How did you learn how to pop?

Hey guys

well, as everybody knows a lot of people sya to NEVER pop your snake unless you are experienced, and if you arent to take it to a vet or a breeder to be popped

But i had a question, how do you learn how to pop YOURSELF without hurting your animal?

Is it worth the risk to just try it yourself or should you go to a vet, watch how its done and then attempt it for yourself?

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated

The best way is to find someone who knows how to show you and walk you through it the first couple of times. If you don't know of anybody close by, talk to some of the breeders at reptile shows...

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

The best way is to find someone who knows how to show you and walk you through it the first couple of times. If you don't know of anybody close by, talk to some of the breeders at reptile shows...

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Ah, thats what i thought

Thanks!

I got the technique from Ralf Davis's video, but it wasnt until I got hands on instruction that I realized I wasn't using enough preassure. After the first one its a cakewalk.

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Originally Posted by hud556

I got the technique from Ralf Davis's video, but it wasnt until I got hands on instruction that I realized I wasn't using enough preassure. After the first one its a cakewalk.

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I was the same! I didn't apply enough pressure! Just try it and use a little pressure and keep using alittle more until it pops! Do it on a known male! Males are alot easier! If you can have someone show you then that would be better! I went to my local reptile store!

Breeders at reptile shows will usually teach you, thats how we learned

I learn on my own.

The problem with learning on your own is not having someone to show you proper position of your fingers and how much pressure to apply.

Most people that are just starting do not position their fingers properly and do not apply enough pressure by fear to hurt their animal.

So can you learn on your own? Yes however it might take a while to figure it out.

Now probing it a whole other story.

I learned to probe before I learned to pop. Stetson University is a local college where I live. (I actually attend now but didn't then). Anyway, I called and spoke with one of the professors who has done a 10yr study on pygmy rattlesnakes and asked him if he would teach me how to probe. He did.

I learned how to pop about a year later when I was picking up some snakes from Michael Cole at ball room pythons south, he showed me how.

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Originally Posted by kellysballs

I learned to probe before I learned to pop. Stetson University is a local college where I live. (I actually attend now but didn't then). Anyway, I called and spoke with one of the professors who has done a 10yr study on pygmy rattlesnakes and asked him if he would teach me how to probe. He did.

I learned how to pop about a year later when I was picking up some snakes from Michael Cole at ball room pythons south, he showed me how.

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Yeah thats my problem, i would lvoe to probe but i dotn have a probing kit and i am much more fearful of hurting my animal probing than i am popping

I may just have a local breeder sex my snakey or go to a reptile show to see how its done

I learned from Ralph Davis videos, I like his analogy of "like rolling a tube of toothpaste to get the last of it," really helped. It did take me a couple of tries because I was scared of hurting it, but now I know how to. I too would also like to learn how to probe.