Hybrid breeding

[missbizy]

So I've been interested in the idea of breeding some hybrids with my coastal king and my sisters albino nelson milk. I have been doing lots of reading about it, and am concerned of the possibility of my king eating her milk and heard it's very tricky, particularly if they are very obviously different species, to get them to breed. So I wanted to hear from some people who possibly have experience in both failed and successful breeding attempts to help weigh my options. Also, I was curious how much the size difference matters. I have not yet heard of people breeding snakes with a large size difference, and my king is much larger than the milk, despite the milk being a few years older. The milk snake is about 3' and my king is easily 4'.

 

[Aviara]

There are good reasons not to create hybrid snakes, other than the reasons you listed. For one, as you stated, cannibalism is a defeinite possibility. However, even more important, in the snake industry hybrids are generally frowned upon and seen as less valuable. People like genetic lines to be orderly, and they especially like to know what species the animal is when they purchase it. Crossbreeding snakes is seen as "muddying" the genetic lines, and not a good idea. Unless you plan on keeping all of these hatchlings yourself and never selling them down the road, I do not recommend breeding these two snakes together as hybrids are unwanted and irresponsible people may breed them in the future creating mixed and therefore less valuable lines.

It sounds to me like you are trying to breed the two simply because they are available, or maybe because you are attached to the two. Why not look for an adult coastal king snake or Nelson's milk snake and pair off one of the snakes with a mate of its own species? This would be more responsible, and it would be easier to rehome the babies. Still, it's a good idea to have potential buyers lined up before you breed the snakes.

To answer about the size difference, 3' and 4' is not that far off in terms of snake measurements. As long as two snakes are sexually mature, adult lengths can differ in a breeding pair. Oftentimes, Kenyan sand boa males are only 20", while females can get as long as 3'. That means a female can be almost twice the length of the male, and they can still breed. Consider also that corn snakes, a colubrid like as the two you are dealing with, can commonly range from 4' to 6'. Size differences are not a big concern when breeding snakes, but good genetics and avoiding crossbreeding makes this scenario a bad idea. As long as two snakes are of the same species, different gender, breeding quality, healthy and sexually mature, they will make a fine pair.

 

[bugmankeith]

Or mate 2 different color morphs so it's a surprise what the young will look like, I would find that interesting and you know people will buy those from you.