Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was at a reptile show and was able to watch while Kathy Love demonstrated to someone else how to pop a snake. I've always felt comfortable looking at tails and determining gender... so I looked at the tails of the four hatchlings that are in separate shoebox cages, and chose the one that seemed to be the most likely male (One I didn't even make a judgement since it was still carrying a hefty yolk inside, and I didn't want to disturb that one). The one I chose I followed Kathy's directions exactly and was amazed at how simple it was to pop that snakey!!! I didn't need to use overt pressure, and the snakey didn't even musk me or anything. From the tails alone, I think I have 1 male and two females and 2 unknowns that have hatched out.

Of course I think I'll have to do it a few more times, and I am not sure how definate I will feel about the ones that "pop as female". I guess it's time to get some probes and learn how to use them (from an expert).

My clutch is proceeding.... I thought that it would be 3 days MAXIMUM from first pip to last snake out of the egg... nobody told me it would take 72 hours from first pip to last pip... and likely another 24 hours before the last three are out of the egg. The coolest thing is that the one I thought was dead is now poking his/her head out of the egg... from little glimpses I think its going to be some sort of zigzag stripe. . These snakeys are so dang FASCINATING! I'll be half glad when the second (and last) clutch hatches in a month, and half anxious for next year. I think it will be great if I get 8 out of 8 eggs to hatch, no slugs, first time breeders (momma and papa snake), first time BREEDER (me)

Now the hard part is going to be getting them to eat and deciding which ones are not going to be keepers, and which ones stay. Finding new homes shouldn't be at all difficult, since DANG they're gorgeous.

Shoulda known they'd be great looking lil snakeys... they are from Kerby Ross's excellent stock, so they had to be.

Anyway, I'm rambling!
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~Sasheena

Wish List:
0.1 adult Whitewater Rosy Boa
1.0 CB Spilotes Pullatus
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python

The best pics of popping a young snake that I've ever seen were on Cornutopia. Since I'm the whiz with the camera, and the only one who can pop the snakes, AND it takes two hands to pop the snake, can't quite get a picture. The hemipenes were not quite as distinct as on Kathy's site, but were still obvious. I didn't think I needed to exert further pressure beyond seeing two distinct hemipenes in order to ascertain the gender.

The thing that continually surprises me is that I've always been right (in my very limited experience I must say) in determining sex of kingsnakes by looking at the tail. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but once I got my first three kingsnakes, I took one look at the tails since I'd read it was possible and I said to myself: "Wow, you really CAN tell by the tail". Of course that time it was easy, because I knew which one was the female, and that the others were males. After seeing a couple of my snakes probed to confirm my suspicions of them being female I really don't want to have to learn that method but will if I have to.
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~Sasheena

Wish List:
0.1 adult Whitewater Rosy Boa
1.0 CB Spilotes Pullatus
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python

Had my stepdaughter take a picture while I was popping the hatchlings... she didn't do too bad for a 12-year old and a cheap digital camera.

I've popped six of the hatchlings. One resulted in "nothing" which leads me to believe she's a girl. Five are boys, and two are still too tender out of the egg to be bothered. I hope that those two are females.

Like I mentioned before, it was ridiculously easy to pop the hatchlings. I really feel that I did not use overt pressure in any way, and aside from a whole lot of gooey stuff that represented the hatchlings thoughts on my actions, it turned out well. If the ones I've diagnosed as female turn out to be female then I will feel quite comfortable with sexing the snakes.

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~Sasheena

Wish List:
0.1 adult Whitewater Rosy Boa
1.0 CB Spilotes Pullatus
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python