Post by ADMIN on Feb 1, 2013 23:27:54 GMT -5
The Breeder:
Today we see the term "breeder" thrown around a lot. Many consumers who see the term immediately think that a breeder is a label of trust. The image calls to mind rooms full of racks and large production facilities with thousands of dollars of investments. If someone is a breeder then he or she obviously must know what they are talking about right? Wrong, in fact the better definition for the term is not someone who breeds a reptile, amphibian etc, the breeding part is after all fairly easy and the hobbyist can't really claim to be a breeder when all he does is place a male and female together in the same general area with noting more than the hope of producing. A true breeder is a chess player and a gambler, he must know genetics and he must make calculated moves planned out years in advance to create a specific "project".
These projects are called "morphs" they are the colors and patterns created over years of selective breeding of an animal to bring out a desired trait or set of traits. These traits can take decades to perfect and bring out, it is a long expensive road to creating the next most wanted morph but it can pay off if you are lucky. It can also fizzle out and the promises of an awesome new project may never prove to be anything except a single pretty pattern on a random animal that can not be reproduced. Anyone can become a breeder, it just takes dedication, experience and lots of hard work.
The Collector:
Collectors are individuals who just want something different. They do not have the time nor desire needed to produce a specific morph they simply want it and thus go out an get it. They may sell their animals from time to time making room for newer obsessions. Usually a collector knows a great deal about the animals in his or her collection and has a good idea of value.
The General Hobbyist:
The general hobbyist, this is likely the greatest majority, they can be a mix of collector and breeder but only in the first sense of the definition, i.e they lack experience and knowledge to be considered a true breeder but may produce a few animals here and there turning them over to pay for their hobby. All serious breeders start the journey here.
CONTINUED...
Today we see the term "breeder" thrown around a lot. Many consumers who see the term immediately think that a breeder is a label of trust. The image calls to mind rooms full of racks and large production facilities with thousands of dollars of investments. If someone is a breeder then he or she obviously must know what they are talking about right? Wrong, in fact the better definition for the term is not someone who breeds a reptile, amphibian etc, the breeding part is after all fairly easy and the hobbyist can't really claim to be a breeder when all he does is place a male and female together in the same general area with noting more than the hope of producing. A true breeder is a chess player and a gambler, he must know genetics and he must make calculated moves planned out years in advance to create a specific "project".
These projects are called "morphs" they are the colors and patterns created over years of selective breeding of an animal to bring out a desired trait or set of traits. These traits can take decades to perfect and bring out, it is a long expensive road to creating the next most wanted morph but it can pay off if you are lucky. It can also fizzle out and the promises of an awesome new project may never prove to be anything except a single pretty pattern on a random animal that can not be reproduced. Anyone can become a breeder, it just takes dedication, experience and lots of hard work.
The Collector:
Collectors are individuals who just want something different. They do not have the time nor desire needed to produce a specific morph they simply want it and thus go out an get it. They may sell their animals from time to time making room for newer obsessions. Usually a collector knows a great deal about the animals in his or her collection and has a good idea of value.
The General Hobbyist:
The general hobbyist, this is likely the greatest majority, they can be a mix of collector and breeder but only in the first sense of the definition, i.e they lack experience and knowledge to be considered a true breeder but may produce a few animals here and there turning them over to pay for their hobby. All serious breeders start the journey here.
CONTINUED...