Probing...

[DC_Python]

Originally Posted by Kathy Shaw

Probing is dangerous and should only be done by an expert. You have a good honest vet if they admit they don't know how to do it and don't want to risk it.
Are you going to keep the snake no matter what sex it is?
If you are you can probably tell the sex when it is a year or more old. Most males produce sperm if you cool them in the fall and you can see sperm if you gently press around their vent.
If you only want to keep a girl (not waste your time raising up a Male you don't want) Then you need to find someone who knows how to sex them either probing or popping. You may need to drive a ways to a show or a professional breeder.
When I started out I drove 600 miles to have a professional sex my babies and teach me how to pop. He said not to probe you can make them infertile by probing especially in babies. He does occasionally probe large adults.
Kathy

One question, how do you become an expert? Everyone has to start somewhere. Either ask around, im sure out of 56,000 people.. 1 will show you how. If not, email a known breeder, and get them to send you info, and try it yourself. Good luck.

[End Times]

Yeah, I'm still gonna have to try and find somebody to help me out. I think XTREMEEXOTICS may have bailed on me. I'm not sure, so if you read this Brandon and I'm mistaken please don't take offense, but the first time we were supposed to meet he claimed to of lost my number when he was supposed to call to set up a time, which was fine because it turned out I was unable to make it anyway. Then the second time, I was to call him after I finished up an investigation for work and when I did there was no answer. Then, the other day he dissappeared all of sudden from a MSN convo when I was asking him about sexing the snake and whether or not he would be getting any snakes in soon.

Now maybe this is all a series of unfortunate coincidences and if so, my bad and I appologize, but I'm wondering if he even really does know how to probe as whenever he talked about sexing it he kept insisting he would "pop" it despite the fact that the snake is over three feet long. When I said I thought the snake would be too big to pop, and asked if he knew how to probe, he kind of hesitated before saying yes so now I'm not sure when I think back on things...

[Crofab]

popping is okay in small snakes, but I would never even attempt it on a 3' BP, or a 3' anything for that matter. You can usually get a good indication of a pythons sex but the spurs on each side of the vent, however this is not always 100% accurate. I'd recommend investing in a set of ball tipped probes and give it a try. It's not that difficult especially on a 3' python, I wouldn't recommend learning on hatchlings or without a ball tipped probe. I learned by just jumping in and going for it.
Heres a link I found that will hopefully show you how. Good luck, let us know what you find out.
http://www.pythons.com/probing.html

[End Times]

Where can I buy probes? And how would I know what size to use as to not injure the snake? I imagine both too large and too small could prove to be detrimental?

[pythonmdk]

it is possible to pop an older snake but it is far more difficult, I would never try it cuz one I have a hard enough time popping a baby that I know popping an adult would be impossible for me. But I have heard lots of the big bp breeders say it is possible to pop one that size. I hope you get in contact with someone soon, and the whole tale and spur size is really unacurate so I wouldn't go by that my friend had one the that looks like is has almost no spurs but when probbed it goes in 9 scales so he's definatly a male. Good luck.
John

[End Times]

Good news, I've heard of a vet that doesn't actually work out of an animal hospital, but apparently runs his practice solely by doing house calls. Apparently he is herp knowledgable, so I will be contacting him to see if he can probe my ball....