Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i think i may have been sold a male hogg island boa rather than a female? can you tell by the tail,,,he probed it in front of me and said it was a girl and it was much more money. are they like kingsnakes where the males tail is longer and slimmer? i hope i didnt get scammed!

Jeff

"Grasp the tail gently. Put your thumb right under the vent line, your index finger opposite of your thumb. Gently move your thumb down towards the tip of the tail. About 1/3 of the way down from the vent you will feel two tiny balls roll out from under your thumb, that is a male. On the female you won't feel anything. If possible do a few babies of each sex to get the feel for it. I've not been wrong with this method yet and have done several litters. Just be careful not to pull on the tail. It is a safer, less invasive method than probing the little guys. I've actually found this can work on animals up to 4-5 feet if they are lean, once they have a lot of fat and muscle, it no longer works."
-LauraV
This post was a couple pages back, I remebered seeing it, You will def. feel the "balls" if it is a male.

find a qualified reptile experienced vet to check it, that's the best way for someone with limited experience.

good luck!!

bc