Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Most of my females probe one - two caudals deep but I have this one yearling "female" that probes four and a half maybe even five! "She" looks female going by the tail shape and I can not evert any hemipenes as I still can with the 05 male I plan to pair "her" with. I've fairly certain its a female but the probing depth is well outside my experience.

Ordinarily, I'd just take a wait and see attitude on this but I'm trimming my collection down to 2.2 animals (1.1 thayeri and 1.1 hypo coastals). This thayeri "pair" has great genetics and is the one I'd like to keep but the "female" absolutely must be a female.

Anyway I'd like to know what ranges in probing depth you guys have seen from proven female thayeri. Thanks in advance.

Tony,
I have had a female that was injured by improperly probing too deeply as a neonate (not by me) that always probed deep, about 4 to 5 scales. Not quite as deep as a male but too deep for a female (1 to 3 scales); she laid three clutches of eggs before I gave her away as a pet (three infertile clutches all laid scattered around the cage). I despise probing very young snakes because it is so easy to injure one; my hands are too big and clumsy too. Tail shape is pretty accurate after a year or so, a fat female may throw you, but generally, the males stand out when viewed from the side especially. I would also find it hard to believe that a male would not “pop” at least once over a couple months as long as you knew how - which I am pretty sure you do.
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Rick
Never Enough
Reptiles

Rick I dislike probing neonates as well. This "female is one I got from Howie Sherman who produced it from one of my best greens. I sexed the whole clutch and over the time I've had this snake I've never probed it till recently. Its a sweet snake and bred to the Johnson male (which is a vivid X kane cross) should produce some knockout offspring.