actually a female

[Leah844]

So I posted a forum recently, asking some questions about my supposed male ball python, and about his growth/gender. Since then, even though I got decisive responses, the questions were still nagging me. I finally looked up several "popping" videos, in order to sex Zhang myself. After I finally got up the courage to do so, I followed the videos to a T!! It was easier than I thought, and Zhang is not a male, but actually a female... I double checked, and I double checked a few days later. I'm not doing it wrong, when I pop her, it looks exactly like the female popping videos I've seen, and not even close to the males... Welp... I guess I actually have a female.

[Andy_G]

How old/big is the snake that you're trying to pop, though? Popping is only reliably done on younger snakes. It can be done on snakes a bit older, but it is a much less reliable method at that point and shouldn't be done by the unexperienced.

[Leah844]

She is under a year old, about 10-11 months old. Is that too old to be reliable?

[Leah844]

How old can a ball python be to be reliably popped? Is 10 months old too old?

[Andy_G]

I would say for someone who isn't extremely well practiced, anything beyond 4 or 5 months of age should be probed.