Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Last night I was lying in bed and out of nowhere it hit me. I can candle my albino black rats & Hope. Since I didn't trust a candle around them I got a 2 million candle power spotlight. Peaches and Hope are 100% female. But I am not sure on Chunk. The first 2 times I couldn't see well because he kept squirming. I thought I saw almost a "shadow" inside him but wasn't 100% sure of what I saw. But an observation I had which also leaves me wondering is, do snakes spines stop at their vent? I saw absolutely nothing on Hope and Peaches and thought a snakes spine ran to the tip of the tail. Was I wrong or can you just not see it?
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

I tried to candle an egg once. Not all to impressed. But this technique is used for many things. Shine a light through an opaque object towards you, and you let the light get blocked by densor material in the middle. So I can see how it can work on an egg.

BUT a 2 MILLION candle power pointed at myself?

Maybe befriend someone that runs a light house?

OK just kidding.

And tails have bones

http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/cs/uk/11/clipart/nature/img/image_nature024.jpg

Peaches and Herb was a great group too.

>>Last night I was lying in bed and out of nowhere it hit me. I can candle my albino black rats & Hope. Since I didn't trust a candle around them I got a 2 million candle power spotlight. Peaches and Hope are 100% female. But I am not sure on Chunk. The first 2 times I couldn't see well because he kept squirming. I thought I saw almost a "shadow" inside him but wasn't 100% sure of what I saw. But an observation I had which also leaves me wondering is, do snakes spines stop at their vent? I saw absolutely nothing on Hope and Peaches and thought a snakes spine ran to the tip of the tail. Was I wrong or can you just not see it?
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Computers don't make errors. What they do, they do on purpose. (Dale Gribble)

AOL IM Mettzilla
I forgot my password for herpzilla, and gave a bad email,, major OOPS

1.3 Bearded Dragons
6 baby female Western hognose, 3.5 adults some friend some mine,,,building breeding stock)
1 Corn snake (bloodred) 0.2 1 MIA In the house I hope
1 baby creamcycle 0.1
2 Okeettes I think? 1.1 youngens
ochrocephala oratrix 0.0.1? Adult, and a killer!
ochrocephala auropalliata 0.0.1? Adult
2.0 Dogs,
0.2 Cats,,
0.1 Wives, (Long term captive!,, I mean ME!)
1.1 Kids (Paininthearsius takamemonii) J/K great kids
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tom

www.herpzilla.com

Just having a bit of fun.
It was a great visual.

-----
Computers don't make errors. What they do, they do on purpose. (Dale Gribble)

AOL IM Mettzilla
I forgot my password for herpzilla, and gave a bad email,, major OOPS

1.3 Bearded Dragons
6 baby female Western hognose, 3.5 adults some friend some mine,,,building breeding stock)
1 Corn snake (bloodred) 0.2 1 MIA In the house I hope
1 baby creamcycle 0.1
2 Okeettes I think? 1.1 youngens
ochrocephala oratrix 0.0.1? Adult, and a killer!
ochrocephala auropalliata 0.0.1? Adult
2.0 Dogs,
0.2 Cats,,
0.1 Wives, (Long term captive!,, I mean ME!)
1.1 Kids (Paininthearsius takamemonii) J/K great kids
-----
tom

www.herpzilla.com

The only time I had any luck trying to candle is with baby corns (never tried another species) that were amels or at least had a white belly. If they were older than babies, then their skin was too thick. And even on babies, I could only see a little purple / pink spot on males that I guessed was the blood vessels to the hemipenes. And I wasn't so sure of it that I didn't probe or pop the "females", just to be sure!

I find popping and probing to be the most reliable and easiest methods for sexing baby snakes. One of these days, I will get hubby to make a very short video of those techniques to post on my site (but not sure when) for those who are interstested.

Hi Kathy. Not sure you recall, I called you maybe 2 years ago about a bloodred I happened on? We spoke on the phone too, you were always so helpful. My ID was mett, when I got back into herps, friends called me mettzilla, liked it, then herpzilla fit better.

OK, back to the topic. I'm 47, had a ton of stuff as a kid. had a herp relapse from 1979-2004 (no herps) But having fun back in it, I help the guy I worked for as a little kid. I picked up probing quick. But I'll be darned I can not pop anything. And I'm good with my hands. I think maybe I'm not firm enough, but a touch thing is hard to explain or even see, but I personally would love to see a video of your technique. I see people probe, and even that people do slightly different.

thanks again for chatting last night
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Computers don't make errors. What they do, they do on purpose. (Dale Gribble)

AOL IM Mettzilla
I forgot my password for herpzilla, and gave a bad email,, major OOPS

1.3 Bearded Dragons
6 baby female Western hognose, 3.5 adults some friend some mine,,,building breeding stock)
1 Corn snake (bloodred) 0.2 1 MIA In the house I hope
1 baby creamcycle 0.1
2 Okeettes I think? 1.1 youngens
ochrocephala oratrix 0.0.1? Adult, and a killer!
ochrocephala auropalliata 0.0.1? Adult
2.0 Dogs,
0.2 Cats,,
0.1 Wives, (Long term captive!,, I mean ME!)
1.1 Kids (Paininthearsius takamemonii) J/K great kids
-----
tom

www.herpzilla.com

They are just over 2'.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

I use this method to sex small snakes frequently. With REALLY tiny snakes like my baby pygmy pythons (which also have white bellies) you can just hold them up to a normal light bulb and you should clearly see a dark redish patch in the males. With larger snakes, like my juvi kings/milks I take a piece of black felt and cut a narrow V shape (or just a narrow rectangular slit) into it so that the snakes body will completely fill the opening. duct tape the felt over a decent flashlight and turn out the room lights. Hold the snake over the light ventral side facing you. You should be able to see the hemipenes easily. I have never tried this with snakes as big as yours but I'm pretty confident it would work. At that size its easier to just probe though.

There are bones in the tail which you dont see because they are light colored and very thin.

cheers

I was being facetious in my first replies. I figured it might work on some snakes.

Now you have me picturing a new device. Snake slides thru, light shines up thru the bottom as the snake slides over it. Now, there is a mirror over it, maybe at a 45 degrees? idea is to reflect what you want to see a mirror that is in a more convenient position to view. Also sides that press slightly against the snake to block light.

The snake sex viewer, might work for eggs too?
-----
Computers don't make errors. What they do, they do on purpose. (Dale Gribble)

AOL IM Mettzilla
I forgot my password for herpzilla, and gave a bad email,, major OOPS

1.3 Bearded Dragons
6 baby female Western hognose, 3.5 adults some friend some mine,,,building breeding stock)
1 Corn snake (bloodred) 0.2 1 MIA In the house I hope
1 baby creamcycle 0.1
2 Okeettes I think? 1.1 youngens
ochrocephala oratrix 0.0.1? Adult, and a killer!
ochrocephala auropalliata 0.0.1? Adult
2.0 Dogs,
0.2 Cats,,
0.1 Wives, (Long term captive!,, I mean ME!)
1.1 Kids (Paininthearsius takamemonii) J/K great kids
-----
tom

www.herpzilla.com