Kevin,

Very young greens can be accurately sexed by the spurs if you have seen a lot of them for comparison and know what to look for. As in boa constrictors, it is not the presence, absence or size of the spurs that is important in very young greens, but the structure and shape of the spur that distinguishes the difference between male and female. Any green over 5 or 6 feet is fairly easy to spur sex because the structure of the spurs have developed and diverged between the two sexes to the point that it is easier to distinguish between the two. However, with greens smaller than this, it will take quite a bit of practice, especially with neonates as the differences between the sexes at this age are extremely slight. I use a binocular scope at 10 power to sex newborn anacondas and boa constrictors, but other magnifiers will work just as well.



Young females under 6 feet have external spurs similar to the males, and the only way to differentiate the two is by structure alone. As the males age, the spur stays external and they retain the hooked shape similar to a wide based cats claw. The male spur is also connected at the end of a significant appendage which you will never see in females over 5 or 6 feet. The females spur has less of a hook shape and is relatively smaller and wider with a more conical, bud type shape. As the females age and their length gets into the 6 to 8 foot range, their spurs become recessed into a cavity, and they can not be easily seen without pushing the surrounding scales back away from it. In larger females, you can usually only see the very tip of the spur at best without pushing back some of the surrounding scales.



If you can post close-up photos of your greens spurs, I might possibly be able to tell which sex it is. Thanks,



Kelly

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