Hybrids? Good, Bad or Ugly?

[Lisa]

What's your opinion on hybrid kings?

Like them? Dislike them? Don't care either way?

Why?

What about hybrids that happen naturally in the wild?

[Lisa]

Oh and by hybrid I mean the mixing of different species or sub species, such as corn and kings or different kings.

[crimsonking]

You're gonna open a can of worms here......LOL.......To me,some ARE pretty, and I do have alterna X thayeri, however I can find no match for a normal corn or king. IMHO mother nature has done o.k. by me.

[Lisa]

Originally posted by crimsonking
You're gonna open a can of worms here......LOL.......To me,some ARE pretty, and I do have alterna X thayeri, however I can find no match for a normal corn or king. IMHO mother nature has done o.k. by me.

Oh I know this. But I think a hot topic is a good thing.

Mother nature has made some hybrids of her own, for example, the Speckled King and Prarrie King have overlaping territory and you can see their mixxing naturally in the wild. Below is a speciman that one herper came across on his travels.

http://www.herpo.com/colubrids/getula_180.jpg

Where do you draw the line? Is it ok to intermingle different kings but not kings and milks (both closely related) or maybe milks and corns, or corns and rats? Or should natural localities be the deciding factor? Ie. florida kings and california kings would have very little likelyhood of intermingling due to geographic barriers but florida kings and corns have no such barrier. how about yellow and red rat snakes?

[Syst3m]

I try not to play mother nature or god as much as possible.

[Lisa]

Originally posted by Syst3m
I try not to play mother nature or god as much as possible.

But you already play god when you have your snake in captivity, you make sure your snake is on the winning end of the food chain, who it gets to mate with.

[SilverTongue]

I have no problem with any hybred unless it would cause harm to either animal or young. Some people say well you are creating snakes that couldnt naturally survive in X climate ect ect, but it is the same thing as getting melensthic (sp) and piebalds. Melensthic would be this first to die in the wild.. They can not cammo as well as natural colored snakes. Piebald snakes tent to form sores and blisters (mayby not every time) but still people are willing to pay 1000$+ for a piebald python or boa. Anyways that is just my 2cp worth

[sophia]

We personally have a very beautiful Columbian X Argentine, his colors are fantastic and WOW what a personality, he's just all around beautiful.

Tay

[Lisa]

Originally posted by Phillip
Like CrimsonKing said there are some nice looking ones out there but I would have to vote against it.

Too much potential for misrepresented babies in some cases where they favor the adults. Also like mentioned above Mother Nature has made plenty of awesome looking variety already.

Phil

Mother nature has made some of her own hybrids, as shown in the picture above (a prarrie / speckled king snake cross in the wild)

Of course, if some one is selling a hybrid they should label it as such.

[Katt]

I like hybrids, most of them. I don't like some hybrids. I don't believe in 75/25 crosses only 50/50 crosses, once we get into thayeri/pyro/ruthveni/alterna type crosses it hybridizing looses it's appeal and the snakes end up looking like one of the parent species.

Having said that I own a pair of jungle corns (cali-king x corn)

<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/kattia/junglehead.jpg">

[jay76]

I'd say for it to a point. As long as the result would be something different from either parent and doesn't look like something else that's available without hybriding, why not? A distinctive appearance and memorable common name would help keep them unconfused when offspring are sold