anti-morphs

[shhhli]

so while researching the difference between bci & bcc (i am terribly in the 'no-clue' zone there)

i come upon this site
http://www.boa-constrictors.com/com/com.html

and i'm like okay great. it shows the difference. well i scroll down to the bottom of the page and read this:

We are also opposed to the production of "artificial boas", as it happens in the U.S. in many places. Boa constrictor with various genetic faults are bred among themselves there, in order to produce "snowboas, jungleboas, chain-linkboas, ghostboas and so on..."

This is not our thing. Therefore we will not publish pictures of such "artificial boas" on our website. For more information just click the button

which leads you to this:
http://www.boa-constrictors.com/com/...eds/morphs.htm

and at the bottom is a letter from an american on how he dislikes morphs. i'm glad that all the information on this page is so one sided the page practically leans over.

i loved this bit:

In general, the probability of two specimens with such genetic defects (amelanism, anerythrism, and axanthism are just that) to meet in the wild is almost null. The creation of such an animal is possible in a captive environment only.

This is done out of pure commercial interest, and there is no limit when it comes to naming these “artificial mutants”.

He/She kills me by alluding initially that god-forbid, should these animals go extinct, none of these animals in captivity will be 'normals' they'll all just be these hideous deformed mutant. If i were going to take a stance against a big part of a hobby that i was into, i would actually take a small bit of time to understand the process? To assume we'll never have normals of any type of snake is laughable at most.

also:
i know this pertains to boa constrictors, but i feel it is applicable to any snake we keep & breed.

[Ginevive]

That is pretty dumb.
Some people are almost militant in their ignorance. (not saying that the military is ignorant. Just saying, some people are so strictly ignorant that their rigidy is like that of the military.)

[SPJ]

He is a purist who wants to deal with only locale specific pure animals where the lineage can be traced for several generations all the way back to the original imported animal.

There are a lot who prefer locality and pure boas over the morphs especially when it means breeding different sub species to develop one of those morphs.

[lillyorchid]

That person is pretty ignorant in knowledge. If they knew anything they would then know that morphs aka mutant snakes have been "popping up" in the wild for years. If it were not for the wild caught morphs, we would not have all the cool morphs we have today in any of the reptile species.

[ladywhipple02]

He is a purist who wants to deal with only locale specific pure animals where the lineage can be traced for several generations all the way back to the original imported animal.

There are a lot who prefer locality and pure boas over the morphs especially when it means breeding different sub species to develop one of those morphs.

Okay, I can understand that. I have a lot of respect for people breeding pure lines (Gus Rentfro's snakes are to die for!). But don't put down morphs. THAT part is ignorant and small-minded.

You don't see us putting down people that breed only non-morph boas.

[shhhli]

He is a purist who wants to deal with only locale specific pure animals where the lineage can be traced for several generations all the way back to the original imported animal.

There are a lot who prefer locality and pure boas over the morphs especially when it means breeding different sub species to develop one of those morphs.

Is it required to cross localities to produce the morphs? would it be impossible to produce say a pure anery bci with no other localities in the blood?

[ladywhipple02]

Is it required to cross localities to produce the morphs? would it be impossible to produce say a pure anery bci with no other localities in the blood?

Sure, the possibility's there.

The fact is, at some point, all boas were wild caught. And, because many boa species cross locality lines, there's really no way someone can say their boa is 100% totally pure this or that.

I think what SPJ was getting at, however, was that many people are breeding BCC's or BCO's into BCI lines to bring out different colors. For instance, breeding a pink Suriname BCC into a hypo BCI line to bring out more reds and pinks. A lot of people frown on blending these lines for color.

[greenmonkey51]

If you buy from the right people and research lines you can get pure localities.

[ladywhipple02]

Can I throw something else out here that just struck me?


Weren't all species of snake, at one time, simply one snake? And from this one species of snake---because of mutation and continental drift and population exile and who knows what else---we now have thousands of species of snakes?

Evolution aided by human intervention is still evolution.

[wolfy-hound]

I've run into several people who are RABIDLY against "mutants" or morphs. I can't see it. As long as the animal is healthy, I don't mind.
Why the purists have to bash those that like morphs is beyond me. I never thought badly of someone that wants to ONLY breed the locality of one species. I'm always confused why they feel the need to bash morphs. In fact.. some locality types could even be considered a subtle morph couldn't they? It's just a small genetic population.. sort of like a.. recessive gene? Not a huge difference.
At any rate, I've never understood the hatred. To each their own.