BP/Retic Pythons

[EMSPrincess]

This probably could have gone in the General Pythons section, but I'm curious specifically about the BP/Retic hybrids. I didn't even realize it was a thing until the other day. Can someone please explain why people do these hybrids? Does it make the offspring sterile? Any health issues as well? Does it make the value of a snake go up or down? And what about the offspring from these snakes (if they can have any) - is it "bad" to have a BP with retic in it? Do people try and sell BP's with retic in them without specifying that it has retic - basically is it something you have to watch out for?
Thanks in advance

[JoshSloane]

Usually these mixes are extremely rare and expensive. I think the most common hybrid is the bateater, which is a cross between a retic and a burm. Ive heard of burm x ball mixes, but have never seen a burm x retic. Likely it would be sterile. People are always trying to stay ahead of the breeding curve and make something unique.

[EMSPrincess]

Usually these mixes are extremely rare and expensive. I think the most common hybrid is the bateater, which is a cross between a retic and a burm. Ive heard of burm x ball mixes, but have never seen a burm x retic. Likely it would be sterile. People are always trying to stay ahead of the breeding curve and make something unique.

But not ball python and retics...?

[Daigga]

Hybrids are generally pretty worthless because the demand for them is almost nonexistant, therefore you almost never see hybrids available. They don't have any place in a breeding collection for a hobby that values purity in the animals being sold, so their only value is as an an oddity.

[Jhill001]

I've seen some really truly extraordinary hybrids. Animals that if they were purebred would be tens of thousands of dollars. But they are hybrids, thus they are like 50 bucks. I don't want them, most don't want them. And real issues arise when they look like one species and because they aren't selling as hybrids they get sold as purebred animals that look "slightly different, it could be genetic give me 500 bucks" even though they are sort of garbage animals. I don't think there is anything wrong with people keeping them as a pet, but the average pet owner doesn't even want a hybrid.

It's a stupid practice and overall harmful to the hobby as a whole in my opinion.

[anicatgirl]

I would have a bateater, I think they're pretty. It would be for just a pet, but I could see it making moving hard (Lacey Act, anyone?). My only thing would be if they have like a higher mortality rate, I would not support it at all, cause that's not needed just to make something a little different.

That said, if I could get a super dwarf retic x burm cross... I would love it. I love the look of burms but they're just so big!

[jclaiborne]

I would have a bateater, I think they're pretty. It would be for just a pet, but I could see it making moving hard (Lacey Act, anyone?). My only thing would be if they have like a higher mortality rate, I would not support it at all, cause that's not needed just to make something a little different.

That said, if I could get a super dwarf retic x burm cross... I would love it. I love the look of burms but they're just so big!

There are "half dwarf" burms out there

[anicatgirl]

There are "half dwarf" burms out there

This is something my husband would probably rather I didn't know. TY so much