Breeding reptiles with deformities

[goReptiles]

Would you/should you breed a reptile with a disability or deformity, whether it be a circling enigma or a snow with a kink?

Does it depend on the issue? Or does it matter at all?



Edit: there was supposed to be a poll, but it didn't save right. :-/

 

[Baoh]

Depends. In both of your examples, yes. I haven't noticed kinks to be genetic from any of the pairings myself or people I associate with have done. With the Enigma circling, it could be a defect or it could be some sort of ride-along thing that goes with being an Enigma that only manifests in some animals. One of my Enigmas circles easily, but is otherwise healthy and has been popping out clutches readily. One of my Enigmas doesn't circle at all. One circles only after she has recently deposited eggs. The last two are siblings, too.

If these things can be bred out at all, the breeding has to be done to achieve it.

If I had a gecko with no eyes or screwed up organs, then I would not breed it.

If it had deformities and a suspected new trait, then I'd have to decide carefully to see if I can get healthy offspring to reproduce the trait and then retire the original animal.

For me, it's a combined matter of working out the bugs and balancing that with quality of life for the animals. Obviously, you should fully disclose any issues if selling or giving any of these animals away.

 

[Baoh]

Everything has a weight assigned to it. My mom has myopia. My dad does not. My brother and I both wear contacts as a result of them having us. We're both glad they didn't refrain from reproducing. Had she been afflicted with CADASIL or nephropathic cystinosis, it would be a completely different story. Everything has its perspective.