Quote Originally Posted by Dread

And bpkid and Boidfinatic, do you have anything other than opinions to contribute to the hybridization discussion? The thread is titled "Ethics of Hybrids" and while the discussion didn't delve deeply into the deontological or axiological ethics of the human actions of creating hybrids, please feel free to treat us with your reasoned musings on this topic.

For example, what makes geographical convenience of hybridization "better" than human-facilitated pairings of different snake species? What geographical ranges are we talking here? Current? Evolutionary? Pre-mankind?

And what makes artificial insemination morally "worse" than snakes mating themselves? Is the technique offensive to your sensibilities? Is the fact that it is behaviour and not physiology that prevents viable off-spring bothersome?
Why intervene with the natural breeding habits of the specimens? If their current ranges don't overlap, then it obviously wouldn't occur naturally. Would these animals serve a purpose in their ecosystem the way they are? In the case of regius x brongersmai, how is the nature of one snake compatible withg the other? Are the ball's lungs meant to handle high humidity ranges? A majority of balls occur in the western deserts of Africa where humidity doesn't exceed semi-arid levels. Other than this example, there may be numerous complications with hybridizing two unlike species.