Surprised by a vet check up / sexing

Ok I wanted to double check that my baby pastel, 1000g spider and 500g mojave were all female and had a few other snakes checked at the same time. All those were female, but she sexed what I was sure was a breeder female (I had traded a pancake tortoise for two hold back females around 1300g) as a male, which really put me off, and she probed a male mojave I had (that I bought from Ben Siegel at the Tampa expo and remember him or employee of his popping it for me showing it clearly to be a male) as a female.

I had called and asked and she offered to resex the snakes in question for free. I am also planning on getting a probe set of my own now that I've seen it done in person.

I like this set of probes from reptile basics.

Was she an exotics vet, or a dog/cat vet that sees exotics as well? I've found that vets that aren't strictly exotics vets really don't get a lot of people asking them to sex their animals, and therefore, don't have the experience or practice to be sure.

If Ben Siegel popped it for you and you saw hemipenes, I doubt that it morphed into a female.

I wouldnt trust probing by just any vet, like robin said.

Popping is way more accurate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

If Ben Siegel popped it for you and you saw hemipenes, I doubt that it morphed into a female.

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I agree.

His staff is pretty knowledgeable, so even if it was an employee it's a good source.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Icatsme

I agree.

His staff is pretty knowledgeable, so even if it was an employee it's a good source.

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That's what I thought too, and I trust the guy I got the female she thought was male. And she also said it was unsafe to pop snakes older than one year, which I've never heard before. Anyone else every hear that? That sounded like the weirdest thing she told me.

And yeah she is a dog/cat/bird/herp vet. It sounded like she had some BPs of her own for what that may be worth.

I had 2 of mine popped by a breeder where I live & he got their sexes wrong.

I mean I guess it's always possible for anybody to be wrong, but she doesnt specialize in herps it seems, and ben siegel has a huge business aswell as very knowledgeable employees. I would maybe try to relocate a vet that specializes in herps.

If you see hemipenes, 100% yes it's a male.. disregarding genetic trans-sexual BPs that is.

I had a VERY well known exotics vet in my area probe 20 of my balls (before I learned how easy it was to do by myself). He got 3 of them wrong.

For example, one big super light dinker female a had purchased was sexed by him as a male. I was really upset by this so I asked several times if he was certain. He was absolutely certain it was a male.

Once I learned how to probe she without any doubt probed as a female.... she just laid her first clutch this season. :)

Where exactly are you located? Maybe you can find a BP.netter that knows what they are doing in your area that can give you a cheap second opinion.

I live near St. Pete, Florida. I am willing to drive a bit to meet a fellow BPer. I will also be at Daytona but I don't have a place to store my snakes after the sexing.

And is that probing set i linked earlier a good one or anyone have a better one i should buy instead.