Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was recently asked if gender can be determined by sub-choacal scale counts. The person mentioned that tails are longer in males than female green anacondas and if a scale count could determine sex. I did not know what to say to that but I don't think so. It was an aspect to anacondas I never felt relavant as there is other ways to determine sex and it did not seem to make sense to me other than the fact that it would make more sense for males tails to be longer sense the need to wrap around the thicker female. any imput since I will not be ignorant and not explore the isue.

Back in the day when i was a colubrid breeder i tryed this. they way it worked was i copyed the snakes tale and blew the picture copy up. the numbers where like 90 or below it was female and 120 or above was male. any number in between could be eather male or female. i dont know if they are the right numbers i only did it a couple times and never got a good reading. so stick with ur probes and spur sexing and if all else fails go to the vet and pay the 70 to get a blood test.

CrazyCody

Subcaudal scale count differences between male and female green anacondas cannot be used for sex determination. I have collected subcaudal counts from numerous greens and the differences are too slight to be definitive. I have seen females with counts as high as some males. Some others have also made attempts to sex by the total length to tail length ratio, but the differences are also very slight, and extremely accurate measurements are required. The accuracy required is very difficult to accomplish on a live snake. Probing and spur sexing of greens is a much more accurate way to determine sex.

Kelly

Kelly, once again that is exactly what i thought but i cannot be ignorant enough to not look into it more than my educated guess. A second opinion from your findings was all i needed : )

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