Learning to sex snakes?

Everyone who breeds snakes had to have had a "first time" for determining the sex of a snake.

How did you go about learning to do it yourself? Did you just watch/read about how to probe and/or pop, and give it a shot? Did you have one-on-one instruction from a vet or other person well-practiced in sexing snakes?

It's one of those skills I have yet to acquire, and am thinking about hitting up one of the herp vets recommended by the MN herpetological society to show me the ropes, verify my coastal carpet's sex, and get some practice in myself with someone watching over my shoulder.

I actually kind of hoped to get some feedback here, anyone?

I had my vet show me how to pop and probe them. I'm still only comfortable popping them right now though.

ralph davis has a video on youtube of him sexing his snakes with probes and by popping. pretty helpful

I had a freind teach me how to probe :gj:.If you were closer i could show you how to probe.

watched someone do it (popping) and now know how to do it myself. I've watched people probe as well but i don't have a probe set. I'll probably pick one up soon.

Popping is a learned art. Once you learn how to do it, you think back about why couldn't you do it, it's so simple. Probing should be left to the more experienced herper. Injury and possibly death can occur if done without proper technique.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

I still (sadly) have not learned XD I need to get around to that one of these days...

I watched tons of videos about how to pop a BP before trying it on my girl. I was still never 100% on her sex after that, despite my attempt. I took her to a reptile show and had an experienced breeder check her out for me. It's something I'll have to practice and observe over time.

I had a scare and thought I'd messed her up internally after my first time popping her. Turns out she just REALLLLLY had to go! New-home nervousness n' all. :rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mpkeelee

ralph davis has a video on youtube of him sexing his snakes with probes and by popping. pretty helpful

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I did see Ralph's video on that, but it is never a good idea to just attempt something yourself with out any knowledge of it. Watching a video is one thing, doing it yourself is another. I would say the best way to learn is to be shown by a professional, and then try it yourself, obviously after they show you, and just have them observe.

Michael Cole taught me how to "pop" ball pythons.

I then called around and couldn't find a local vet who new how to probe so I watched a few videos on youtube and called one of the proffesors at Stetson University. Dr. Farrell and Dr. May have sexed and tagged over 10K pigmy rattlesnakes at Lake woodruff preserve, he walked me through probing step by step over the phone and told me to practice on a male.
So I practiced on a normal that I knew was a male and once I was comfortable with him I probed the rest of the males in our collection and then I probed the females.

I prefer probing to popping now sometimes on really big males I have a hard time popping them. The key to probing is never force anything. You have to be very gentle.

I learned popping by watching several good youtube video demonstrations.

A local pet store owner showed me how to probe properly, but I have not praticed it, as I have only ball pythons (and one lone garter that is clearly male--garters can be visually sexed).

I have yet to learn, but there is a local reptile shop I recently heard about and I'm hoping someone up there can teach men. I'm actually going to go check it out after work today.