Chip
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒ&
Jared, I still take issue with the taxonomic split that made "great plains rats" a separate species from corns to begin with. They were the western variant of cornsnakes for decades, then a subspecies of corn, and now they are classified as a whole new species. The difference is duller coloration, *some* have odd belly checkering -almost like a diffused corn, and sometimes the eyes of *some* emoryi appear are more rounded. There's not a scale count or other physical characteristic that I am aware of that makes them possible to tell from a corn in a black and white photo.
Taxonomy is a weird thing. Some taxonomists are "lumpers" and others are "splitters." Meaning some of them tend to look for similarities when determining how closely related things are, and some look for differences to determine that they are farther apart. I haven't worked extensively with Great Plains rats, but I've had a few in my day, as well as some "rootbeers." But to call a creamsicle a hybrid in the same way you'd call a jungle corn a hybrid is just not honest. And I haven't read a post of the usual suspect I presume is quoting a lot and saying little, so apologies if this post is a bit off track.
Taxonomy is a weird thing. Some taxonomists are "lumpers" and others are "splitters." Meaning some of them tend to look for similarities when determining how closely related things are, and some look for differences to determine that they are farther apart. I haven't worked extensively with Great Plains rats, but I've had a few in my day, as well as some "rootbeers." But to call a creamsicle a hybrid in the same way you'd call a jungle corn a hybrid is just not honest. And I haven't read a post of the usual suspect I presume is quoting a lot and saying little, so apologies if this post is a bit off track.