Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been looking into possibly getting a few Western Hognose's. I raise Ball Pythons now and have kept Jungle Carpet x Diamond pythons, and various other snakes in the past.

During my lunch @ work, I was in one of the nicer pet stores near where I live (not a big chain store and the staff actually owns, raises and breeds many of the reptiles they carry), and they had a Western Hognose that I was gonna buy, unfortunately, when I got back with my kid and wifey in tow thay had already sold the snkae?

My questions if someone could please help me are these:

I noticed this Hog had a black belly, is this common? I have never noticed this before?

What is the best method to determine the sex of these snakes? I prefer to probe my Ball Pythons. I hate to pop them and I am not very proficient at it by choice? Do Weswterns probe easily, and if so, what is the scale count on these?

Also, I have heard you can tell the sex of these snakes simply by tail length? Is this true? If so, what is the deal with this males short tail or long tail and what are the basic lengths involved baby, juvie, adult?

Thanks so much!!

If anyone ever has Ball Python questions they do not know, I would be more than happy to assist if I know the answer. I have been keeping snakes on and off for all my life, but I really started getting into the hobby very heavily 4-5 years ago.

Thanks again.

~Alan from Connecticut

Alan, quite common for hogs to have black undersides! Tail length is correct! Stubbies for girls, reeeaaaal long for boys! The problem w/that is, like any other snake that determined by tail length, is, you'll have to have a proven on or the other to compare things to! But once you see em' you'll know!

I would not go by tail length. I have two females, that if you compared them you would swear one was a boy. Popping is fairly easy for neonates, but not 100% accurate unless it pops male. I would not probe until they were 14 inches at least. Just my personal pref. Females are normally around the 4 scale coubnt range, males 8 to 9....just my experience with my own animals.
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Jenea
Guardian Reptiles

"When your memories are bigger than your dreams, you're headed for the grave" Author unknown