Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So this was my first year producing boas and I had 3 great litters. My problem now is that I am trying to figure out what's what! I've tried the whole feeling for bb's thing and either I'm not doing it right or I have 51 females and no males! What do most people do? I've have a friend show me how to "pop" them but I am a bit nervous about that or probing. I know I have to get my feet wet someday, but wondering whats going to be the best for them as well. Thanks for any help

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Scott

I know exactly what you mean! What I suggest is having someone actually show you how to 'feel the bbs' because all of mine were females when I tried, but when I was actually shown how to do it and what to feel for, all the sudden I had nice sexed ratios of boas. It is super easy to do and once you know what to feel for, easy to tell the males from females and much less invasive than probing or popping.
Good luck!
-April
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

Hey Scott, what I do for palpating is...

hold the tail end of the baby so it's spine is resting on your thumb. Then without moving your thumb, slide your finger from vent to tail, not a lot of preasure. Do it e=several times trying to feel the BB's. Boas are hung and the BB's should be 3/4" or more from the vent but always start at the vent. Here's a gif showing the process...

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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Thanks! That little video helps too. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's had trouble with this. I'll try that out and let you know how it goes. Thanks again!
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Scott

once you feel the first one it becomes easy.

I had a hard time as well until someone showed me. I'd never pop
a boa now.

I did buy a male boa sold to me as a female, sexed in that manner. So I guess you could get some "false" females if you're not careful.
Someone told me to wet your finger with water. That's supposed to make it easier.
Of course, all the other methods can give erroneous readings too, if done incorrectly.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Yeah, no method is 100% except raising them up and breeding them.

I do wet my finger, it lets your finger slide easier. I keep a water bowl handy if sexing more than one snake.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Exactly!!! I've always felt popping while not necessarily harmful, can't be good for them. Once I figured oiut the palpation method for myself, I have not popped a single baby since.

I was first shown to slide both thumb and finger but I could feel the vertebre popping and could easily see that causing mre harm than good so stopped. Then months later I thought of holding my thumb still while moving just my finger and then felt my first bb!! since then have sexed over a hundred babies and find it's very easy, just have to get the species specific feel. For example BCI hemipenes are long, so the bb's are further from the vent than BRB's BRB's are smaller and less noticeable than BCI. Also, as with all methods, re-check all your females once you are good at finding males. What you are actually doing is finding all the males and the rest by default are females.

You can also start noticing visual cues once you sex a lot of them, kind of "that looks like a male" before you even palpate.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

How old can they get before you can't use the BB method anymore. My babies were born early January, getting bigger and I was putting off probing them. I have experience, but I'm not a master and would rather avoid it, and any unnecessary stress.
Thanks!
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Steph S.
Boas...
1.1 Albino boas (Loki & Hope)
1.4 07 Het. albino boas (Petty & Lady,Sierra,Madeline,Lola)
0.1 Reverse stripe poss. het albino (Cookie)
0.1 Salmon/hypo (Scarlet)
0.1 Anery poss. het snow (Missy)
1.0 Anery (Reno)
1.0 Probable Super Salmontine(Kahn)
0.1 DH Sunglow (Bonnie)
1.1.1 Hypo het anery
1.0.1 Het. Anery (Guy & ?)
0.3 Normals (Ophelia, Sasha, & Lulu)
1.0 Surinames (Solomon & Surreal(deceased)
1.3 Hog Isles (Mr.Orange & Peaches, Tang.)
0.0.1 Central American (Sassy)
0.1 Emerald Tree boa (Jade)
1.0 ATB (Satan... seriously!)
Pythons...
2.1 GTPs (B., Monty & Jewel)
0.0.3 BPs (MJ, Precious, Houdini)
1.1 Carpet Pythons (Jackson & Charlotte)
0.1 Blood python (Akaia)
Misc.
1.1 Mandarin Ratsnakes (Jack & Jill)
1.0 Boxer/Pitt Mutt (Tyson)

I've palpated yearlings and even two year olds successfully,
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

It kinda feels like two little rubberbands snapping in the tail to me. hard to describe, but as mentioned, once you feel it, you'll know from them on.
-April
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

I've thought of it as air bubbles being trapped at the end of a balloon.
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5.19 BRB
10.20 BCI
0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
0.1 Albino Corn Snake
2.8 Leopard Geckos

Hi, I think it just worked with my male yearling. Does it feel like a little "snap" when you pass over it? I don't like using the word snap because it sounds like I broke his tail (not at all!), but I can't think of a better word to use.

I just tried this on two of my baby bci my friend just sent me from Alabama...one I DEF felt the bb's a bit from vent just like you said the other I felt none, but this being the first time I tried it I could be wrong. I DEF felt the little bumps in the one like 3/4 from the vent for sure. I will have to try it on the 3 argentine boas he sent me as well, I wonder if it's the same for them as well.

Thanks for the animated gif....this technique is much less invasive then probing, hopefully I got it right.

No matter I am keeping the bci anyway's I think.

>>Hey Scott, what I do for palpating is...
>>
>>hold the tail end of the baby so it's spine is resting on your thumb. Then without moving your thumb, slide your finger from vent to tail, not a lot of preasure. Do it e=several times trying to feel the BB's. Boas are hung and the BB's should be 3/4" or more from the vent but always start at the vent. Here's a gif showing the process...
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>
>>Dave Colling
>>
>>www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com
>>
>>
>>
>>0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
>>0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)
>>
>>LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
>>26.49 BRB
>>20.21 BCI
>>And those are only the breeders
>>
>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

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=========================================================
Roberts Realm Of Reptile Research
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Thanks,

I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.

I'm certain it will work for all boas and probably most if not all snake sapecies.

Obviously the more specimens you have to practice on the better.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Of course the smaller the snake the more sensitive your fingers need to be!!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Sexing baby boas takes time and hands on experience, you cant expect from one day to the next to be able to do it right. Keep practicing you will get it.
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Richard Ceniceros
Tap or take a nap

Dave has given excellant advice on this method for sexing baby BCI boas. The most important point to stress here is not to expect the "BB" to be just after the vent, I find it to be close to half way between the vent and the tip of the tail. And the wetting your finger is also a must. If you use a dry finger you can actually miss the "BB" because your finger will tend to move it instead of sliding over it. This is especially true on newborn boas where the "BB's" are smaller and easier to miss then on yearlings or close to yearlings. Practice on some known males so your fingers get to remember what it feels like.
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Alex Tower
Serpentine Selections

If you have the opportunity, try it on a litter or group of babies. Once you find a male and know what it feels like, then it's simply a matter of perfecting your technique so you feel them every (or at least most every) time you slide your finger post vent. I say most because every time I don't feel the bb's first try, I repeat the finger slide a few times, adjusting positions. Sometimes I find them on try two or three. Remember, palpation does not identify females only males. Of course by default, if not male than is female. The point being is once you've felt the bb's, it's a boy for certain. If you don't feel them it's either a girl or your technique is lacking and you missed the bb's.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats