question about ethicality of producing hybrids

[Emily Hubbard]

I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to snakes, so I personally do not like hybrids. Heck, I bought a normal ball from a breeder with AMAZING morphs. That is not to say that I will never get a morph, I have every intention of doing so, I think they are gorgeous and I love admiring all the morphs you guys have, but I have a huge soft spot for normals; I love the animal in its natural state as much as I love the morphs. I actually do not look at $5,000 morphs and see them as more beautiful that the $100 ones. I see the cost as a reflection of the rarity and the breeding effort required to produce the animal, not a reflection of greater beauty. Of course, that is my preference, and it in no way makes your preference wrong.

So as I state my further opinions on hybrids, understand that I am merely stating my preferences and in no way bashing yours if you LOVE hybrids. Just stating why I will never have one.

I personally do not like drastic, unnatural manipulation. When BP morphs are bred, the breeder is merely enhancing what nature already designed, unlocking a color palate already hidden in the genetic code. That is a beautiful, fascinating process. But when a hybrid is bred, the genetic code is unnaturally altered, bringing together two strands of DNA never intended to mix. It creates some beautiful animals, but where do they belong? What are their care requirements? What detrimental effect could the paring have on the offspring? Of course, these are questions only answered by trying it, and there are many people who are not only willing to try, but desperate to try, looking for the next great trend. If you are one of those people, there is nothing wrong with you, provided you place great importance on the care of the animals. I am not one of those people, however. I much prefer unlocking and discovering what nature already designed, not combining two things that were just fine on their own.

If you are a hybrid breeder, more power to you. I personally may not be one of your buyers, but you can be certain plenty of buyers are out there! Like everything else in this hobby, I think the answer lays in the intent of the breeder. Are you breeding a hybrid for the love of the animal, or for the love of profit and bragging rights? If you love your hybrid as much as you love your $5,000 BP morph, and you love that morph as much as you love your $40 normal, and all are healthy, happy, and have the best husbandry, than ethics need not be an issue, only preference.