Hybrid Photo Thread

[Greg'sGarters]

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

Please explain.

I agree, I wouldn't condone breeding for hybrids but I wouldn't mind adopting one that needed a home. As long as the person you give them to understands they can't be reproduced or sold. What's the point in killing the poor thing?

I agree, I wouldn't recommend it but I don't think that they're a problem until they get sold.

[Greg'sGarters]

Genetic protection.

But what if they don't get sold and they never get bred? I mean it is still a snake. I think that it deserves the right to life, but they SHOULD NEVER BE BRED. If they are not bred, then you would still be protecting the gene pool.

[thamneil]

But what if they don't get sold and they never get bred? I mean it is still a snake. I think that it deserves the right to life, but they SHOULD NEVER BE BRED. If they are not bred, then you would still be protecting the gene pool.

Stuff happens. I'd like to think that everyone in the hobby was at our level of understanding but we cannot make that assumption. Hybrids are a danger to both captive bloodlines and possibly wild ones too. They should either be destroyed or kept by whoever created them.

[Stefan-A]

I agree, I wouldn't condone breeding for hybrids but I wouldn't mind adopting one that needed a home. As long as the person you give them to understands they can't be reproduced or sold. What's the point in killing the poor thing?

Well, you can't guarantee that it won't escape or that you or the next owner will be able to keep it for the rest of its life. If you have to give it up, for example due to new legislation, a need to move to another area where keeping garters is illegal, illness, injury, running into financial problems or whatever else, you can't guarantee that the next owner will be as responsible as you. The moment they leave your hands, they are completely beyond your control.

I would find sterilization an acceptable alternative to euthanasia.

[guidofatherof5]

I understand the mindset of culling them out.
A culled snake will NEVER breed and pass on the hybrid genes.
I value life above all and would have a very difficult time culling a group of snakes but I do see the importance of doing it.

[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.

[guidofatherof5]

I think the best you're going to get is that we can agree to disagree.

I couldn't cull a group of babies but I understand those that could.

[Greg'sGarters]

Just to put this out there - I run an unofficial garter rescue, so anyone who has any hybrids that doesn't want them, I urge you to send them to me instead of culling them. They will be cared for like a normal garter, loved like a normal garter, and WILL NOT BE BRED!!!!!!!!!!! So if you have any and are looking to get rid of them, PM me.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Just to put this out there - I run an unofficial garter rescue, so anyone who has any hybrids that doesn't want them, I urge you to send them to me instead of culling them. They will be cared for like a normal garter, loved like a normal garter, and WILL NOT BE BRED!!!!!!!!!!! So if you have any and are looking to get rid of them, PM me.

you don't have unlimited resources, Greg.