Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Dave,
I scrolled through all of the BRB forum pages available at the bottom and cannot locate a set of photos of sexing neo boas with the thumb and a rolling motion to feel for BB's. Was it you that posted the series of photos? If not, I appologize for the mistake. If so, would you mind reposting them? I was attempting to explain this to a carpet python keeper and thought it may be useful. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Scott

I've used this method successfully on BRB's and BCI's.....

Can be done either belly up or down, I like belly up so I can see better what I'm doing. Grasp baby just above the vent with one hand. Place your other thumb along the spine for support. Slide your finger tip along belly from vent toward tail (moist finger tip helps). About 1/2" to 1" down the tail, if it's a male, you will feel one or two little bumps inside the tail slip under your finger tip. Those are the tips of the hemipenes. Commonly refereed to as the BB's.

Here's a GIF showing it being done....

Right about the end of the colored belly pattern is where I found the BB's on this male.

Try it over and over again on several babies until you find a male. Once you have a known male you can practice on him to tweak your methods and pressure applied etc.

Additional tips:

Slide your fingertip further than you think, you'll be surprised how long some hemipenes are.

RE-CHECK all "females" sometimes a lesser endowed male can get missed on the first pass through.

You can use any finger tip you like, I use my ring finger as it's more sensitive (less calloused).

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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

dose that work on sub adults and adults also?

i know the poping method is most accurate with neonates
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-Stephen-

0.1 soon to be wifey (Babe)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer)
1.0 norm corn (Jake)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella)
1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Torpaz & Saphira)

Why would one use this method over one in which the hemipenes are visible and unmistakable. Popping is just as easy and is way more precise.

The visible organs vs. what one feels?

Why use feel? And don't tell me popping is dangerous. Tell that to the thousands of animals I have personally pooped that went on to reproduce.
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

I personally feel this is less invasive than popping. I totally believe "you" can pop them just fine and with so many you're very likely extremely reliable and not likely to injure while popping. Problem is many keepers do not pop thousands of snakes and are not as well practiced, knowing just how much pressure and exactly where/how to apply.

If you've ever tried this method you'd know once you've felt the hemipenes, it's unmistakable and it's a boy.
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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

Dave said;

If you've ever tried this method you'd know once you've felt the hemipenes, it's unmistakable and it's a boy.

You have no idea how many mis-sexed snakes we have seen in the last ten years. 9 in 10 were mis-sexed using this method. I have bought some very nice animals that were not breeding, because the dude had two females. I cannot explain how your method thinks a female is a male!

Yes, it takes practice to sex a snake using the popping method. I think it takes MORE practice to sex them using this method.

Thanks for the chat. Ur a peach!

I am glad we are discussing this. It is my distinct impression we are LEAVING a very bad era in herpetoculture. The one in which breeding snakes is so easy and commonplace that the breeders could not sex their babies before selling them!

Six years ago I bought two of the most beautiful BRB's ever. Large adult females. The guy could not get them to breed. He thought he had a boy and a girl. He had to girls! He was frustrated and sold them way cheap!
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

Well, I can't speak for others but every animal I sexed by palpating and kept was correct including a pair I sold and eventually came back for boarding. I have had mis-sexed animals that I bought and I don't know how they were sexed. Each one was a "female" that really was a male.

Good conversation and debate!!
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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

So you're saying if I were to walk up and feel your crotch to see if you had a male sex organ that would be any less effective than pulling your pants down so you were dangling in the breeze?

Personally, I'll trust you without checking for myself with either mehod.
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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

>>So you're saying if I were to walk up and feel your crotch to see if you had a male sex organ that would be any less effective than pulling your pants down so you were dangling in the breeze?
>>

Yes I am! I am aware of people who mis-sexed the humans they were about to fool around with. Thinking they had a girl and when the dress came up found they had a boy!

Yes, I am!
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

I'd be willing to bet that was trusting the "dress" and other packaging to determine the individuals sex. Not feeling the sex organ area before pulling up the dress!!!
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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

And I know of snakes that were "popped" as female that were in fact male. Yeah, very likely a less experienced person popping them but still "popped" and id's as female. All methods are limited by the individual performing them. Some will swear by probing.

I say do what works for you. You clearly are good at popping and have lots of experience. Likely more than many of not most breeders would have.
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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

>>I'd be willing to bet that was trusting the "dress" and other packaging to determine the individuals sex. Not feeling the sex organ area before pulling up the dress!!!
>>-----
>>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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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

I purchased this female from Amazon back in April of 2000. She's been a great snake and has given me 48 babies and that should go up over 60 here soon (fingers crossed, knock on wood). Most of these I've mis-sexed (Dave can attest to that, easy there Dave).
Are you Scott? I think thats the name of the guy I did business with.
Thanks,
Paul

That's awesome! Yes, I am Scott and I always love to know my clients are successful with the animals we sell. It means we did our job the right way! Of course it means you did a lot of good work too. But it is hard to start from junk, and we don't do junk!

Keep me in mind for those babies!
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

Each species is a little different. Palpation doesn't seem to work on chondros of any age.

However, I've seen a fair number of baby BRBs mis-sexed by popping. Females have a lot of vascularization in the scent glands that can be mistaken for hemipenes and males seem to have smaller hemipenes than many species when they're young (sorry males).
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Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com

Thank you so much Dave. That's what I was looking for!
Scott