Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently purchased a Ball python from Petco.
I dont really know how to sex it very well,
but from what Ive read about Males seem to be cheaper than females.
Is it more likely that its a male or female?
And if its totally random is there any good places to get it sexed around area code 01545?

PetCo does not sex their snakes unless an employee actually has some reptile knowledge and does it on his own accord for you. They also have no knowledge of the ball python market and knowing that males are cheaper than females -- they sell all of their ball pythons for $29.99-$79.99 depending on whether you have one of their membership thingies or not.

You can go to a reptile vet and have it done or look for a local breeder that can do it for you.
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

I, personally, have NEVER gotten/seen a female from Petco.
I have bought 5 babies there myself.
I have seen females from other large pet chains.
I live 2 hours away from you but If I decide to go to nerd within the next couple of weeks I will let you know.

I've bought 6 females at Petco over the last couple years (one beautiful high contrast/high yellow girl that will be big enough to breed this year). Petco doesn't have any choice in whether they get males, females, or both. They buy them "unsexed" at wholesale prices from third party vendors (who May or May NOT sort out the females for sale elsewhere). I've never personally had problems finding females at the stores in DFW, but different store locations will have different suppliers.

~kasey

Petco doesn't have a policy about the genders of animals and generally the company frowns upon an employee trying to sex an animal, since there is a potential to hurt it if the employee isn't careful.

If you can find a good herp store around you, chances are they sell probe kits and they'd be able to show you what to do, or how to pop. LLL Reptile is 30 min away from me and they regularly pop animals for customers so they'll know the gender of what they're buying.

~jenny
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"The python has, and I fib no fibs,
318 pairs of ribs.
In stating this I place reliance
On a seance with one who died for science
This figure is sworn to and attested,
He counted them while being digested."
~Ogden Nash

jenny.thegreenes.org

"If you're happy and you know it,
Bomb Iraq!
If you cannot find Osama,
Bomb Iraq!
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq!

I bough two snakes from Petsmart, and had them sexed. One was male, one was female. I would assume that the two stores are pretty simular. Males are cheaper to buy, if you buy them from someone who has already sexed theirs and marked up the females. If they get theirs directly from importation, it is doubtful that the animals have been sexed.
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~Sara~
5.5 ball pythons
1.0 Black-lined plated lizard (Lizzy Butt)
0.1 Burmese Python (Pixil)
2.1 Pet Rats
1.1 Dogs (Ozzie and Mandy)
0.1 Cat (Isis)
0.0.1 Synodontis Catfish (Big Spotty Fish)
0.2 Convict Cichlids

its easy to do it your self. or just buy a probing kit. LLLreptile sells them for $15