blasphemy at its worst read this now!!

[Wade]

More important (to the hobby) than the issue of what actually constitutes a species or a subspecies is the issue of what do we want our tarantulas to look like several generations down the road. OK, so one day the taxonomists decide that B. smithi and B. bohmei are the same species. Let's say, just for the sake of argument, that they're determined to be mearly regional color varients, and that they aren't even given subspecies designations. Does that mean we should feel fine about breeding them together? I STILL say no. Even though these crosses may occur in the wild, if we start crossing our captives, instead of having two different attractive spiders we'll end up with one variable and muddy spider.

Although, in theory, I don't see a problem with hybridizing as an experiment, I share the concerns others have expressed about these spiders getting into the hobby unidentified one way or annother. My fear is that some kid will, unowingly or delberately, cross some species or other and sell it as one or the other. It is generally hard to id spiderlings, even highly experienced dealers may not recognize the hybrids until it's too late. This would be disaterous, as new breeding stock of many species may be unavailable due to regulations or rarity.

Wade

 

[Cowshark]

To me, it just doesn't seem right, in a greater sense. Aside from causing problems in the hobby, it raises the question, just because we can do something, should we? It's like forcing the hand of nature, which seems to have organized things quite well on its own. It's bad enough that we hairless apes are causing the greatest extinction in history (and prehistory). It just doesn't seem right.