chahoua x crested cross breeding

[crazy4cresteds6]

would it be bad to crossbreed a crested with a chahoua? i know someone on repashy.com has a hybrid and i think they are awesome. i dont know if its harmful to crossbreed or if anything bad would happen so if anyone could give me ideas it would be much appreciated.

[nycherper]

It's not harmful in terms of bringing out genetic mutations, but the offspring cannot have babies.

[crazy4cresteds6]

oh really i never knew that. they are still neat but i want them to be able to have offspring.

[Matthew Parks]

Well theoretically hybrids are always sterile, but we don't know that for a fact with Rhacodactylus as far as I know. Ther hybrids are so cool looking but is it worth the risk of infecting or diluting the captive poputlation with mixed genetics. Hmmmm. could be a topic for a new thread, I'm interested to know what people think about this.

[Crested Lady]

I've heard that Paul Meyers, the guy working on hybrids has bred the hybrids back to a chahoua or crestie and got a normal looking crestie and a normal looking chahoua. Since the hybrids are fertile, I want to know if you can breed a hybrid to a hybrid? I asked someone this question, and they said that all of Paul Meyers' hybrids have come out male! Now I'm dying to know:

a.) If female crested x chahouas hybrids can or do exist?

b.) If you could breed a male and female crested x chahoua hybrid?

[Crested Lady]

P.S. I think hybrids are great AS LONG as the breeder is sure to label them as such. I believe in great record keeping for any project... but especially believe it is necessary for hybrid projects. When you look at it, many times hybridization can actually strengthens the animal's genetic makeup. Ever heard of how mutt dogs live longer than purebreds? I don't see why the same wouldn't hold true for crested x chahoua hybrids. If you think about it, the crested gene pool isn't all that diverse anyway... with just 100 or so animals that started off the captive crestie population here, there's going to be some definite overlapping of bloodlines. I think as far as health goes, hybrids just may end up being a little more healthy... if only for the simple reason that the introduction of chahoua into the mix is creating a gecko "mutt". Just a thought. I've never worked with hybrids... though now I'm curious!

[crazy4cresteds6]

i think someone should do some very controled breeding with cresteds and chahouas and see what they find out. i think hybrids would be very popular if they could be bred and could have fertile offspring.

[BadAssHerps]

maybe I'll get one

I think I just might pic up a chahoua at the daytona show. start my own hybrid project. Maybe I'll breed Vey(high red) with a high pink pine isle one, that would be sweet.
-Eli

[crazy4cresteds6]

you should do that it would be very cool to see what the offspring would look like

[Matthew Parks]

P.S. I think hybrids are great AS LONG as the breeder is sure to label them as such. I believe in great record keeping for any project... but especially believe it is necessary for hybrid projects. When you look at it, many times hybridization can actually strengthens the animal's genetic makeup. Ever heard of how mutt dogs live longer than purebreds? I don't see why the same wouldn't hold true for crested x chahoua hybrids.

The big difference is that dogs are different breeds of the same species. Cresteds and chahouas are completely different species, so it would be more like breeding a Rabbit with a Cat or something like that.

And the fact that the offspring are fertile is pretty scary, that means you could be buying a "crested" that has 10-20-30-50% genetics from a chahoua. It may be the coolest looking gecko in the world, but it is just a hybrid.

The other thing is trusting breeders to tell all their customers the truth and have everything labeled as hybrid. Now, I've been in this business awhile, and I guarantee that while some breeders will do that, Many will not!

But if everyone likes them and supports the breeders who are doing the hybridization, then it will encourage more people to do it, and the crested gecko as we know it could disappear all together.

Thats my 2 cents.

[Crested Lady]

LONG POST... I apologize beforehand! :P

True, true. Cresteds and chahouas are a little different than mixing dog breeds. The hybrid mix may not be as close as a dog x dog pairing, but the chahoua x crested hybrid has definitely got to be closer than the pairing of some other animals. If only for the reason that it can reproduce. (horse x donkey= sterile mule... funky hybrid?) I guess as far as reproduction goes it would be better to compare a crested x chahoua hybrid to a lion x tiger hybrid (liger) than to a dog x dog mix. The animals, in this case a chahoua and a crested or a lion and a tiger, aren't too close... but they're just barely related enough to be able to reproduce. Craziness.

I agree that some breeders are turds. (Can I say that?) Sadly, some breeders mislabel their stock in an effort to move it out quickly... and that's where the dilemma lies. To hybrid or not to hybrid? On one hand, you have honest breeders that would accurately represent the animal for what they are, on the other... you have a dishonest breeder who misrepresents their stock. In truth, you could end up with a funky hybrid and not even know it.

I don't believe that the crested gecko would ever disappear b/c of hybrids... if only for the fact that there are gecko snobs out there. (Hey, I consider myself a gecko snob too... it's definitely not a bad thing!) There are so many people that fell in love with crested gecko that I couldn't fathom a world where everyone forgot why they loved them in the first place.

I think hybrids are great, as long as they're in the right hands. It's making sure they stay in the "right hands" that presents a problem.

[DDReptiles]

Heck I'll have to breed my Sara to one of my cresties. Not really

But I agree hybrids would be cool aslong as they stay in the right hands.

I am also a reptile snob

[BadAssHerps]

agreed but

I have to agree with crested lady on most of the issues stated but one thing I think everyone has neglected to mention is that crestedXChahoua hybrids are more expensive (in most cases) than a pure bred crested gecko, it's kind of like all the anitdrug propaganda (not promoting drug use here kiddies) that say that you never know when some dealer is going to sell you marijuana laced with cocaine or other potent and highlly dangerouse drug. Bullcrap! Not that I know first hand but any educated adult knows that cocain is far more expensive than marijuana and the dealer would have to be a complet idiot to rip himself off, drug dealers (and breeders) are selling there "product" to make the maxium amount of money (while staying realistic) with the minium money spent on that "product". I think the hybrid is a marketable project. Why mislead people? but that's just my perspective.
-Eli

[Matthew Parks]

You all have good points!

But if the demand is there for hybrids, then the breeders who are in it for the money are gonna breed hybrids. Crested Lady is right though, that Gecko Snobs will always keep pure bloodlines.

[DDReptiles]

Re: agreed but

the dealer would have to be a complet idiot to rip himself off,-Eli

You mean people who sell drugs aren't already idiots