Sperm Plugs?

Hello,

I am planning on breeding several of my ball pythons for the 1st time this season. I often read in classified ads that people have males for sale with/showing sperm plugs. Does anybody have any pictures of their snakes sperm plugs, and should I be concerned if I do not see them on my male (can a male successfully copulate without visible sperm plugs)? The male I plan to breed is a lavender albino that hatched in october of 2011. I purchased his from Exotics By Nature. I would estimate him to be in the 700g range(it has been a while since I weighed him). I have a pinstripe het lavender female and lavender albino female that are in need of some loving this season, and I'm hoping that he is up for the job. Thanks for your time and advice, it is greatly appreciated.

Chris

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ht=sperm+plugs

Thanks for the link! Are the sperm plugs only visible as remnants on shed skin, or can they be seen on the snake itself?

Watch this starting at like four minutes in, might help you a bithttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPmIpc_gP9I

90% of the sperm plugs I've come across (boas and balls and colubrids) have been in the water and occasionally smeared in the cage. For the first time I found a shed from my male boa this month with two sperm plugs attached just like the first link posted. And this is over 5 ish years

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ssssseeing Lavender

Thanks for the link! Are the sperm plugs only visible as remnants on shed skin, or can they be seen on the snake itself?

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You can get them out by popping the male. I typically see them starting at 6 months old.