Carpe Serpentis
Hybrid Snake Lover
I have been reading with much gusto comments made by many purists about how corn snakes in the hobby are being contaminated by hybrid snakes. Some have stated that the damage is done and it is very hard to tell or impossible to tell when a corn snake is less than 6% hybrid. If one buys a corn snake at a pet store or a breeder for that matter and a complete lineage going back to its wild caught ancestors is not supplied how are we to know if that snake is pure or not? Suffice it to say, if the wild caught corn snake has hybrid ancestry some 20 generations back we may never know for certain, but its the best we can do to label those as wild caught and assume their purity?
My point for all of this is to ask, how many serious breeders can trace the lineage of all their snakes all the way back to wild caught origins?
What morphs are available that one can buy from these breeders that come complete with their lineages traced all the way back to wild caught specimens?
Is this lineage available to patrons so they too may continue to track the complete lineage of their corn snakes?
I think this is valuable information to share as many are interested in keeping pure corns and without being able to trace the lineage of all corn snakes involved in a breeding back to wild caught one can never be 100% certain they are pure corn snakes. I'm forgiving the obvious examples of possible hybrid snakes being introduced from the wild when they are not known or suspected as these can not be known with absolute certainty.
Any input for those that would like to know where to purchase pure species corns with such a pedigree going back to wild caught specimens?
I'm particularly interested in knowing which morphs are available in specimens that can be traced back to the wild as well. I know there is a wealth of information that many of you share in regards to this.
Perhaps, each breeder who can trace the lineage of their snakes back to wild caught specimens could simply list the morphs they have available that can be traced back to the wild and whether they would be willing to sell snakes with the lineage included back to wild caught specimens?
My point for all of this is to ask, how many serious breeders can trace the lineage of all their snakes all the way back to wild caught origins?
What morphs are available that one can buy from these breeders that come complete with their lineages traced all the way back to wild caught specimens?
Is this lineage available to patrons so they too may continue to track the complete lineage of their corn snakes?
I think this is valuable information to share as many are interested in keeping pure corns and without being able to trace the lineage of all corn snakes involved in a breeding back to wild caught one can never be 100% certain they are pure corn snakes. I'm forgiving the obvious examples of possible hybrid snakes being introduced from the wild when they are not known or suspected as these can not be known with absolute certainty.
Any input for those that would like to know where to purchase pure species corns with such a pedigree going back to wild caught specimens?
I'm particularly interested in knowing which morphs are available in specimens that can be traced back to the wild as well. I know there is a wealth of information that many of you share in regards to this.
Perhaps, each breeder who can trace the lineage of their snakes back to wild caught specimens could simply list the morphs they have available that can be traced back to the wild and whether they would be willing to sell snakes with the lineage included back to wild caught specimens?