sold. The offspring of hybrids would not be microchipped, so it would only be helpful for F1 generation animals. Also, if the hybrids are bred to pure blood animals, it may be hard to tell the offspring apart from the pure blood animals.

[purplemuffin]

Angry balls don't look like ball pythons to me.. Sure they have the same face shape. But that pattern is way too different, I know I would suspect it. I think getting the young chipped would be a good idea, and suggesting the buyer do the same if they ever bred it.

I actually know someone who chips all his higher end animals. He had deals go bad before but was unable to prove the snake was his despite records and photos. With a chipped snake, one swipe would be all it takes to know for sure the snake came from him.

[mr.spooky]

The problem with hybrids is that once they are produced and sold, there is no telling where they will end up. Many people are against hybrids, and do not want them in their collection. If a bunch of people start producing and selling them, the hybrids could eventually make it into keeper's collections that are against them.

Say people start breeding and selling them. Eventually the offspring will breed and be the offspring sold. The offspring of hybrids would not be microchipped, so it would only be helpful for F1 generation animals. Also, if the hybrids are bred to pure blood animals, it may be hard to tell the offspring apart from the pure blood animals.

i agree.. but if we educate ourselves, and others about the posibilities of hybrids, the better off well be. like i said, hybrids are going to hapen, so it is up to us, now, to set a solid foundation as to how they should be handled/cared for/kept.
the whole reasion i was wandering about chipping was because of what you said,,, " If a bunch of people start producing and selling them, the hybrids could eventually make it into keeper's collections that are against them." If we (as breeders) were to be responsible and do something such as chip offspring, if there was ever a suspition, it could be detected.
this is just an asumption, but i think that mainly when a hybrid would be bought, it would be bought soely as a pet. giving the sucess rate of breeding these hybrids would be enough within its self to deture any "fly by nighters".
truly, i dont expect to produce any in the near futuer due to the breeding sucess rate.
thanks
spooky


thanks
spooky

[Wh00h0069]

i agree.. but if we educate ourselves, and others about the posibilities of hybrids, the better off well be. like i said, hybrids are going to hapen, so it is up to us, now, to set a solid foundation as to how they should be handled/cared for/kept.
the whole reasion i was wandering about chipping was because of what you said,,, " If a bunch of people start producing and selling them, the hybrids could eventually make it into keeper's collections that are against them." If we (as breeders) were to be responsible and do something such as chip offspring, if there was ever a suspition, it could be detected.
this is just an asumption, but i think that mainly when a hybrid would be bought, it would be bought soely as a pet. giving the sucess rate of breeding these hybrids would be enough within its self to deture any "fly by nighters".
truly, i dont expect to produce any in the near futuer due to the breeding sucess rate.
thanks
spooky


thanks
spooky

I get your reasoning, and it does make sense. However, there are too many irresponsible keeper / breeders out there that wouldn't pay to have their offspring chipped, especially normals that sell for ten or twenty bucks.