Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am very hesitant sexing my baby boas. Can anyone give me some tips or advice on how to sex them the best way (probing, popping). My main concern is that I have never done it before and do not want to hurt any of my little ones. Thanks!

-Greg Reinert-

I learned how to pop them from reading the vpi website. Once you do it once it is really no big deal. Maybe go to a show and ask someone to show you how to do it.

IMO popping is fairly easy BUT, I would NOT recommend learning it by yourself, find someone who can show you exactly how to do it.
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Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
2.1 Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

You can also try the "rub" method. It is easy and doesn't harm the snake in any way.
Place your thumb right below the vent and your index finger on the opposite side and grasp the boa. With gentle, but firm pressure, slide your grasp down towards the tip of the tail. About 1/3 of the way down, you will feel two tiny balls slip out from under your thumb if it is a male. You will feel nothing on a female. Try it on a few of you know gender if you can. It works up to 3 feet, no problems. I've been successful up to 4-5 feet, if you have a trim animal. Too much fat or muscle hinders the ability to feel the "balls" or hemipines move.
I've never been wrong with this method, and you won't either once you get the hang of it. I think it's the best method for young boas. I've heard it works on pythons too, although not balls/bloods, as they don't have the same tail shape.
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Delusions of Grandeur feed the EGO...

The rubbing method is a good non invasive method to use. Only problem I have had is my fat fingers have a hard time and I'm anal retentive thinking animals that feel female might be males that I didn't do quite right.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
Boas make the world go round.

i too get worried about miss sexing a male as a female (never the other way around). to get over this i simply do it again .. and some times again and again. i find this way is not any more stressful for the animal than normal handeling as i have done it without even inverting the snake.
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- Jason F.

I agree with all of you. But I went to one of the shows and I witness someone "expert" and he was trying to pop, and to me it looked like he was hurting the animal intead.
I like probing, but I really have to learn how to pop.
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Joel Pretz

Thankfully rubbing/rolling isn't the same as popping. Where popping is using pressure to evert the hemipenes rolling is using pressure to simply feel the hemipenes while they remain in the body.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
Boas make the world go round.

Laura could have said it better, put me down for the 4th recommendation! It's almost like a little slingshot, they kinda kick back, don't worry, it's very noticable, at least for my SKINNY fingers!lolSHREK! And you won't feel a thing on females. Take care

I am going to try the rubbing method. If I still am unsure I am going to have to wait until the next show.

-Greg Reinert-

just start from just below the vent, put the tail between your pointer finger and thumb and rub downward with your thumb with light pressure. If you feel 2 bumps you have a male, if not it is a female. Once you get the feel for that you can pop them easily. just go back upward with your thump keeping the same pressure after the 2 bumps and you will "pop" the hemiweiners out. Good luck Vinnie

Jeff Ronne's video. Of course the first time I tried it they all came out female. LOL So I probed one until I found a male and then it was easy because I could keep trying slowly increasing the pressure until it worked and wah la. It is easy now! Good luck with which ever way you try!

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Ty
Rat Race Solutions
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