Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my bp for about a year and 3 months... I've always wondered the sex but was too cheap to go to the vet for $50. It's about 35-37" now and might have been a little bigger but i didn't feed it to its potential for a couple months (its never refused a meal). Should i attempt to probe it or is it too difficult for a newbie?

Take it to a pet store that deals with snakes and ask them to show you its easy once you learn.
-----
B Sleeper

1.0 Chocolate Lab
0.1 ?? Normal Ball python (yet different)
1.0 04 Het Albino
1.1 06 Het Albino
1.1 06 Het Pied
1.0 06 Pastel
0.? 07 Pos Het Albino (Momma has not laid the eggs yet)

Most pet stores wouldn't know how to do it -- as it is they barely know how to care for the snakes in the store let alone sex them. It would have to be a strictly reptile/exotics specialty store. And even then I wouldn't trust them unless they were well known within the reptile community.

To the OP: I'm sure you can find someone local to you that can do it. I offer it to local people on Craigslist for $5.
-----
~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

Thats true i guess i didnt even think about it from that point of veiw we have a few stores in the orlando area where they know what they are doing so i didnt think about that.
-----
B Sleeper

1.0 Chocolate Lab
0.1 ?? Normal Ball python (yet different)
1.0 04 Het Albino
1.1 06 Het Albino
1.1 06 Het Pied
1.0 06 Pastel
0.? 07 Pos Het Albino (Momma has not laid the eggs yet)

Not hard but, you got to be careful! Have someone with experience teach you... There is links on showing you how to pop them just can't remember now but if I find them I will post back with info. Good luck.. Peace...
-----
Ghetto Reptiles
At a garage near you!!!
Jason...

Finding a pet shop that can probe, would be harder than actually doing it! I agree with some of the above posts! Have someone that has some experience teach you! Ball and Blood pythons can very difficult to probe because of thier stout stature, short tails and the fact, they just don't like it!

$50 for a vet probing...what a rip off! If you have a local reptile specialty store I would watch one of them probe before trying it for the first time.

Also, look around for herpers in your area, most of us will show you how to do it for no cost

Here is my link with some pics of ball pythons being sexed:
http://www.myboids.4t.com/whats_new_2.html
-----
Thanks,
Amy

www.myboids.4t.com

1.15 Normal ball pythons
2.0 Pastel ball pythons
1.0 Cinnamon pastel ball python
0.1 Spider ball python
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milk Snake
0.0.1 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
2.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boas
7.9 100% Het. For Anery Kenyan Sand Boas
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
1.2 BCI
That's Just The Snakes!

Actually, if $50 is the whole bill, the probing was really cheap, since it costs about $40-$50 just to walk in the door!

From what I understand, the original poster's snake is too big to be popped, but since this post was closely related to a question I've been wondering about...

How easy is it to learn to pop snakes to determine their sex? Is it possible to learn from reading online and looking at pics? Or is it really not a good idea to try without someone who knows what they are doing instructing in person?

I'd appreciate any advise or links anyone can post, especially pics! How do you do it? What do you look for to determine the sex? How big is to big for popping?

I'm primarily interested in ball pythons, but I guess it would be a lot the same for other species of snake as well?

Thanks!

you can pop ANY male ball python.

If you go onto you tube there is a video by cornatopia, They are working with corns but you can get the idea from that, like others said I would find someone local and ask them to show you. Once someone shows you and you know what you are doing it is not so bad.

I don't know about probing or popping... but with my snakes, I verified the sex that the breeder told me by checking their tail length and comparing it to pictures of other snakes. In many snakes the female has a wider and shorter tail while the males have longer and thinner tails. That's not absolute though.

to being accurate. Unless you know the breeder, very, very, very well, I wouldnt trust if he/she told you you have a female. Many unethical people will unload unwanted males to unsuspecting folks for top dollar. I would probe any snake I bought right away. I bring the probe kit with me when I buy in person.

People Money (almost always)= Dishonesty & Scumability

Tail shape size is a method used with various boids (e.g. sand boas), but is not a very good indicator in balls (IMO). I have a link listed above with video of popping, and pics of probing, for those interested in more information.
-----
Thanks,
Amy

www.myboids.4t.com

1.15 Normal ball pythons
2.0 Pastel ball pythons
1.0 Cinnamon pastel ball python
0.1 Spider ball python
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milk Snake
0.0.1 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
2.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boas
7.9 100% Het. For Anery Kenyan Sand Boas
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
1.2 BCI
That's Just The Snakes!