First off - size:

Yours with the feeding problems and poor care at the pet shop has started out slow. It still should be able to grow to full size, will just take longer. Look at it this way, for the first 6 or so months of it's life it did not grow much. So from a growth standpoint you could say the 6 month old was little more than a hatchling. So to get to a yearling size, it'll have to be 1 1/2 years old.

BTW, if you plan on breeding her, WAIT longer, let her catch up, don't use just age. Two and a half years is a minimum, some are just not to size by then. I would say yours will not be there at 2 1/2 and maybe not even at 3 1/2.

Sex:

Unless you know how to palpitate and feel for hemipenes in the tail, only two ways to determine sex. Take it to a experienced reptile shop/keeper for sexing. Or, put it with several others and see who gets gravid. Full grown males will tend to be a bit slimmer and a bit shorter then the females but unless you have several, no way to quantify. Both males and females have spurs, Males have longer curved ones, like a cats dull front claw. Females have shorter blunt ones, more like a cats dull rear claw. Both can retract them so in a filled out animal, very tough to tell. Yours being younger/skinnier might be able to palpate them out.


Lastly, there is a BRB subforum, look towards the top of the boa forum and there are several subforums. Come on by and say hi to the group. We have several very helpful, knowledgeable breeders always willing to help out with questions.

If you read this far, you deserve a pic or two:

This is Daisey, really really really orange, insane orange

Amber, one of my 2005 babies note the complete lack of crescents.

and Scarlett, check out her oversized crescents.


-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, selectively bred from good stock)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
12.24 BRB
11.13 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

[ Show Entire Thread ]