pardalis x babcocki hybrids‏

Vishnu2

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Baby pardalis x babcocki hybrids‏ what are the long term effects of this hybrid if any?

Any general info on this hybrid please let me know. I have searched the forum for this and couldn't find anything on the hybrid of these. I apologize if there are a 100's of post on these.

Thanks!
 

Tom

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No long term effects. Its similar to a mixed breed dog. It makes me sad that tortoises from different geographical areas have been bred together because we can never again get pure strains from known wild localities again, but there is nothing wrong or unhealthy with the babies from these mixes.

The currently "accepted" classification for leopards is one species and no subspecies from 11 different geographically distinct clades throughout the range, if you choose to follow it.
 

Tom

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If you just want a single pet for your own enjoyment, I see no reason why you shouldn't get one of these "hybrids". Many of them have great personalities, beautiful markings and they are usually healthy. If you think you might want to breed someday I recommend trying to find "pure" genes from a known locality. I can help if this is your goal.
 

Vishnu2

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Tom, you're a great help either way. :D I find a lot of your threads helpful. I am not really interested in breeding. I try to leave that up to people who know what they're doing. You and Neal and Such. ;)


Hey Tom,
Do you find these have the same personality as a Sulcata? Or near it?


You'll have to pardon my ignorance. How big do these guys get?
 

Elohi

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diamondbp said:
Tom do you recommend any books that break down the different clades of leopard tortoises?

Curious as well.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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It's a paper, not a book. Tortadise has/had it on his webpage. It's easy to goggle it.

Clades refer to groups based on like ancestors in a evolutionary history tree. It's over stating the divergence to call them clades, but that's the general idea, there are divergent groups of leopards, but not distinct enough for the best current tools to suggest different species.

What Tom points out for leopards is a common problem for many species bred from random accumulations of pets, the mixing of different populations. Radiateds are from five similarly distinct populations, and they too are mixed, even with a well managed studbook.
 
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