Interspecies relations?

[askaboutrep]

Can a veiled mate with a Jackson's, or any other different chameleon species? I am sure they could probably do the deed, but would they, and could any babies come from it??

[thunder]

veiled and jackson's are not terribly closely related, so i wouldnt bet on that cross. ive never heard of a hybrid chameleon, but its perfectly possible that there is one.

[DragnDrop]

There are some people who intentionally make hybrids but it's not such a great idea. Considering how fast wild chams are dying out, let's keep the species pure.
In case you hadn't realized it, in your example, you're suggesting mating and egg layer and a live bearer, which just wouldn't work no matter what.

[vipervenom]

I completely disagree with interbreeding even with different locales of the same species. It just complicates the bloodline and eventually it will be impossible to get a pure bred Nosy Be. Also you would be doing what nature didn't intend to, and thus complicating the bloodlines even more, please do not attempt this. But I am glad youa sked for other users to understand.

[askaboutrep]

I guess part of the reason I asked is because I was thinking of getting another chameleon. I have a small female veiled, and was wondering if there are any complications keeping a smaller breed with her. Maybe a pair even. She is maybe half the size of a normal adult female veiled.

[dank7oo]

With her. No. Do not do it.

Jason

[DragnDrop]

If by " keeping a smaller breed with her" you mean in the same enclosure, DEFINITELY not. Chams are solitary animals for the most part, even those species who live in groups in the wild stay far enough away from each other for personal space. In captivity they should never be kept together (except for the small terrestrial species which have exceptions to this rule).
Never keep the larger arboreal species in pairs (or groups) except for mating purposes, and never ever mix species.

[askaboutrep]

Ok...judging from the tone of your responses, that idea is out of the question. She just looks so bored.

[vipervenom]

Haha, to youshe does, to her she's doing what she always does. They are solitary by nature and will be very stressed with anohter animal within the same cage.

[askaboutrep]

Its so hard not to give them human characteristics.

[galad]

NOt that I want anyone to make a hybrid chameleon

But if they did they would not really be effecting any bloodlines because hybrids are infertile.

But breeding locals of panther would affect bloodlines and i hate people who do it. Not only do they cross locals but some of them do not label them as a cross. This is where problemes arise.

[vipervenom]

They are? Well well, I didn't know that. But back to one of my points, why? Why create a cross when nature would have never permitted it in the wild?

Yes but then agian they may not be marked as what locale etc, and then that person thinks they have a pure nosey be, a few clutches later could show up some odd colours and then, like I said, it may eventually be impossible to get pure bred locales and such.

[newticus]

Not all hybrids are sterile. Because people don't know this even more problems arise.
As an example, wolves (canis lupis) and dogs (canis familiaris) hybridize into a fertile malamute
albino kingsnakes and albino corn snakes also make feritle offspring.
and appearently a killer whale and dolphin can make fertile offspring.
the sterility of a hybrid depends a lot on how many chromasommes each genera has.
Horses and donkeys make infertile offspring because horses have 64 chromasommes and donkey's have 62. Mules have 63. They are infertile because their odd chromasomme has no pair during miosis.

[Gregg M]

Not all hybrids are infertile..... There are plenty of hybrids that are viable and give birth to viable young..... Hybrids are a real threat to captive populations because they can take over pure blood animals or make them harder to come by...... Also hybrids come with a bunch of other health issues including skeletal structure deformities most often found in the skull, intestinal and other soft tissue defects and somtimes infertility....

They can pollute the captive gene pool and cause these defects to snowball.....

Hybrids are bad news to the herp world..... Some will argue the fact and say stuff like "hybrid vigor"..... Hybrid vigor is a term coined by dog breeders when they outcross a pure bred into another breed to strengthen the genetics..... But as we all know, all breeds of dog are the same species so in actuality crossing breeds of dog, does not create hybrids..... It creates mutts....

Crossing reptiles of different species or even subspecies is a totally different ball game.....

If there was some sort of benefit to the offspring by breeding two different species together I would not have that much of a problem with it....

The only reason snake or reptile hybrids are created is to line the pockets of greedy breeders...... Plain and simple..... It is a selfish act and does nothing for the hobby but to help pollute the captive bloodlines......

[dank7oo]

Well .. the last two posts take care of my first point ... enough said.

i hate people who do it

I hate people who make sweeping generalizations.

Jason