RE: Interracial Dating
I see these types of debates about hybrids occur on the tropical fish boards. I also see essentially the same two arguments for or against.
The argument against, "We should strive to maintain the integrity of each individual species, particularly for those species that are becoming scarce in the wild."
The arguments for, "Doesn't hybridization occur naturally in the wild anyway? Is there really anything wrong with creating new species? Don't we mix as humans?"
The general consensus on most of the tropical fish forums is that its acceptable to hyrbidize only if you're going to keep them for yourself and not give away hybrids or release them into the wild.
I've also seen in clarified many times when the human example is thrown in: a caucasian man having children with a woman of african ancestry is not hybridization. The children are still pure Homo sapiens. Similarly breeding a Dachsund to a Jack Russell Terrier still produces a full blooded Canis lupus (cross breeding two different breeds of dog is not the same as hybridization of two different species of animal within the same Family or Genus).
As for species integrity, one of the biggest arguments given in the tropical fish world are the various species of fish originating from Lake Victoria in Africa. Most of those fish are extinct or near extinct because the Nile Perch was introduced to the lake. Fish enthusiasts argue that the Lake Victoria cichlids should never be hybridized, since aquarists own the last remnant populations for most of these fish. I tend to agree with that. But for the guppies, mollies, swordtails, and other very common Central and South American cichlids; is some hybridization acceptable as long as those populations are contained? I tend to agree with that too.
In the case of turtles and tortoises, a similar argument can be made for several species. Either through habitat encroachment by man, overcollection for the food trade, or overcollection for the animal trade. Imagine if Ploughshares, Radiateds, or Spiders in captivity were used for interspecies breeding. If the offspring looked very similar to the adults, unscrupulous sellers could sell them to unknowing buyers as pure specimens and dilute the genes of the captive population. Someday, some of these species (the Ploughshare in particular), will likely only exist in captive populations.
I've seen one retailer with a huge online presence selling Travancore/Elongated crosses for half the price that they sell pure Travancores. At least from the pics posted on their site, the crosses look the same as the pure. For an animal with a IUCN Vulnerable status, and relative scarcity in the United States, imagine someone buying these hybrids, doubling their price and selling them as pure just for the sake of cashing in.
I see these types of debates about hybrids occur on the tropical fish boards. I also see essentially the same two arguments for or against.
The argument against, "We should strive to maintain the integrity of each individual species, particularly for those species that are becoming scarce in the wild."
The arguments for, "Doesn't hybridization occur naturally in the wild anyway? Is there really anything wrong with creating new species? Don't we mix as humans?"
The general consensus on most of the tropical fish forums is that its acceptable to hyrbidize only if you're going to keep them for yourself and not give away hybrids or release them into the wild.
I've also seen in clarified many times when the human example is thrown in: a caucasian man having children with a woman of african ancestry is not hybridization. The children are still pure Homo sapiens. Similarly breeding a Dachsund to a Jack Russell Terrier still produces a full blooded Canis lupus (cross breeding two different breeds of dog is not the same as hybridization of two different species of animal within the same Family or Genus).
As for species integrity, one of the biggest arguments given in the tropical fish world are the various species of fish originating from Lake Victoria in Africa. Most of those fish are extinct or near extinct because the Nile Perch was introduced to the lake. Fish enthusiasts argue that the Lake Victoria cichlids should never be hybridized, since aquarists own the last remnant populations for most of these fish. I tend to agree with that. But for the guppies, mollies, swordtails, and other very common Central and South American cichlids; is some hybridization acceptable as long as those populations are contained? I tend to agree with that too.
In the case of turtles and tortoises, a similar argument can be made for several species. Either through habitat encroachment by man, overcollection for the food trade, or overcollection for the animal trade. Imagine if Ploughshares, Radiateds, or Spiders in captivity were used for interspecies breeding. If the offspring looked very similar to the adults, unscrupulous sellers could sell them to unknowing buyers as pure specimens and dilute the genes of the captive population. Someday, some of these species (the Ploughshare in particular), will likely only exist in captive populations.
I've seen one retailer with a huge online presence selling Travancore/Elongated crosses for half the price that they sell pure Travancores. At least from the pics posted on their site, the crosses look the same as the pure. For an animal with a IUCN Vulnerable status, and relative scarcity in the United States, imagine someone buying these hybrids, doubling their price and selling them as pure just for the sake of cashing in.
I say from now on before I purchase or any body purchases a tortoise people should request and want papers issued to them with what ever their buying! "Tortoise and Turtle" wise, that state's to them the buyer that what their getting is the actual animal And Breed! and also where it comes from! ("purity") "hay dogs and cats can have papers why cant Turtles and tortoises too Right? "Tom your listed as a dog trainer! Dont they the people have to obey the rules as of selling animals in your experiences of selling cats and Dogs right! It would then put all things in there rightfully respected places. Example: DNA Testing if fraudulently expected you didn't get what you paid for! plus there's is also the advantage of the animal having papers itself that will identifiy and follow it around through its life cycle as a record of who it is and where it came from! "Hay" people and a lots of other Breeds of animals have them! ("Papers"!) well its time that all turtles and tortoise have them too!. "Want to Breed" do it Right!
