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I'm not against hybrids in theory. It has done wonders for the dog world for centuries. Where it becomes an issue in something that has no checks and balances, such as breeding reptiles, is that it can destroy a breed in the pure form. I'll use diamond pythons for an example. They had been very expensive, although somewhat less so now. There are also a tone of "Diamond Carpets" out there now, where they cross a diamond with another less expensive carpet. It cuts down on the investment, and in some cases produces a diamond with brighter yellows. It also allows less trustworthy breeders to sell hybrids as pure diamonds. On another forum the story was relayed of a breeder at a show pulling a "Diamond Carpet" sign off a snake and replacing it with a "100% Pure Diamond" sign, as the show neared the end and they wanted to move it. I have nothing against diamond carpets, per se, but if I am spending top dollar on a snake it should be what I expect it to be. In addition, if it is misrepresented to me, and I go ahead and breed it, now I am misleading others unknowingly.

Now, I am not in any way insinuating Doug Dix or any other of the leading uro breeders have any intention of misleading anyone. There are some diamond python breeders I too would trust wholeheartedly. The door is open for some lesser individuals to jeopardize the entire captive breed however. And for the record, not one person I have either talked to or e-mailed in my quest for uros is someone I wouldn't trust. As more people get involved in the trade, however, who knows about the others?

Jeff

Hi. I read on another forum that some people are breeding the red phase Saharan with the yellow phase. This isn't a big issue in itself because it is the same species and possibly there are areas in the wild where this happens naturally. There was something I also saw about Monitor lizards. There is a hybrid called a tri color and there was also a cross between Varanus Gouldi and some other I can't remember. The result supposedly is a smaller, more colorful Monitor. I know it seems the attraction for people to keep Egyptian Uros is their large size. As mentioned in another post here, if you could cross an Egyptian Uro with a colorful species, I would think that would be a pretty good sales ploy. A large colorful lizard with a better captive temperment than a Monitor lizard.

I agree with you. There are many cases where I support it completely. An Egyptian Uro with ornate colors could be an awesome uro. It would also be hard to misrepresent. The possibility of misrepresentation is my only real concern. Remove that from the equation, and I am fine with it. A reputable breeder with any combination is the answer in about every case. I was just pointing out one possible negative side affect. In reality my concerns are moot anyway, because there is nothing keeping anyone from trying to mix breeds at anytime. We just have to be careful, and try to police the trade ourselves.

Jeff

Hi. Hey Jeff there seems to be some confusion in the reptile trade from time to time. One that comes to mind is a lizard commonly available known as the Mountain Horned Dragon. This lizard has a few species in the trade and some dealers give up on trying to identify the species they have and put spp. after the name. This isn't really a misrepresentation as such because you can still call it a Mountain Horned Dragon. Makes it tough to sex them for breeding though. But I agree with your point when the dealer knows what he has and sells it as something else for a higher profit. I know some of the designer Bearded Dragons have lengthy blood line descriptions. Things like 100% heterosexual, hyper active, from Joe shomoe's Alizerian crimson possible hat X Eleanor Rigby blue balls melanistic Italian leather sofa back.