Line Breeding

[Chadleystar]

I am curious on peoples thoughts on line breeding to achive particular traits in a reptile. Do you think it is healthy for the reptiles? Does it effectivly reduce the gene pools the reptile? How much importance is placed on breeding reptiles to get something unique to offer the Herp market?

I am not having ago at any line breeders in fact would love to hear from some of them in this thread I simply just want to pose the question as someone new coming into reptiles and hopefully one day becoming a successful breeder.

 

[pythonmum]

Line breeding reduces genetic diversity because you are trying to fix a particular trait or combination of traits. The type of trait has a large effect. If it's a simple dominant or recessive like albino or jag/RPM, then you can introduce more genetic diversity (outcross) and still reliably get your trait. If you are going for a more complex trait such as super stripes, you have to do more inbreeding. A careful breeder will try to keep as wide a gene pool as possible and will introduce new, unrelated animals with the trait. Snakes seem to tolerate inbreeding quite well and we don't have strictly limited gene pools like purebred dogs, so hopefully you won't end up with a problem. It takes a lot of animals and many years to successfully develop new morphs.

 

[Chadleystar]

So if it is done correctly then there is no harm. Its interesting, I wounder how much pressure is placed on breeders to come up with that perfect trait for the Herp market? Or if its just a breeders interest to see if breeding in a trait and stay through a line over an extended period of time.

 

[pythonmum]

The 'perfect trait' for the market changes much quicker than you can develop a good line of animals. Some people will try to breed for profit and this may work if they get into the game early enough. Most who develop the more complex traits do so because they are interested in seeing what they can produce and because they like the look of the animals. If you want to get into breeding, find something that you will enjoy keeping even if there is no profit - because that is the most likely scenario! Regard any profit as a bonus and a down payment on the next enclosure or animal (it's a very addictive hobby). I'm trying my hand at breeding albinos because I absolutely love them. If my beauties don't produce a clutch I'll be disappointed, but will still get lots of enjoyment out of the animals. If I was desperate to turn a profit, I'd be a basket case by now and it would destroy my love of the animals. The price is dropping by about 50% per year at the moment, so it's certainly not a good outlook for making big sums of money.

 

[caustichumor]

To see how hardy reptile genetics can be, you merely have to visit the pacific island of guam. The unintentionally introduced Brown Tree Snake has multiplied to a massive population from a limited amount of stowaway animals, so the entire population of 100000 or more animals all evolved from maybe a handfull of interbreeding animals, (and by all accounts they have not shown any genetic degradation with such limited genetic diversity.) However it only takes one defective gene, and interbreeding can cause problems, some coveted (like albinism) others can prove unwanted or even fatal to the offspring....

 

[Chadleystar]

Thanks so much for the info, I see a lot of line breeding done in the states and other countries and was simply curious if this is the way Australia will go with its reptiles as from what I read and see we are heading down that path already. If there is a decrease in market value of 50% like suggested at some stage this has to come to a halt, and I surpose this will come with supply and demand. I guess that is why line breeding traits is so interesting as it provides diversity to a market that seems to already be declining in $$ value but also provides breeders who have a love of reptiles and are breeding becuase they enjoy doing something they love.

 

[aussie-albino]

Hi Chadleystar, that in the end is what it is about, doing it for the love and admiration of reptiles, very few ever make much money, and money in the end is probably a wrong reason to get into breeding reptiles. It takes many years and a bit of knowledge to successfully produce animals to a stage where they are noticably different. Generally as said above snakes unlike mammals are resilient to line breeding, and it is very exciting from my perspective each year to see what pops out of my python eggs.

cheers
Scott