Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, Ive only probed baby boas in the past and now have baby black milks!! Id like to probe them and Im wondering what probe size you use on the babies. I was thinking the probe Id use for baby boas, less than a 16th inch or so may be to big! Can you help me? Thanks Dan

Why don't you just pop them?

For hatchling milks and juveniles, I usually "pop" the snakes first, and if no hemipenes are visible I will then double check later by probing. But unless you are very familiar with both of these methods I hesitate to recommend them to people. As for a general probe size, one that is approx.1/32of an inch will work well for hatchling milks (about the size of very small paper clip) Make absolutely sure that the end of the probe has a nice smooth, rounded tip to prevent polking the delicate tissue, and have someone help you hold and control the snake while you perform this, as you probably already know it will not enjoy this!(LOL). On a hatchling Black Milk, the probe will go down to a depth of about 3/8" to 1/2" or so on a male, and approx. 3/16" for a female.This is because the female does have a slight "pocket" for her scent gland.I use my thumb to mark the probe when it reaches maximum depth for accuracy........hope this helps.................Doug

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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!

Thanks for the info! I did pop them like I do my boas and the males were very easy to tell. I probed the females to double check but I didnt even need to. I noticed the males just feel a little different even without everting the hemipenes. Thanks for your time guys, Dan