I recieved a trio of yearling het and amel Eastern chain kings last year. I raised them all up and just brought them out of brumation for breeding. Just out of curiousity I went ahead and probed them all before putting them together, something I should have done when I initially got them. Every single one probed out at 12-15 scale depth. Now, I may be horribly mistaken but aren't females a little shallower than this? What is the coincedence that I got all males? Does anyone know where I can get some large females to maybe try and salvage something from this season? Thanks, TraceHardin@yahoo.com
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Frustration!
traceh
Mar 05, 2005 11:31 PM
Replies (4)
jlassiter
Mar 05, 2005 11:53 PM
Are you counting ventral scales when you probe??
12 to 15 is outrageous. Nothing probes that deep. 7 or 8 tops usually for males and 3 to 5 for females in most of the ones I have probed.....I have never seen or heard of anything probing that deep unless you are counting some other scales.
John Lassiter
HerperHelmz
Mar 06, 2005 01:02 AM
....
traceh
Mar 06, 2005 08:54 PM
I've probed many snakes. But maybe I am doing something wrong? I much prefer popping neonates but since I was told these were the right sex from a reliable source I never even bothered sexing them. I am probing towards the tail tip, on both sides of the vent, I have tried 3 different sized probes, all relatively small, I use KY jelly and am very gentle. The probes go in deep but maybe I am counting subcaudal scales wrong? I am supposed to line up the probe depth with the ventral scales, right? I know 12-14 depth is deep but there is no way I am ripping through musk glands or hemipenes. These are kingsnakes not Diamond pythons and I am being very gentle. I really appreciate your help and concern, any other suggestions?
Sweet_Pickle
Mar 06, 2005 02:04 PM
OK - Don't take this the wrong way:
Are you pushing the probe towards the TAIL and not towards the head? I have probed a lot of snakes and none have gone that far. I hope you probed its colon and did not tear hemipenes. I.e., I hope that you probed the wrong direction.
- Peter
