Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do you guys "pop" your hatchlings right out of the egg or wait for a while to determine gender?
Any replies appriciated,

I don't know that it makes a difference, but I wait a couple of days to give them a chance to settle in to the "real world". I think popping them right out of the egg is probably OK. Just don't try to pop them when they're in shed, you can damage skin on their tail.

Good luck

Dave

DNS Reptiles

I agree with Dave. Wait until the first shed is over then do the popping for sex determination.
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RAY

I prefer to pop them immediately after the first shed, within 24 hours typically. Male are obvious, females really must be checked twice.
Jeff

I give them a quick rinse after hatching and pop goes the weasel. Pop again after they shed, rinsing first gets them agitated so the process is easier.

Mike

I guess I'm in a bit of a minority here. I only probe my snakes as I don't think popping is completely accurate, especially for females. Plus, I don't know how to pop.

I wait until after they have shed and eaten once, generally waiting about 3 days after they have eaten. For me, letting them get used to the "real world" as someone else put it, is the best thing to do. I also want to make sure they start eating though I have probed snakes before their first meal. I think the key is to just let them be for the first week, get through that first shed and then probe or pop, whichever you prefer.

If anyone is concerned or scared about probing snakes, just have someone show you how and physically walk you through the procedure a few times. You can practice with a steady and gentle hand on snakes you know the gender of to confirm your technique. To me, probing and popping have an equal chance of accidental injury to the snake, at least as far as colubrids are concerned.

Rob Haneisen

Great responces.