Anyone catch it?

[Beardedragon]

Currently at a pet co i was reading a article in a reptiles Magazine about genetic engineering in ball pythons( it showed a pied as a example), and how they might be able to make the white different colors

I'm a guy but having a Hot pink pied would be awesome. Especially if they make glow in the dark ball pythons.

What do you guys think other if changing them did not effect health or cost a lot of money( which it would)

My thoughts are, even though it would be awesome, no. I would get confused with all the colors people would add or take away from different morphs, and the confusion that would come with that. Not like id be able to afford it any how. They should just leave things alone like the are supposed to be.

[MelissaFlipski]

I'm not a fan of genetic engineering. Mess with what was orginally intended (design through evolution) and you can get some bad results.

I say no to cloning and genetic engineering. Only exception is in the development of vaccines.

[Mindibun]

I'd be generally against it. All the testing that they'd have to do in order to get to that stage is not something I'd be in support of. Also, I think it would distract from the beauty of naturally occurring morphs. People would stop being interested in what is naturally beautiful and start buying more of the genetic stuff. I don't think that's right.

[mcbrayerreptiles]

I'm not a fan of genetic engineering. Mess with what was orginally intended (design through evolution) and you can get some bad results.

I say no to cloning and genetic engineering. Only exception is in the development of vaccines.

Don't you mean (design through creation as it states in Genisis 1.) ???

[NateDogg13]

Don't you mean (design through creation as it states in Genisis 1.) ???

Probably design through evolution. Not to get into a religious debate but evolution has been proven, creation has not.

[SarahMB]

Well, I'm all for genetic engineering and cloning, etc. So I would support it.

I'm not sure I can live long without a glowing cat, truthfully!

[janeothejungle]

So basically, none of you opposed to genetic modification eat any of the following foods???

corn, canola, flax, rapeseed, potatoes, tomatoes, wheat, rice, squash, bananas and soybeans

nor any of the derivatives (ie that cola you drank or anything that includes high fructose corn syrup)???

Wow. Good for you. I'm opposed to 'transgenic' modification, but I can't imagine the chaos of trying to be completely GM free. At least not here in the US where we love our genetic modifications so. Pass the pasta.

Cheers,
Kat

[mcbrayerreptiles]

Probably design through evolution. Not to get into a religious debate but evolution has been proven, creation has not.

I of course do not want to start a religious debate
But I do want to point out that evolution has not been proven, it is a lot of theories that scientists and even theistic scientists try to state as fact. In reality if you look in school books and even scientific documents about evolution, all of them state it as a theory. Once again, I do not want to start a religious debate here.....But, I would like to challenge you to read a great book that was given to me by a fellow herper. It is called the "evolution of a creationist". Please if you would, try to find this book, it may be difficult to find but after you read it, you will be glad you did....it is absolutely amazing....Not just some boring lecture about creation and evolution....I could barley put it down..."And I can only get into reading if it involves reptiles...LOL"
If you cant find this book please message me or email me at Mcbrayerreptiles@yahoo.com and I will send you a copy of it....

[giaach]

Hold Up Everybody!

Before we get all heated and start debating evolution on a forum dedicated to Herpetology I say we get back the question posed at the beginning of the thread.

Yes, Evolution cannot be proved, but neither can creation. And while many in this country and abroad, base their belief on religion, I think the fact that people are turning this thread into something much larger than basic discussion of ball pythons and their possible morphs is dangerous.

If you want to debate creationism/evolution, get a youtube account and rant away....

[Kara]

Strictly discussing the genetic engineering angle (although I'd be happy to discuss the religious POV), I personally think that specific genetic engineering for designer traits would rob us, as keepers, of the "magic" of hitting odds within a particular clutch. Would there be as much satisfaction in producing a clutch of 6 pieds out of 6 eggs from het x het as there would from genetically masterminding this to happen through controlled engineering? Absolutely not.

The fact that we never quite know what we could get when pairing animals up - and spending a season dreaming of what we could produce - is what keeps a lot of folks working with these animals to start with.

If creating color mutations was so cut-and-dried that anyone could have predictable results every time, it would strip us of the defeats & successes that intrinsically make genetic morphs so much fun (and a more than a bit stomach-knotting!!!) to work with in the first place!

Just my $.02.

K~