Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy_G
Do you think new blood gets introduced to the galapagos islands all the time? Island locality boas? Locality animals in general? They are distinct largely as a result of related animals with the same distinct attributes interbreeding with each other. Why it is that we have a problem with it in captivity when it happens VERY often everywhere in the wild? Is it because people get stuck on the whole "morph" thing? Just semantics? It's something I don't understand. Inbreeding is natural for these and many other animals. Anyone who denies this musn't have thought things through.
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Which is why I specifically said "... but maybe that's just because I don't know enough about genetics in reptile breeding." I think most people, myself included, view inbreeding from a human standpoint because that's where we've been taught it's a bad thing. It can cause numerous health problems, deformities and death. You've seen Deliverance, right? (if blind, scaleless snakes ever end up playing a mean banjo, we'll know we've taken things too far).
As for inbreeding amongst wild animals, it can get pretty crazy!:
"Adactylidium: The single male offspring mite mates with all the daughters when they are still in the mother. The females, now impregnated, cut holes in their mother's body so that they can emerge to find new thrips eggs. The male emerges as well, but does not look for food or new mates, and dies after a few hours. The females die at the age of 4 days, when their own offspring eat them alive from the inside." (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inbreeding
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