Basically any animal we have in the US that is native to Australia was smuggled out of AU at some point historically. I'd highly recommend reading "Stolen World" for a look into the history of herpetoculture, both good and bad.
All of the US population of Rockhampton carpets traces back to a 1.1 founder pair in Germany produced by Volker Franz in 2000. Nick Mutton imported the original stock we have here in the states in ~2007. He, Michael Pennell and one other individual divided that original group and were the first in the US to have and produce this locality. Though I am not certain I'd venture to guess the founder pair are siblings/clutchmates. A 2-3hrs phone call to Nick would almost certainly provide clarification.
Unfortunately, unless AU changes its animal export laws in our lifetimes, we'll never have any other bloodlines to outcross pure locality Rockhamptons to or many other projects like my Brisbane coastals which are the only confidently pure M.s.mcdowelli in the US. They also trace back to a 1.1 founder pair which are likely clutchmates. I selected my pair from as distant sources as was possible for their hatch years (2018 and 2019) and they are first cousins.
All of the Tarahumara boas we have in the US trace back to similarly small groups of 1.1 founder animals. Though in the case of the Tarahumaras the founders were WC animals and stand a better chance of being at least slightly less related in theory.
The ethics, moral obligations, and biological outcomes of maintaining localities/species tracing back to such genetically limited founder stock is an interesting topic of discussion that deserves more air time that it currently receives in my opinion.
Reply With Quote