Breeding a redtail to a rainbow???

[TurkeyPython]

I forget what site I was on but just last month someone bred their RTB to their BRB. They copulated. They even had a picture of the pairing so they will copulate but it is yet unknown if the female has become gravid.

edit: found it! Link- http://www.hybridhaven.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=881

[13OA Hen]

They are both Boa's, and the fact that they are from different Continents doesn't matter lol The fact they are both Boa's makes it possible for them to breed, they have descended from Boa Constrictors, and there are many sub-species of the Rainbow Boa's, including one from Columbia. It would be more about if you were able to get them to breed, they may not see the other sub-species as a attractive mate, but the problems don't end there. A lot of the eggs may not come to term or fertilize, at least not as many as a normal clutch. I don't Kno why all the female are getting all worked up about this, like its some unethical animal experiment. I consider the breeding of Ball Pythons for colors unethical.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

They are both Boa's, and the fact that they are from different Continents doesn't matter lol The fact they are both Boa's makes it possible for them to breed, they have descended from Boa Constrictors, and there are many sub-species of the Rainbow Boa's, including one from Columbia. It would be more about if you were able to get them to breed, they may not see the other sub-species as a attractive mate, but the problems don't end there. A lot of the eggs may not come to term or fertilize, at least not as many as a normal clutch. I don't Kno why all the female are getting all worked up about this, like its some unethical animal experiment. I consider the breeding of Ball Pythons for colors unethical.

[sorraia]

I have no idea if they can breed to produce viable offspring. Personally I'm not a fan of the idea, but I'm also not so strong in that feeling that I would prohibit it. Part of that is because I can't reconcile within myself my acceptance of some hybrids but not others.

I do find the views in the herp community interesting. In the wild, animals can and do hybridize. It is more likely to occur within the same genus. Off the top of my head without doing any searching, I know of one incidence of two different Vireo species hybridizing in the wild, and I also know wolves and coyotes can and do hybridize in the wild. In both cases, the species involved are part of the same genera. In captivity people hybridize animals, even across genera. A very well known example of hybridization in captivity are mules and hinnies, crosses between donkeys and horses (both belonging to the genus Equus). Other hoofstock species have been hybridized. People have also crossed lions and tigers, and other wild cats. Domestic dogs and coyotes have been crossed, domestic cats and several species of wild cats have been crossed (including species not belonging to the genus Felis). Different birds have been hybridized in captivity too. Some people in these different hobbies frown upon it, others don't. It is very widely accepted in the equine world (though I'm sure there are some purists who would prefer not to see mules, hinnies, and other equine hybrids).

[Bluebonnet Herp]

Well, yellow anaconda/Boa constrictor hybrids exist, as well as a Colombian rainbow boa/yellow anaconda hybrid also exists. I don't see why it wouldn't work. It would just be a similar equation without the yellow anaconda part lol

As for if this is going to be done or has been done, just don't mis-market them. The last thing I want to see is carpet pythons 2: electric boogaloo where pure specimens are rare as hell. It's one thing to breed distant hybrids - you can tell those apart from pure specimens easily. But it's a different ball game trying to tell apart sub species integrades, or even closely related species. (Bredl/carpet hybrids, and blood/short tailed hybrids anyone?) Hybrids like those are hard to identify even in F1 generations.

[Slim]

Hybrids = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abomination_(Bible)

But hey, that's just my opinion...

[Bluebonnet Herp]

Hybrids = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abomination_(Bible)

But hey, that's just my opinion...

Yeah and opinions are like buttholes. Everybody has one and most of them stink.

[kylearmbar]

I think if you kept them all, I'd say do it. Some ppl keep burmballs and the like that they have produced themsleves, as well as other hybrids, and if for some reason they were to ever leave your hands, make sure it were as pet only.

[Expensive hobby]

I'm a fan of naturally occurring hybrids/integrades. My favorite being green/yellow cross anacondas. Happens in the wild, easy to distinguish from pure stock, and look cool as hell.

I might even produce some

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 3

[ViperSRT3g]

In terms of ethical behavior, to me it seems wrong if the following conditions are what you are basing your breeding on.

1. You are breeding to produce hybrids to sell.
This results in snakes that are not pure, producing all sorts of other cross overs and muddies up the general gene pool. It's easy to see people not keeping track of all the genetic details of their snakes when breeding. So when the time comes to breed them and they don't know it's a hybrid, you've got the beginnings of a gene pool pollutant.

2. If upon breeding a hybrid, it has physiological issues due to being a hybrid.
This one is a blurry line as we have the spider wobble in BPs and that is clearly a physiological issue that people don't mind and put up with. If you have done this in the past, and your hybrid had issues, public knowledge would benefit anyone possibly considering the same hybrid as they would have forewarning of possible issues. This also results in less snakes needing to be euthanized at an early age due to defects or deformities.


So far, those are the only things I can think of off the top of my head that would be problematic if you were to produce hybrids. If they can physically mate, I don't see why they wouldn't do so in the wild aside from being geographically separate.