7 years, 40", too small to be female?

I've got an opportunity to pick up a 7 year old healthy normal for a steal of a price, but unless it's a female there's really no point. I know probing is really the only way to know, but I don't want to go to the time/expense to make the drive and have him/her probed unless it's even possible for it to be female.. he/she's 40" long, and looks to be in great health as far as weight goes.. what do you guys think?

Here's a pic:

http://images.craigslist.org/0102050...57b300bec4.jpg

The size can't tell you anything. Can you ask the seller to check for plugs?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pfan151

The size can't tell you anything. Can you ask the seller to check for plugs?

---

plugs? explain... I'm not familiar with that term in this context...

I had a 4yr old 37" female lay a clutch this year (3 good eggs and 2 slugs). I don't think size should be your determining factor ....


Neil

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aaajohnson

I don't think size should be your determining factor ....

---

I completely agree.

-adam

Thread with pictures of sperm plugs



dr del

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pfan151

The size can't tell you anything. Can you ask the seller to check for plugs?

---

Plugs don't necessarily guarantee anything either - the last female that I picked up, another member here passed by, because he thought she had sperm plugs (we buy our feeders from the same pet store). Seems females can also secrete and give off something that could be mistaken as a sperm plug. I popped AND probed her (3 scales on each side) as female.

I've got someone offering me a free adult ball python, but I don't need a male either. Debating whether I just meet them, sex it - keep it if it's female and re-home it if it's male, they are desperate to re-home it themselves. Wanted $100 for it, then $50 and today I get an e-mail going "we need to find a new home for this snake, and since you have experience with them, we'll give him to you". They don't know if it's male or female, they've just assigned a gender to it.

So I guess it IS going to be a trip north for me, and a trip to the vet... Unless someone has any friends in the seattle area that could teach me to probe myself? I know the basics of how to do it, just haven't actually done it before. I'm 90% confident I could do it and I have the tools, but am hesitant to try.

When he says plugs he means sperm plugs that adult males release every now and then.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

Plugs don't necessarily guarantee anything either - the last female that I picked up, another member here passed by, because he thought she had sperm plugs (we buy our feeders from the same pet store). Seems females can also secrete and give off something that could be mistaken as a sperm plug. I popped AND probed her (3 scales on each side) as female.

I've got someone offering me a free adult ball python, but I don't need a male either. Debating whether I just meet them, sex it - keep it if it's female and re-home it if it's male, they are desperate to re-home it themselves. Wanted $100 for it, then $50 and today I get an e-mail going "we need to find a new home for this snake, and since you have experience with them, we'll give him to you". They don't know if it's male or female, they've just assigned a gender to it.

---

That's almost identical to the situation I've got. If I can definitively know that this is a girl, the price is a steal and I'd be a fool to pass it up. Heck, I guess even if it's a boy I could probably rehome him with little difficulty.

Traveling for "females" and getting disappointed is just part of the territory. Sometimes you get rewarded with a big fat happy female for like $50, sometimes its a big happy male that doesn't need rescuing, and sometimes its a male is deperate help that you end up bringing home anyways.


a couple things to consider for this particular case:
1.) at 40", she might not give you many eggs, but at a good price she could be worth it (exactly what kind of steal of a price)
2.) the distance of travel - do you need her badly enough to travel to find out?
3.) she's quite beautiful!!!!!
4.)people will say "healthy", but a lot of people don't know about RI's and internal parasites. Do you have enough info about her husbandry now, aka living conditions and eating habits? Are you prepared to go there and either a.) pay for her and pay for any vet bills to get her checked or b.) pass her up if you are unwilling to take an obviously sick snake
c.) come home with a sick male? (it's very easy to come home with a sick male, no matter how much you tell yourself you wont do it - trust me, i know!!! lol)
5.) Do you have a place to quarentine her?

I personally will travel hours for a snake, whether b/c it's female or if it just looks like some idiot drove the snake down to hazardous health - I once traveled 3 1/2 hours for a potentially strong dinking project. It just dedpends on how willing your are - but remember it is okay to say no!
Let us know what you decide!

You answered your own question pretty much. The only way to really tell the sex of the snake is to get it probed by an experienced vet or breeder/snake keeper.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by adizziedoll

Traveling for "females" and getting disappointed is just part of the territory. Sometimes you get rewarded with a big fat happy female for like $50, sometimes its a big happy male that doesn't need rescuing, and sometimes its a male is deperate help that you end up bringing home anyways.


a couple things to consider for this particular case:
1.) at 40", she might not give you many eggs, but at a good price she could be worth it (exactly what kind of steal of a price)
2.) the distance of travel - do you need her badly enough to travel to find out?
3.) she's quite beautiful!!!!!
4.)people will say "healthy", but a lot of people don't know about RI's and internal parasites. Do you have enough info about her husbandry now, aka living conditions and eating habits? Are you prepared to go there and either a.) pay for her and pay for any vet bills to get her checked or b.) pass her up if you are unwilling to take an obviously sick snake
c.) come home with a sick male? (it's very easy to come home with a sick male, no matter how much you tell yourself you wont do it - trust me, i know!!! lol)
5.) Do you have a place to quarentine her?

I personally will travel hours for a snake, whether b/c it's female or if it just looks like some idiot drove the snake down to hazardous health - I once traveled 3 1/2 hours for a potentially strong dinking project. It just dedpends on how willing your are - but remember it is okay to say no!
Let us know what you decide!

---

Yeah, all very good points. The "steal" I'm talking about is $60 for her and her entire setup, which means I'd be set for a quarantine tank for her also. The drive is less than an hour, so that's really not a problem. I COULD take him/her either way and have the herp vet down the street sex it and teach me to probe. Then if it turns out to be a boy rehome him again or keep him as a dink, as you said. I'm leaning toward doing that, to be honest.

If it means anything, I've driven an hour and a half before to go get a $30 Hognose :)

Or paying $200 for stunted 3 year old snakes(one boa, one ball, both males).

But ya know.. That's me ;)

Heck, under an hour is nothing - go check it out! $60 for a breedable, beautiful female, INCLUDING a quarentine tank is incredible. And I personally count it as a blessing for one to pop up that close to me for that price!!!!!

Have a field day!

Any idea how much my vet SHOULD charge me to sex him/her? I'd also like to find someone in my area to teach me how to do that, so if anyone has a contact in the Seattle/Tacoma area let me know...

Well I live in CT so my vet is expensive at $65 for a look-over, but I have heard a lot of people say they've brought their bp in for $40 or so. Just call and make sure the vet knows how to sex properly - aka don't let them pop it, make sure they PROBE it. Some may do it for free, minimal charge, ect. You'll just have to call around.

But if you're interested in getting into the hobby, you may as well learn now :D Order a probe kit and bring it with you to the vet and have him teach you. You'll def. need for that information future reference.
Determining the Sex of Snakes | Vida Preciosa International, Inc.