Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Dave,

I have been enjoying lots of reading on KS lately. I think you need to post your little video over here as well. It was the clearest description I have seen of this technique. I tried it again tonight and finally got it. Thanks.

Linda

....the comments helped as well

The gif on palpating? I find it works best for me to flip my thumb and pointer finger around, but it is the best video I've seen of it. I hope it's cool I posted it Dave, I saved it off the boa forum... it's a great tool!

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5.19 BRB
10.20 BCI
0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
0.1 Albino Corn Snake
2.8 Leopard Geckos

np that you saved it, was made to educate!!!!

The process I use for palpating is...

Grasp the baby near the vent and support the spine with my thumb. Using the tip of a finger (smaller fingers can be more sensitive) Slide it down the underside of the snake from the vent toward the tail. As you slide your finger down you will feel the "BB's" slip out from under your finger (under the surface of the skin). You may have to try again off to one side and the other if you don't feel anything. Of course only males will have the BB's. Once you've felt them, you'll know about where they will be found on any other specimen of the same species. Different species have different length hemipenes.

One thing to add is - PRACTICE!!!! I find when I start palpating a litter for the first time in a while I'm more likely to miss a male.

The last point is once you've felt the BB's, it's a male, no need to re-check. If you don't find them, a re-check is always in order.
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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