Hybrid Photo Thread

[Spankenstyne]

ive had hybrids...im not into them but in reality they dont harm anything, theyve been around just as long as any other captive bred reptile.
Ive been told by Scott Felzer that they ruin the market...lol really? Have they? To each his own.

To be honest it can to a degree, and in other species it has. At least on the level of not knowing with much certaintly how "true" the lines really are, and it usually goes hand in hand with the morph scene. Look at Corn snakes, same goes with Pituophis and some Milks & Kings. It hasn't really happened much with Garters and imo it's mainly due to the lack of a lot of designer morphs available and general interest in Garters as a whole. It's important at this stage to be as diligent as we can about keeping them pure, it doesn't take much to muddy the waters & hopefully more folks realize this and do what they can to avoid it.

I don't have a problem with them if honestly represented, as you say to each their own, but I steer well clear of them in my collection. The problem is introduction into the breeding pool, intentional or not. If there were inexpensive sterilization solutions it would be less of a concern.

[Greg'sGarters]

Can we all agree on this at least? If you have hybrid garters, keep them to yourself and don't let them breed. From reading everyone's perspectives, I think that that seems fair.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Can we all agree on this at least? If you have hybrid garters, keep them to yourself and don't let them breed. From reading everyone's perspectives, I think that that seems fair.

I would definitely cull them before I kept them all if I had a litter somehow. You can only go so long before they start to tax on your resources and take up space that you just don't have. I will always feed off anything I cull. At least I would have plenty of snakes to feed them to... I also save stillborns and use them as feeders also. But if an animal dies on it's own in my care, I don't feed it to anything, aside maybe my centipede. Too many variables as to why it may have died, I'd rather not run the risk.

[BUSHSNAKE]

To be honest it can to a degree, and in other species it has. At least on the level of not knowing with much certaintly how "true" the lines really are, and it usually goes hand in hand with the morph scene. Look at Corn snakes, same goes with Pituophis and some Milks & Kings. It hasn't really happened much with Garters and imo it's mainly due to the lack of a lot of designer morphs available and general interest in Garters as a whole. It's important at this stage to be as diligent as we can about keeping them pure, it doesn't take much to muddy the waters & hopefully more folks realize this and do what they can to avoid it.

I don't have a problem with them if honestly represented, as you say to each their own, but I steer well clear of them in my collection. The problem is introduction into the breeding pool, intentional or not. If there were inexpensive sterilization solutions it would be less of a concern.

Oh god there are a ton of lines, most of the early classics, that are completely lost as far as purity goes. Brooks kings are a good example. They have a tiny natural range and im suppose believe that all those morphs came from the wild...hahaha yeah right!!! Its sad but i dont know how harmfull it really is. I like facts not speculation. Follow the Morelia hobby much?? Its crazy mixed, i would like to get some pure darwins before they become polluted lol

But hey thats why wildcaughts are important to our hobby...or i should say important to me and everyone who captive breed snakes

[Greg'sGarters]

But hey thats why wildcaughts are important to our hobby...or i should say important to me and everyone who captive breed snakes

That and to keep the bloodline strong. Just look at what happened to the Lucy Texas Rats.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

That and to keep the bloodline strong. Just look at what happened to the Lucy Texas Rats.

what exactly happened to them? They certainly aren't weak.... the only thing to complain about is the nasty bug eyed thing. All it would take is culling the bug eyed babies at birth and continual outcrossing.

[Spankenstyne]

Oh god there are a ton of lines, most of the early classics, that are completely lost as far as purity goes. Brooks kings are a good example. They have a tiny natural range and im suppose believe that all those morphs came from the wild...hahaha yeah right!!! Its sad but i dont know how harmfull it really is. I like facts not speculation. Follow the Morelia hobby much?? Its crazy mixed, i would like to get some pure darwins before they become polluted lol

But hey thats why wildcaughts are important to our hobby...or i should say important to me and everyone who captive breed snakes

Yep that's what I'm getting at, don't even get me started on Morelia haha. I was in a rush when I posted but they are definitely one of the worst, and all for "designer morphs". Same with all the "white sided" kings, originally it was crossed in from Black Ratsnakes. The scariest part of hybrids is the chance of re-introduction into wild populations either through escape or intentional release.

[Greg'sGarters]

I honestly don't think that there is a problem with hybrids. When it becomes a problem is when people end up selling the hybrids. I would say that if they accidentally breed, don't sell them. Keep them within your collection and don't breed them. If you can't keep them, I run an unofficial Thamnophis rescue and I would be more than happy to take them in, and I can assure you that they will not be bred, but they won't be treated any different than any other garter, they will receive the same amount of love and care. Most people will say that they are against hybrids, but honestly, those people, INCLUDING ME, just don't want people to think that hybrids are ok to sell. THEY ARE NOT OK TO SELL!!!

[BUSHSNAKE]

i thought of transfering the albino gene from parietalis to fitchi...just for fun:P
Im a diehard purist but i thought it still would be cool

[Stefan-A]

I have to disagree. Hybrids should be treated like a contagion and be destroyed as soon as possible.