Issues with the Python Industry: A Summary

1. Interspecies breeding

Yes, people cross breed dogs and cats, so crossing pythons is ok, yeah?

In my opinion, no, not to the point people have taken it.

Domesticated dogs for example are Canis lupus familiaris. The genus name being Canis- that is essentially their 'family.' Lupus familiaris is the actual species level. 

Now, with 'carpet pythons' their genus is Morelia, and the different types of carpets are actually different species within the Pythonidae family: M. spilota cheynei, the jungle carpet; M. spilota mcdowelli, the common coastal carpet python (the one most people just call carpet pythons); M. bredli, the Bredli carpet. The list goes on. 

Now, people have created inter-species hybrids to get certain genes and are breeding purely for cosmetics, and in the case of Jaguar carpet morphs, to the detriment to the animals- I’ll elaborate more on this in the next point.

With hybrids in the ‘snake world,’ they aren't 'cross breeds' like dogs - they aren't the same breed- they are different species!

They have zero conservation value and in most of the crosses would never naturally meet in the wild.

But because humans interfere with natural selection, this inter species crossing, creating hybrid animals (not simply a morph as they call them) again to me is unethical.

2. Misleading Advertising

My next concern is that this interspecies breeding has a high chance of misleading new and old keepers alike into believing they have one animal, when it is a hybrid.

E.g. animals advertised as albino Bredli or Murray Darlings- no albino gene has been identified in pure Bredli or Murray Darlings- they have been cross bred with Albino Darwin carpet pythons and line bred to produce these 'albino Bredli/Murray Darlings."

If not advertised correctly, or via a Chinese whispers like pathway, these animals may be bred, and their offspring sold as 'pure Bredli' etc. Then bred back to legit pure animals. Creating havoc and uncertainty within this muddled mess of Morelia!!

And if these snakes escape or are released, and interbreed with wild native localities... it is just as bad as having imported species such as corn snakes released into the wild in Australia.