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Originally posted by Seamus Haley
There exists an uncertainty about what the animal will be represented as after it passes out of your hands... or the hands of the one who obtains it next... or it's offspring. genetic contamination of the entire species only takes ONE person being less than honest.
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That is the case with every animal that is bred in captivity. Boa constrictor and its subspecies is a good example. Most of these boa's are crossed subspecies. This has not harmed the wild populations.
And you assume I will breed with this snake. That is not the case.
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They are not even in the same genus.
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That is something which is not important. Genera are made up by humans. Look how often these generic or species names are changed.
My guess is that extensive dna-research will show that they are very closely related.
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The ranges don't even overlap. Not even close.
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I agree. But I was talking about escaped specimen from both species.
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Interfertility in captivity isn't a legitimate indicator of natural production of hybrids, there exist intrinsic isolating mechanisms in the snake's behavioral patterns and instinctive mate choices which prevent them, in addition to physical problems.
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Where do you base this on? When two species interbreed and their young are fertile (I know they are at least for five generations), they must be very closely related.
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If animals were crossing in the wild, then the taxonomy would need to be revised in such a way so that the two current species both became subspecific designations of the same species.
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This is only a matter of time, I guess. Look at the recent change in generic namegiving in American Elaphes. This will never stop.
As I said... it's the work of human.
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A single species may split into a number of subspecies that have reccognized differences which may then further adapt and cease to interbreed... leaving two species where there existed only one before. The reverse is not true.
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I don't agree with this. This would mean that evrything in the wild goes as if it is planned. There is chaos out there. I agree with your opinion above about splitting up in subspecies and becoming species.
But this does not rule out oyher possibilities. There is no proof for this, as far as I know.
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No, but it's owner can. Euthanize it as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the larger gene pool.
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This is rubbish. One should NEVER kill a healthy animal for no good reason. And being an interbred specimen IS NOT A GOOD REASON.
The Germans wanted to do something like this (
ensure the safety of the larger gene pool) sixty years ago.
Blond and blue eyes... remember?
Friendly greetings from the Netherlands