Hermafrodite?!

[Andoneus]

Hi,

I have a 06 -ball python and I went to a local vet who tried to find out the gender of my snake. She was amazed because of the big anal spurs of my ball python, but the probe told that it's a female.

So she said that it is probably a female but there might be a little possibility that it would be some kind of hermafrodite.. I really hope it's not because I'd like to breed this animal !

Anyway how common is that, do you think my snake is just a female with big anal spurs or what? Is there anybody else with a female with big spurs?


Here is a veeeeery old picture which was taken when (s)he had just arrived to us. (Yes it was skinny, but is not any more.) What would you think when looking at the tail?

[mlededee]

The size of the spurs is not a good determination of sex. I think you need a new vet--one that specializes in herps.

I have a bp with huge spurs--she laid 10 eggs when I bred her 2 seasons ago.

[Andoneus]

I think you need a new vet--one that specializes in herps.

Actually this vet was almost the only one here who is specialized in herps. Poor Finland But as I said, she probed the snake and the probe didn't go as deep as it would go with males.

[rabernet]

Then it's a female. I have females with large spurs as well. Sex is determined by probing or popping, not the size of the spurs.

[muddoc]

I would bet my collection that the SPURS on you animal are not that big at all. What you are seeing is probably between 3 and 6 layers of stuck shed on the spurs. Almost every ball python I have ever seen has them. If you grab one of those spurs with your fingernail, and gently pull, I bet a big cap will come off, and then you can see the real size of the spur.

[kc261]

I would bet my collection that the SPURS on you animal are not that big at all. What you are seeing is probably between 3 and 6 layers of stuck shed on the spurs. Almost every ball python I have ever seen has them. If you grab one of those spurs with your fingernail, and gently pull, I bet a big cap will come off, and then you can see the real size of the spur.

Thanks for sharing that. I love when these little things get mentioned that aren't on all the caresheets.

One time when my girl shed I was scared she had somehow ripped her spurs off in the shedding process. Then I looked closer and there were still spurs there, but just much smaller than before the shed. So she must have had a few layers built up but just got them off that shed. Glad to know she isn't the only one that does that.

Getting back to the OP, I've often heard that the size of spurs is not a good indicator of sex. So I'd believe the results of the probing.