Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all-
Have seen it done numerous times but too nervous to try with my new baby greybands. Does anyone have any safe and surefire way to safely pop baby snakes to determine sex? Afraid of injuring or damaging snake if I dont do it correctly.
I know many of you can prob do it with your eyes closed, but can you offer some helpful tips. If you know of any videos, that'd be cool too. Dave.

Here is a link........
sexing hatchlings

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Doug to the rescue once again...I'll try that. looks easy! Dave.

ALso it takes lots of practice. As with any similar movements. Also wait until about a week after the first shed. Good luck

Is there an age or size the babies reach where popping is not a good idea, when probing would be best?

>>Is there an age or size the babies reach where popping is not a good idea, when probing would be best?

Probing is actually always best....but once a snake is a few months old I would stop popping them.......although I have certainly broken that rule on numerous occasions.......

Males will be definite.....the ones that pop "female" certainly need probed for certainty.......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

>>Males will be definite.....the ones that pop "female" certainly need probed for certainty.......
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>>John Lassiter

John I agree with you there. Males will be obvious males, but if it pops female, there is always a chance it wasn't done properly or the hemi's are very tiny and hard to see.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

Popping or to evert the hemipene is done with all age groups and sizes. Some species are much easier then others. Like rattlesnakes, they evert for you hahahahahahahahaha they are proud.

The reality is, popping or to evert, only tells you the snake IS a male, it does not tell you its a female. If it does not evert, it still could be a male that failed to evert.

Probing is a much more accurate method.

If your really interested in what gender the snakes are, then learn both and use both.

Females also have telltail signs, the little red dots on both sides of the vent are an example.

Last weekend I sexed a friends baby kings at a reptile show. Out of 30 or so, I could sex all but three with visual examination. I could pop all but three as well. That last three, I then probed and they were 2.1.

Many snakes can be sexed mid body and from ten feet away. Its funny but its like with people, some are easy to tell, a few are not.

To learn to do that, you must start somewhere and popping and probing is where you start. Both not one or the other.

After decades working with reptiles, I have learned one thing, do not trust other keepers, hahaqhahahahaahaha.

No offense, but even the big names breeders make lots of mistakes. hahahahahahaha its true. Heck, the last three pairs I recieved from one BIG name breeder, were pairs of males. Good luck