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What is the largest size probe an 8 week old BRB can take? Size specified in guages would be helpful. I purchased a pair that should arrive tomorrow and want to make sure they were correctly sexed.

Linda

These babies are eating F/T fuzzy mice. I want to go to hoppers and continue the F/T. Should they be fed a fuzzy for their first meal once they are acclimated, or can I just use F/T hoppers?

What is the reccommended thawing procedure? I would like to feed on Sat or Sun only if everything seems okay, is this too soon?

Also, if they seem chilled when received, what is the time increment they should have before reaching their appropriate temp?

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"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance- that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer

Linda,
. I am glad you asked a question about probing little BRBs. I wish I had the size information for my probes so I could have posted a specific answer to your question. What I do know about probing little BRBs is that they have muscular little tails and that makes it hard to accurately sex them unless you have just the right size probe. A probe that seems large enough that it will not injure the snake can be just large enough that it will not always insert fully in a male and so males are sometimes misidentified as females. A probe that is small enough that it can be used more accurately sexing them is just small enough that it can injure the snake if used with too much force or if the snake wiggles too vigorously. The holes (the inverted hemipenes) in the back of the male BRB's cloaca are smaller in diameter than the analogous holes which are larger in diameter but of course much shallower in the back of the female BRB's cloaca. When I am sexing little BRBs I spend some time and do it very patiently and carefully. I am fairly certain about any that I probe deeply enough to identify as males. Any that probe shallow and I think are female I reprobe later just to make sure that it was not a male that I could not get the probe into all the way. When I go back through the second time I usually find that around 5 to 10 percent of the snakes which "probed as females" the first time are actually males. When BRBs get a little larger, perhaps 28 or 30 inches they are easier to safely and more accurately probe using a slightly larger probe than I use on the real little ones. I have probed several thousand snakes and I think I am fairly good at it but I am certain that I cannot probe them and identify the sex with 100% accuracy. I will also say that anyone who claims they can sex snakes with 100% accuracy does not know as much as they think they know.
Jeff

>>What is the largest size probe an 8 week old BRB can take? Size specified in guages would be helpful. I purchased a pair that should arrive tomorrow and want to make sure they were correctly sexed.
>>
>>Linda

Thanks Jeff

The holes (the inverted hemipenes) in the back of the male BRB's cloaca are smaller in diameter than the analogous holes which are larger in diameter but of course much shallower in the back of the female BRB's cloaca

I had no idea this was true, but it does make sense. I tried to probe with a 3.5 Fr. tom cat catheter which seems to be too small. None of the other employees when help me once they saw the little darling's attach themselves to my hand. I tried to explain that I would rather them bite than not bite because they must be okay or they wouldn't care. It just didn't go over on them. I took them them to have them probed and they appeared to be m/f.

I just thought it best to check it before a year or 2 went by. They appeared to me to be m/f, but after your response I will check them again a while later. I am now wondering if I should check the 6 month old again.

Thanks Jeff, I was beginning to think you were too busy to respond with all your campaining.

P.S.
I still want a red male...I am waiting for one of yours and I can wait a long time.

Linda,
. I get to work with 14 and 16 french urinary catheters. Some fun! I also get to work with 6 and 8 french catheters suctioning trached patients. Even less fun! I am trying to figure out how big a 3.5 french urinary catheter would be? Using that on a tomcat must be almost as much fun as my job?
. Probing again when they are larger is a good idea if the gender really matters. If you can wait until it is definitiely mature around age 4 they are pretty easy to sex without probing.
. Right now I have orange on orange BRBs breeding. If any red male breeds with a red female I will let you know.
Jeff RN

>>Thanks Jeff
>>
>>The holes (the inverted hemipenes) in the back of the male BRB's cloaca are smaller in diameter than the analogous holes which are larger in diameter but of course much shallower in the back of the female BRB's cloaca
>>
>>I had no idea this was true, but it does make sense. I tried to probe with a 3.5 Fr. tom cat catheter which seems to be too small. None of the other employees when help me once they saw the little darling's attach themselves to my hand. I tried to explain that I would rather them bite than not bite because they must be okay or they wouldn't care. It just didn't go over on them. I took them them to have them probed and they appeared to be m/f.
>>
>>I just thought it best to check it before a year or 2 went by. They appeared to me to be m/f, but after your response I will check them again a while later. I am now wondering if I should check the 6 month old again.
>>
>>Thanks Jeff, I was beginning to think you were too busy to respond with all your campaining.
>>
>>P.S.
>>I still want a red male...I am waiting for one of yours and I can wait a long time.