New snake incoming!

[guidofatherof5]

The purest in me doesn't even care.
No offense.

[RedSidedSPR]

I don't want anyone to do it, Didn't mean that

[guidofatherof5]

I don't want anyone to do it, Didn't mean that

Never thought you did.

[Bart]

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/gene...sis-diary.html

Link to Izy's diary.

[ConcinusMan]

That would be Thamnophis to Thamnophis cross-breeding.
I've never heard of it, even by mistake.

I think that physical differences might make it impossible. I know that northwesterns cannot breed with T. sirtalis'. It's physically impossible. Not only are the pheromones all wrong for attraction, but the hemipenes won't fit properly.

[kibakiba]

That doesn't stop Snakey. When I kept him with Runt and Snap, he courted Snap all the time. He really loves her.

[d_virginiana]

Houdini once tried to court the curly laurel stick sitting outside Harley's cage 8x In his defense, Harley had been crawling all over it, he's probably a very frustrated guy, and I think he may be nearly blind... He was very cranky after he realized what was actually going on. He'd probably try to mate with another subspecies if he could

Do different subspecies ever interbreed in the wild? I know it couldn't happen often or there'd be no distinction between the subspecies.. Just wondering if it had ever been recorded.

[ConcinusMan]

Yes, it has happened. Different subspecies technically are the same species anyway. Such as puget sound garter and Oregon red spotted. They are both T. sirtalis and dang near identical genetically since it hasn't been very long, in geological time, since the two became separated.

But actual crossing of species in the wild happens occasionally. Such as T. marcianus and T. radix. Checkereds and plains garters in particular seem to frequently interbreed with other species of garter snake.

These were bred and born in captivity recently (unintentionally) and are T. sirtalis concinnus X T. marcianus. (Oregon Red Spotted X Checkered) Now that's a true hybrid of two completely different species. That's a bit different than crossing two subspecies.



As you can see, there's really no reason to cross garters. I'm against it. There's just enough beautiful garters out there that are pure, especially when you consider all the different mutations and morphs out there. There's no reason to believe anything spectacular or desirable can come from crossing them. Indeed, nothing great has ever come of it.

[d_virginiana]

Yes, cute babies, but no more so than any other garters. I agree, there's really no reason to cross-breed them; in fact, it seems like that would make it harder to get some of the really distinct, astounding morphs that lots of people really seem to like? A bit counterproductive...

[kibakiba]

Those were an accident, not on purpose. But they are so adorable. I want one of them.