Want to know if your male is ready....

[BoidKeeper]

Check to see if he has a pair of these.
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/507/289image007.jpg
These are sperm plugs I popped from one of my males tonight. They are dried seminal fluid that builds up in the hemipens. They can be removed by using the same technique used to evert the hemipens on a neonate. Not something everyone should try. My vet should me how to do when she taught me how to probe a snake.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Corey Woods]

Personally I think "sperm plugs" are not dried up sperm at all. When a male sheds his outer skin he also sheds the skin on his hemipen's. Most times the hemipen's shed brakes off at the vent staying inside the animal. After a couple sheds these shed skins build up and become hard. This doesn't seem to hurt the snake at all and when you pop them you can remove these "plugs". Also, when a male starts breeding the "plugs" are removed as well.......until they stop breeding and are allowed to build up over the summer. Some of the "plugs" are clear and some are a dark brown.

Corey

[Zoe]

Yes that's the impression I was under as well, I've seen the "plugs" come out as the snake sheds.

Zoe

[BoidKeeper]

I've only ever seen one snake shed its hemipens completely and that was an ETB. I'm of the opinion that a sperm plug is both retained skin and dried seminal fluid. If it was dried skin, or built up skin then why would Dan Sutherland show you how to check for them in the Ball Python Breeding video he and Colette did with Dr. Seward. He calls it dried seminal fluid. They do this to verify whether or not the male they want to use is producing sperm or not before they use him to make sure he is not a dud. Retained hemipinal skin is not an indication of whether or not your male is going to breed for you or not, why would they make it part of a breeding video if it was retained skin. If the Sutherlands call it dried seminal fluid then that’s good enough for me.
Cheers,
Trevor