Matt, I've also noticed over the years I've bred them that leopards aren't as easy to pop as many other ratsnake species. I always pop first but don't go aggressivly about it and then probe each one that doesen't pop male. Leopard ratsnakes are fairly stocky babies and not nearly as hard to probe as some others. When I probe really small species I go in without much pressure at all. As soon as I think I feel the probe stop, I very lightly back the probe up then go forward again (lightly) and make sure it stops in the same place. I mightly lightly go back and forth 3 or 4 times before removing the probe to be sure. If you very gently go back and forth and it stops in the same place you can be confident. Many people just probe in once and do it firmly. I personally feel much more confident I never hurt a baby and get an accurate sexing doing it the way I mentioned.

For probing little babies I use the smallest probe that comes in the little pack of 3 small probes. They come in a little plastic sleeve with 3 individual sections, one for each probe. The smallest size probe that comes in the tubes with several size probes are just not small enough for little species.
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Randy Whittington

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