Can You.......

[Snakeknot]

Can you breed a Puget Sound garter to a Florida blue???? And if so what would be the result?????

Just curious.

Devon

[infernalis]

The result would be a hybrid... highly frowned upon.

They are two entirely different subspecies.

[Nafun]

Wouldn't different subspecies be an integrade?
(Yeah, yeah, I know garter keepers think integrade is a 4 letter word, just like hybrid)

[infernalis]

I believe that the general consensus is that intigrades occur in the wild when two subspecies from the same area mate without help from man.

Since Florida blues are from the opposite side of the nation than Puget sound garters, they would certainly never meet in the wild without interference by man.

[Snakeknot]

Ah! So same thing as breeding a corn snake with a rat snake. Some love it, some hate it. Somehow I knew that would break some rule. But, as I said, I was just curious. I thought maybe they were the kind of snakes that didn't do well together like wanderings.

Hybrids seem to be controversial everywhere you go, whether its dogs, horses or even snakes.

Devon

[gartermorphs]

Can you breed a Puget Sound garter to a Florida blue???? And if so what would be the result?????

Just curious.

Devon

even though it would be a hybrid i would be very interested on what it would look like!

[Stefan-A]

Wouldn't different subspecies be an integrade?

Nein. Intergrade is not a "mild form" of hybrid.

[Jeff B]

hybrid=worthless mutt

with absolutely no predictible inheritance or phenotype pattern, very muddy genetics forever downstream. Just my oppinion.

[ConcinusMan]

We've been through this discussion many times. Don't do it.

And I've come to the conclusion that the term "intergrade" refers only to wild snakes, in areas where 2 subspecies ranges overlap, and it applies to a snake that shows traits of both subspecies. That doesn't necessarily mean that it is a hybrid of the two, but that it shares traits of both subspecies and is found in an area where both subspecies occur.

You certainly could breed a Puget Sound garter to a Florida blue but the results would be unpredictable and it is not desirable to do so. If you want surprises in your litters then breed snakes that are polymorphic such as T. ordinoides or breed two very different looking eastern garters found in the same polymorphic population.

[Snakeknot]

Since I am no where near experienced enough to be breeding anything nor do I have a breeding pair of any type of snake, ( except for the corns but I don't believe in teen aged brides! ) I don't think I will be doing it now, if ever. As I said I was just curious. I've gotten enough judgement from breeding my Haflinger stallion to a Thoroughbred mare to make a "sport pony". I tend to fish for answers simply to educate myself on the whys and why nots so that I can make more informed decisions or know what roads NOT to take before finding out the hard way. If I've given anyone the wrong idea about me, I'm sorry.

Devon