Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have popped enough snakes to know if the sex is a male or a female, but I am having trouble with one that I just adopted. It seems like a male, but when popped there isn't a hemopenis's. The guy I picked up the ball python from didn't know the sex and told me the last owner under fed the snake. So, it could be an under wieght female. Is there any other sign rather then a hemopenis everting out of the vent, to know the sex. I read one web site that said I should look for the oviduct of the female, but it didn't give a description of what it should look like. Any help would be great, thanks.

Popping snakes isn't exactly a smart idea. In most babies it's not much of a problem although probing is much safer. In adults, they can control those muscles and you can easily hurt them. Depending on the extent of the damage they may not be able to breed (I've seen this happen). You can't go by spurs as I have giant proven females with giant spurs larger then some of the males! Anyways take him/her to a show or a pet shop that knows what they are doing and have him/her sexed.
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John Light
Pristine Pythons
ristinePythons@Hotmail.com" target="_blank">Contact Me

Popping snakes isn't exactly a smart idea. In most babies it's not much of a problem although probing is much safer.

There are many including myself that consider this bad advice.

In adults, they can control those muscles and you can easily hurt them. Depending on the extent of the damage they may not be able to breed (I've seen this happen).

Please be more specific. You have seen males made sterile by popping?

How did you know it was not sterile BEFORE being popped?

Miraculously some fertility test was made prior to popping. It must not have been used for breeding because the gender was unknown. If previously bred then this could NOT be the case.

How did you know it was sterile and not exhibiting some other problem? It seems your conclusion is based solely on opinion and no facts are involved.

I find it quite easy to express hemi-penes (or not) in 99% of adult ball pythons. So easy, it never occurred to me they could be damaged. I own probes for the very few uncooperative specimens. I just rarely need them.

FWIW; The most experienced breeders all pop. period. Just ask them. TGhe concept of popping being more dangerous then an instrument inserted into the animal is simply put... ABSURD.
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

NAMED BEST REPTILE STORE IN LOS ANGELES

There are many including myself that consider this bad advice.

-Everyone has different views, many including myself consider it good advice.

In adults, they can control those muscles and you can easily hurt them. Depending on the extent of the damage they may not be able to breed (I've seen this happen).

Please be more specific. You have seen males made sterile by popping?

-I've seen males that will no longer breed once this has been done.

How did you know it was not sterile BEFORE being popped?

-has nothing to do with being sterile or not and I have no idea where you pulled that idea out of what I said.

Miraculously some fertility test was made prior to popping. It must not have been used for breeding because the gender was unknown. If previously bred then this could NOT be the case.

-What are you talking about?

How did you know it was sterile and not exhibiting some other problem? It seems your conclusion is based solely on opinion and no facts are involved.

-facts are involved, as is my opinion as is yours. Again what are you talking about, did I ever mention the males were no longer sterile?

I find it quite easy to express hemi-penes (or not) in 99% of adult ball pythons. So easy, it never occurred to me they could be damaged. I own probes for the very few uncooperative specimens. I just rarely need them.

FWIW; The most experienced breeders all pop. period. Just ask them. TGhe concept of popping being more dangerous then an instrument inserted into the animal is simply put... ABSURD.

-That's also opinion. Not all the most experienced breeder pop.

-Both ways can be safe if done right, I still prefer probing over popping. Popping happens to be quicker and easier...which is probably the reason most use it (in your opinion). Probing is the most accurate way that's for sure!
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John Light
Pristine Pythons
ristinePythons@Hotmail.com" target="_blank">Contact Me

Probing uses an instrument that can and many times is inserted too far. This may result in an infection that can and does kill the snake.

The fact is popping never does this and is safer for this reason alone.

John Light's statement that popping has made a male unbreedable was the source of my statement regarding sterility. John, please re-read your own post. There is no way you could possibly know why the male you reference did not breed; yet you blame popping.

Popping is superior because one can visualize the hemipenes quite clearly, or not in the case of a female.

Males have been mis-probed as females because of bad insertion angles. Males determined correctly can still be damaged by over-insertion of the probe.

Females have been probed as males becuase the instrument was inserted too forcefully.

My daily job is working with hobbyists who need guidance with their snakes. I see mis-sexed animals all the time. We are in an era of herpetoculture in many cases which the breeder and the buyer cannot determine the gender of the snakes they are selling/buying.

I recently bought three 2500 gram females. The "breeder" had them for five years. Purchased as a trio (1.2) he tried and tried to breed them. To no avail. He was frustrated and sold me the animals cheap. This "male" was probed as a hatchling. It turned out to be three females. The probe job had to have punctured the female that luckily survuved the incident.

Popping errors make too many females. However, one cannot mistake a male.

Probing errors go both ways.

In skilled hands probing does work. We do it but only rarely.

It should not be attempted by beginners. Popping is far safer.

Yes this is an opinion. One based on the training of hundreds of hobbyists and over twenty years of keeping & breeding reptiles. I'll guess I personally have popped a few thousand ball pythons in the last five years. Only one, an albino male recently gave me trouble. His hemipene was less than a quarter of an inch despite his 1200 gram body weight and I could not pop him. He only probes five scales. Dan Sutherland was able to pop him successfuly (and safely) to prove the gender. Thanks Dan. You are a hero!

The animals we sell are properly sexed. Popping is our technique of choice.

Using the Barker's reptile years of experience, I have over five thousand reptile years of experience.

How many do you have?
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

NAMED BEST REPTILE STORE IN LOS ANGELES

amazonreptile-could you do me a favor and pop this snake for me. I have popped it and it looks like a female, but I would like someone to verify the gender for me. I live in the L.A. area and I could come down to the store. I would really apreciate it.

I think it's safe to say that we all have our own opinions on what's best for our critters. However, when I am in doubt I just ask some one who is more Knowledgeable. Take him/her up to your pet store and ask if they can sex him/her. See if there are any herp clubs in your area. I'm sure you could find some one there to help out. Or, get your self a known male and put them together. Best of luck to you.

I'm still suprised no one has mentioned sperm plugs. Check for them when it sheds.

No sperm plugs