How do you sex baby snakes ?

[Rateor]

I'm planning on breeding my Jungle Carpets this year. I have noticed people selling hatchies with the sex listed for them.. Do you probe the babies or what??

[Aaron_S]

The most accurate way is to probe them. You can also "pop" them.

[ffollett]

Snake Sex Determination by Probing (http://www.pythons.com/probing.html)

[The Snake Guru]

I was doing the probing thing for all my snakes, probably still will....however when I was down on my trip Matt showed me a real neat way to sex youngsters which is completely non-invasive. I had heard about before I went there but never knew anyone who practiced it.....Basically hold your thumb on the underside of the belly at the vent of the snake, then roll towards the tip of the tail....if it's a male you feel this little pop like a rubberband letting loose....if it's a female there will be nothing.....it really works I've tried it on several now, and then probed them to be sure....it's fantastic and accurite.

~B~

[Aaron_S]

Yah it's called "popping" Brad. lol You're technically popping out the snakes genitals. It works a lot of the time, but not always. Probe to make sure.

It CAN be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Too hard and you can damage the area.

[The Snake Guru]

Yah it's called "popping" Brad. lol You're technically popping out the snakes genitals. It works a lot of the time, but not always. Probe to make sure.

It CAN be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Too hard and you can damage the area.

Well yes and no....it's like popping only the genitals don't actually come out of the body....everything stays right inside the body...right where it is supposed to be, I never "pop" any of my snakes I believe it's unnatural for thier junk to inverted and it can cause harm to them your right. Which is why I was so interested in this new method....it takes VERY little pressure to actually make it work so there shouldn't be any damage to them.

~B~

[Aaron_S]

Depends on how young when you pop them. It works because the snake is too young and doesn't quite have enough strength to keep you from popping them. I don't think it's quite new as I've known and done it for a few years :P

[The Snake Guru]

Personally I don't think age has anything to with it....I mean granted Males are kind of made for inversion....at least later on in life, but what happens when you come across a female....thiers isn't made to go that way.

That may be....I just hadn't heard about it before until recently.

~B~

[gonesnakee]

If you read what he said it is NOT popping. When "popping" a snake you roll your thumb from down by the end of the tail towards the vent to expose the hemipenes if they are there, you do NOT then roll towards the tip of the tail.... as he stated. ;) So it is indeed a different method & NOT "popping" as we all know it & herpers have been doing for decades ;) No matter what method used to sex a snake it can be dangerous & harmfull if you don't know what you are doing. Always have an experienced person help teach you how to do so properly. Mark

[The Snake Guru]

No matter what method used to sex a snake it can be dangerous & harmfull if you don't know what you are doing.

Now that is certainly the truth of it.

~B~

[gonesnakee]

Now that is certainly the truth of it.

~B~
Well other than "visual sexing" which of course is not accurrate, or is accurrate within 50% ;) Mark

[The Snake Guru]

Well other than "visual sexing" which of course is not accurrate, or is accurrate within 50% ;) Mark

LOL.....well unless you are lucky enough to sexually dimorphic species like Rosy Boas, Indos, or Madagascan leaf noses. LOL

~B~

[The Snake Guru]

P.S Sorry I know Rosies and Indos aren't technically sexually Dimorphic....but you can tell without having to probe, pop, ect.

~B~

[Aaron_S]

haha sorry Mark. Ok so I learned something new!

[reptiven]

if you don't know how to sex them it's better to take them to somebody who knows how cause both metods could hurt the snake if you do it in the wrong way

[gonesnakee]

haha sorry Mark. Ok so I learned something new!

I had to read it a couple times myself LOL Mark

[The Snake Guru]

Sorry guys....hard to explain in writing. LOL

~B~