Reptile Ethics - ISO

[Iridium]

Hello!I'm a student writing a paper about both sides of the ethics of reptile morph breeding. I am having trouble finding sources outside of forum threads that are in support of the morph market. If anyone could direct me to any articles about the good side of reptile ethics, particularly ball python morphs, I would be very grateful. If this isn't allowed please let me know.

[Pezz]

not sure about articles. you'll most likely get opinions. I do know that with morph breeding it drastically cut down the import market. That's a huge plus in the ethic side of it.

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[Iridium]

Yeah, I know there's mostly opinions on here. Most things I have found have been from this forum and I cannot cite that. Hence why I am looking for actual articles. If you knew where I could find data for reducing imports that would be great.For anyone else who might post to help me out, please remember I can't cite anything without evidence and a professional article to back it up!

[Zach_este93]

Use your school library data-bank or google scholar. If I was writing a paper on this and couldn't find statistics on ball pythons/reptiles specifically I would contrast it to other animals in the pet trade where more localized breeding reduced importation, furthered scientific research, or saved a species from going extinct. You could look for the numbers of green tree pythons (specify a specific genus etc) and then show how breeding has allowed the numbers to stay up similar to the situation with animal X (let's say an eagle for instance). Honestly I think this is a hard topic and you aren't being specific enough. Ball pythons aren't even close to being endangered, so therefore the ethics of breeding will be quite hard to find as the only real merit is personal interest, monetary gain, and enjoying the "science project". If you were to do your research on a more endangered snake species I think you would have a better argument. Or if you were to do it on "venomous breeders" providing venom for science and antivenin, but that would still be mostly anecdotal probably.

TLDR; I would narrow it down to an endangered/nearly endangered snake species and base my argument on that.

[Iridium]

Thanks for the advice, but this isn't so much about breeding in general and how it effects populations as it is about breeding for the purposes of different coloration or physical appearance. There is little if any formal research on proquest/other databases about it which is why I want to quote more personal articles. I have mentioned plenty of other species in the paper (i.e. impalas and lions being morph bred for canned hunt trophies and dog/horse breeding for exaggerated features). To make my request more specific, I'm looking for breeders' or other experts independently uploaded accounts of why MORPH breeding is okay and what benefits they get out of MORPH breeding, not breeding for the sake of conservation or other statistics about population etc. Sorry if that was not clear, I cannot seem to edit the original post. Edit: For example, for one source I'm citing this article by Reptiles Magazine in defense of inbreeding and line breeding in moderation. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Bree...ing-Reptiles/I need more things like this but am not having luck finding them. Edit 2: This website really seems to dislike doing paragraph breaks, lol.

[Tila]

Does it have to be reptiles? If not, I bet the aquatic realm may have what you're looking for. I specifically have the International Fancy Guppy Association in mind.

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[Iridium]

Does it have to be reptiles? If not, I bet the aquatic realm may have what you're looking for. I specifically have the International Fancy Guppy Association in mind.Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

No it does not! I could include information about aquaria. Thanks a bunch!!

[cchardwick]

I can tell you why I am in support of captive breeding just about any animal. It keeps them from going extinct is probably the number one reason. Just look at the Turkey, they family farm turkey is endangered because it was replaced by mass produced genetically modified turkeys that sell for next to nothing in grocery stores, the farmer can't compete with their prices. So they don't have turkeys, they buy them at the store. Just look online where they sell baby turkeys, most are threatened or endanger of extinction and some are even gone, lost forever because they just are not bred anymore.

Also, just imagine if they passed a law banning the breeding of dogs. Most dogs only live 14-15 years max, so in about 20 years most of the popular breeds would be extinct. There's actually a book about this topic, I haven't read it but it's supposed to be a good read, it's called 'The Invisible Ark'.

https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Ark.../dp/0978541111

Probably the second reason for breeding ball python morps specifically is that it is a fantastic study in genetics. I didn't know anything about genetics until I started breeding ball pythons, the combinations not only affect the appearance and the offspring but it also affects the physical traits of the snake. For example the Spider gene makes the head wobble to some degree, if you cross a Spider and Spider you get a lethal 'Super Spider'. And the Banana, also known as Coral Glow makes predominately males or females depending on the linage. Some combinations are totally unexpected (allelic for example), i.e. the Highway / Freeway complexes. Both parents / genes are so close to a normal ball python some can't tell them apart from a normal, but pair them up (yellowbelly + asphalt) and you get a stunning looking animal.

Probably the number one reason for breeding ball pythons specifically is that there are so many different morphs out there that are specific non-polymorphic genes that can be clearly defined, more so than any other animal on the planet.

[SDA]

Morphs are not being reintroduced into the wild population to interbreed so I am not sure the issue. I agree with the analogy of dogs. If we condemn the genetic manipulation of snakes like ball pythons then we have to do the same to dogs, cats, chickens, rodents, fish, and even plants. I personally think substandard breeding and careless trait manipulation is far more to blame than genetic manipulation as a whole.

I know also where this ends up, the spider gene. This gene has been proven out to be a non detrimental neurological condition if one can even call it that. Yet, it gets more of a stigma placed on it than the obvious genetic defects like breeding an all white snake which in the wild would be a death sentence.

Cull the morphs that will never survive, it is the ethical thing to do but do not label genetics unethical simply because it produces a product outside the scope of evolution.

In reality you are going to be hard pressed to find articles discussing the ethics of any breeding of animals because it is all a profit driven enterprise and it seems we as people crave the odd and peculiar and will pay handsomely to get it.