That's a new one...the things a "reptile" vet will say...

On a Ball Python facebook page that I'm a member of a lady just posted a picture of her albino Ball Python.

Its a pretty little thing, looks dehydrated, though, or in the middle of a bad shed.

She said she took it to the vet for a "general checkup" and come to know, she actually has a Ball Python/ Blood Python hybrid. She said the Vet
sexed the snake and its a female with the head and body of a Ball Python and the "insides" and "genitalia" of a Blood Python.

Wow...

I do not think this is made up either, she was just proudly showing off her new noodle and the picture was made at the Vet.

I have to say, thats a new one!

Oh my. The vets that will work on anything I don't trust. They need to specialize in something. No human can learn enough to work on every type of animal. I have dealt with a few horse vets that I trust more than human doctors but I wouldn't let them get near a snake in a million years.

Dang. The amount of bullpoop professional people can come up with LOL.

That's why I think we all need to research extensively on our own first, before finding a good reptile vet. Because how would someone know if the vet is good or bad, if they don't even know anything themselves.

Very interesting. I just did a quick google search and popping a blood python looks exactly the same as popping a ball python to me. Must be those years of experience. I actually revised the care sheet the vet gave me while in the room once and handed it back to her when she came back lol. It wasn't terrible, you wouldn't kill a snake following it, but things like feeding outside the enclosure to prevent cage aggression, Cage needing to be twice the length of the snake (do you keep your ball pythons in 8-10 foot long cages?), needing uv light, needing to soak, ect. oh and the 10 foot gtps.

I had a t-stat malfunction in my quarantine rack and my enchi cinnamon girl ended up with thermal burns. I took her to the first "exotic" vet I could find and he told me to feed her when I got home and if she didn't eat he would prescribe painkillers. Needless to say that was the last time I ever went back, luckily I got her treated with silver sulfadiazine and decided to feed her after she shed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

Very interesting. I just did a quick google search and popping a blood python looks exactly the same as popping a ball python to me. Must be those years of experience. I actually revised the care sheet the vet gave me while in the room once and handed it back to her when she came back lol. It wasn't terrible, you wouldn't kill a snake following it, but things like feeding outside the enclosure to prevent cage aggression, Cage needing to be twice the length of the snake (do you keep your ball pythons in 8-10 foot long cages?), needing uv light, needing to soak, ect. oh and the 10 foot gtps.

---

Well, you did GOOD thing. If more people did what you did, perhaps we would get somewhere ;)

This is a new breed of stupid. Sigh.

If a vet told me that, my expression would probably be something like that :


http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...e_510-462.jpeg


And all that aside, there are many GREAT vets out there. I just found that one exceptionally strange. hehe
Apparently they did not mention the dehydration, though...
She also posted that they couldn't tell her whether her snake is blind (its an albino) because the eyes were cloudy from the shed...

:rofl:That's hilarious (in a not so funny way of course)! I love when professionals' egos get in the way of their ability to admit when they don't know something. How would they even know what the "insides" looked like without an ultrasound/radiograph? Obviously you can pop and see genitalia but the "insides"?? Just a guess there doc? A random assumption? Ah jeeezzz; that's going to get me for a while!

:rofl: I have heard worst though.

One of the reason I love MY vet is that she is honest and if does not know she will tell you and refer you to the right person. She has limited experience with snakes and has always been honest about it (I actually taught her how to sex Ball Pythons and she has called me before to pick my brain).

Sadly mainly people will no admit when they do not know especially when it comes down to $$$

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zina10

If a vet told me that, my expression would probably be something like that :


https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...e_510-462.jpeg

---

LOLL.
Same, I'd just straight up say, "No, she's a ball python. And don't worry about the rest of the checkup, I'll be leaving now." :O Not that snakes even need regular checkups.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zina10

On a Ball Python facebook page that I'm a member of a lady just posted a picture of her albino Ball Python.

Its a pretty little thing, looks dehydrated, though, or in the middle of a bad shed.

She said she took it to the vet for a "general checkup" and come to know, she actually has a Ball Python/ Blood Python hybrid. She said the Vet
sexed the snake and its a female with the head and body of a Ball Python and the "insides" and "genitalia" of a Blood Python.

Wow...

I do not think this is made up either, she was just proudly showing off her new noodle and the picture was made at the Vet.

I have to say, thats a new one!

---

Well the new Laws are on "It's" side, he/she can be what/who ever they want lmbo [emoji85][emoji86][emoji86][emoji86]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I once had a 'reptile vet' try to tell me that cryptosporidium serpentis was a- not fatal, b- curable, and c- transmissible to humans. :weirdface

The only thing I could get from this is the fact it seems that you can "roll" sex blood pythons, by rolling your finger from their vent downward and feeling for hemipenes. Maybe the vet was referring that they couldn't feel any hemipenes when examining?
Here's a video of the sexing method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l1-aSEKa1A

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spiritserpents

I once had a 'reptile vet' try to tell me that cryptosporidium serpentis was a- not fatal, b- curable, and c- transmissible to humans. :weirdface

---

WHOA!!!!! lol

That above linked picture of a Ball/Blood hybrid clearly IS a hybrid.
Its more then pattern. You can see it in the body shape, the head, etc..

The case with the vet, that was a very apparent Ball Python. Esp. being an Albino. The Albino bloods look nothing like that. And the vet told her the snake was a Ball/Blood python hybrid, but only the snakes insides (as in organs, etc) were Blood. Oh, and the genitalia.

That is very different. A hatchling female blood python genitalia doesn't look much different from a hatchling female ball python genitalia (sorry you all)
There is no way any vet could determine that that snake was a blood python hybrid, with the blood under the skin.

That was the snake in question. I'm not a 100 % comfortable sharing that here, but since it was shared on the internet, I suppose it is ok. If not, let me know moderators, and I will take it down!!

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...59951071_n.jpg

The owner is relatively new to snakes and tries to do the best she can, or what she feels is the best, hence the checkup at the vet.
The way she worded her post, I doubt there was miscommunication at the Vet. She was told her snake was a Mix between those 2 species, with the sex and inside being the Blood part. She asked for help in adjusting husbandry for a "mix".

I'm not a expert discussing the genetics like you two, and its fascinating to learn.

But I'm pretty sure that all that does not apply to the snake, esp. since NO fancy testing of any kind was performed. The snake was sexed, that is all. It was sold as a albino Ball Python.

My post was meant to lighten the mood, as it is rather funny. I have learned some stuff from the resulting discussion, that is for sure.

But what the vet did, to me, is no different then me taking a Poodle to the Vet for a checkup, and the Vet telling me its actually a Mutt. Mixed with a Bulldog, but the bulldog is only expressed on the inside and the genitalia. I think I would look at that Vet a little sideways.. :rofl:


edited to say, I invited the owner of this snake to this forum, for friendly advice and help with her Ball Python. I told her she can ask questions on everything she wants to know about, that there are plenty of helpful people here. Sounds like a better idea to me, then to listen to her vet.

Perhaps we should dial back to the original topic, what is the difference between ball and blood genitalia?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

Very interesting. I just did a quick google search and popping a blood python looks exactly the same as popping a ball python to me. Must be those years of experience. I actually revised the care sheet the vet gave me while in the room once and handed it back to her when she came back lol. It wasn't terrible, you wouldn't kill a snake following it, but things like feeding outside the enclosure to prevent cage aggression, Cage needing to be twice the length of the snake (do you keep your ball pythons in 8-10 foot long cages?), needing uv light, needing to soak, ect. oh and the 10 foot gtps.

---

had this exact experience with a vet. Had to argue about UVB for a ball python...he was adamant it was needed and that's why my snake had eye infections...

Thanks all for the great info on genetics, this is really fascinating to me, although I can't say I understand it 100%.


That said, the snake in question is a Baby Ball Python female, no hemipene.

I doubt that a baby ball python females genitalia looks any different from a blood python female baby. At least not to the point that you could tell that one was in the body of the other..

Are we even sure the vet sexed it right at this point? :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lizardlicks

Are we even sure the vet sexed it right at this point? :rolleyes:

---

Nope, probably not.
I think after all the jokes and incredulity her post caused, the owner of the snake realizes she shouldn't use that vet anymore.

She really comes across as a very caring owner, she took her snake to the vet because it looks dehydrated (and possibly bad shed)
but from what she said she tries hard. She also said she felt like a fool now, but it certainly isn't her fault to take the Vets words seriously.

I posted a link to our forum and told her she can always get tons of advice here if she has questions, the members on our forum are patient and friendly.

Alright so after some light http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/a...tiles/Maid.gif

There is now a new spinoff on DNA, Chromosome and Chimera talk https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...d-Chimera-talk

Please keep on topic than you

Your Maiderator ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

Alright so after some light http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/a...tiles/Maid.gif

There is now a new spinoff on DNA, Chromosome and Chimera talk https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...d-Chimera-talk

Please keep on topic than you

Your Maiderator ;)

---

My house could use a little bit of Maideratoring, too :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zina10

My house could use a little bit of Maideratoring, too :)

---

:rofl:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zina10

She really comes across as a very caring owner, she took her snake to the vet because it looks dehydrated (and possibly bad shed)
but from what she said she tries hard. She also said she felt like a fool now, but it certainly isn't her fault to take the Vets words seriously.

---

It's definitely not her fault. All the poking fun is at the vets expense. That vet is supposed to have expertise of these animals, beyond what any of us on this forum have, if they are going to see those types of animals. If they don't they shouldn't pretend and spout off borderline moronic things and take money for it on top of that.

So I finally found a good video of someone popping a blood and well I was rather surprised there is something to report. While I doubt you could ever tell the difference between male bloods and male ball pythons just looking at the genitila, Im not joking I think I would missex a female blood as a male if I had nothing else to compare it to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M--_46ozaYI

After seeing that, im severely doubting the vets accuracy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

It's definitely not her fault. All the poking fun is at the vets expense. That vet is supposed to have expertise of these animals, beyond what any of us on this forum have, if they are going to see those types of animals. If they don't they shouldn't pretend and spout off borderline moronic things and take money for it on top of that.

So I finally found a good video of someone popping a blood and well I was rather surprised there is something to report. While I doubt you could ever tell the difference between male bloods and male ball pythons just looking at the genitila, Im not joking I think I would missex a female blood as a male if I had nothing else to compare it to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M--_46ozaYI

After seeing that, im severely doubting the vets accuracy.

---

So...perhaps that ladys "female" Ball Python is actually a male Ball Python instead of a female Blood Python in Ball Python "clothes" ?? lol...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zina10

So...perhaps that ladys "female" Ball Python is actually a male Ball Python instead of a female Blood Python in Ball Python "clothes" ?? lol...

---

I don't think that is a far fetched assumption.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

It's definitely not her fault. All the poking fun is at the vets expense. That vet is supposed to have expertise of these animals, beyond what any of us on this forum have, if they are going to see those types of animals. If they don't they shouldn't pretend and spout off borderline moronic things and take money for it on top of that.

So I finally found a good video of someone popping a blood and well I was rather surprised there is something to report. While I doubt you could ever tell the difference between male bloods and male ball pythons just looking at the genitila, Im not joking I think I would missex a female blood as a male if I had nothing else to compare it to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M--_46ozaYI

After seeing that, im severely doubting the vets accuracy.

---

That is pretty interesting. Would you consider that a pseudo-hemipene?;) Also I find it pretty interesting they did not protest more, pretty calm for bloods at least from what I have heard.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AntTheDestroyer

That is pretty interesting. Would you consider that a pseudo-hemipene?;) Also I find it pretty interesting they did not protest more, pretty calm for bloods at least from what I have heard.

---

Haha, I was thinking the SAME thing. If I even grabbed my Blood that way, I think I would get some very "hot blooded" protest going on. Perhaps a little "blood" on the side, LOL.
My boy is pretty good, but "Hell hath no fury like a pi$$ed off Blood Python" :bow:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AntTheDestroyer

That is pretty interesting. Would you consider that a pseudo-hemipene?;) Also I find it pretty interesting they did not protest more, pretty calm for bloods at least from what I have heard.

---

According to this website http://www.redbloodpython.com/breeding.html

Quote:

---

Sexing neonate blood pythons is notoriously difficult because females posses hemipenal homologs, or as most keepers say, "large scent glands."

---

Well if anything, I learned something new.

Reading that 'vet report' of the inside and genitals being blood while the rest was ball made my eye twitch.

It's not the owner's fault, she was trusting a "trained professional" who was supposed to have years more experience and training in her pet. Not their fault that the vet they chose apparently can't ID basic snake species.

It may be a male, as a lot of inexperienced folks don't manage to properly express the hemipenes if they don't know how to properly sex a ball python. If he 'rolled' his finger down the cloaca area then who know? Without the photo, I would have wondered if it were a legless beagle puppy.

Nothing surprises me anymore. I hope the owner does come here and find all the information they need and maybe even finds a like-minded community of reptile enthusiasts.