Where do i go t get my Ball Python sexed???

I have 2 balls, and one of them i know is a female, but i dont know what sex the other is. ( im hoping its a male :confused:) Im just curious if anyone knows where to go to get the snakes sexed?? Im living in the edmonton area so if anyone knows of a place i can do this it would be greatly appreciated!!! Also...does anyone have troubles with their snakes eating??? One of my snakes is HORRIBLY pickey when it comes feeding time.....sometimes she wont eat at all!!! i feed both my snakes in their own boxes sepratley and shes still sooo pickey. She can go 3 weeks sometimes without eating.....ive tried everything ot get her to eat......any suggestions?? :frustrate

You can have them sex by a vet or might be able to find someone knowledgeable in your area that will be willing to sex them for you and teach you how to do it!

As far as eating can you tell us more?

How they house individually?

How long have you had your snakes for?

How old are your BP?

How big are your BP (weight)?

What type of enclosures do you use?

How big are your enclosures?

Are your enclosures in a low traffic area?

What are your temps (cool & warm side)?

What is your humidity?

What type of thermometer/hygrometer do you use (dial,stick,or digital)?

What kind of hides do you provide (log, homemade, cubbyholes etc) and how many do you have?

Are your hides tight (all side touching your BP's body) and identical?

What do you usually feed to your BP (Rat, Mice and size)?

How often do you handle your BP?

8Ball Adam has done a great popping video as has Ralph Davis. Check those out; it is easy to pop yourself once you watch these great vids :D

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Originally Posted by Gwen

I have 2 balls, and one of them i know is a female, but i dont know what sex the other is. ( im hoping its a male :confused:) Im just curious if anyone knows where to go to get the snakes sexed?? Im living in the edmonton area so if anyone knows of a place i can do this it would be greatly appreciated!!! Also...does anyone have troubles with their snakes eating??? One of my snakes is HORRIBLY pickey when it comes feeding time.....sometimes she wont eat at all!!! i feed both my snakes in their own boxes sepratley and shes still sooo pickey. She can go 3 weeks sometimes without eating.....ive tried everything ot get her to eat......any suggestions?? :frustrate

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Are these snakes living in the same enclosure? If so there is your problem ;)

My snakes dont live in the same enclosure, they both have different tanks. Its just the one snake that has the problem eating, She lives in her own cage. I've had her for just a couple months, i got her in december, and she was just 5 months then. Im not sure how big she is in length or weight though...i never really thought to weigh or measure her.....BUt im pretty sure i have the temps in her tank right, i have the warm side and the cooler side for her, she has her house to fit her size, its not too big for her. I use a dial thermometer to read the temps. I have a log and a little house for her to hide in and crawl around with her water dish of course.....i dont think im doing anything wrong, i did everything by the book lol. I handle her at least once a day, she loves to come out and crawl around and climb all over me.I feed her hoppers...i tried feeding her small adult mice, but she just dont react to them at all. The only thing i can get her to eat is white hoppers. Like i dont even know what to do. I swore i did everything right for her, house wize and temp wize......obviously im doing someting wrong or shes just bein a pain lol

Since you don't give any details on the size of the enclosure, your exact temps, and the size of your BP there is not much I can say about this.

The only thing I can comment one is

Your handling, I would recommend you to stop handling her until she resume feeding.

I would also recommend you to provide a DIGITAL thermometer/hygrometer, dial are not accurate and can give you a false sense of security

I would also recommend you to provide 2 tight (all side touching your BP's body) and IDENTICAL hides (avoiding log hides)

Remember even if the conditions are the same for both BP it does not mean that they affect them the same way.

The temps in the tank are usually 75 to 85 degrees during the day and a slight bit cooler at night. Shes ....my own guessing...about a foot long and is more of a slender snake, shes not that fat. Should i try feeding her bigger than hoppers once a week or maybe 2 hoppers a week??
If she'll eat them....:confused:

Well you temps are off so I would also try to correct that 80-84 on the cool side and 90-94 on the warm side (measured with a Digital thermometer, not a dial)

Also keep the temps constant - NO night drop.

Try making all those small adjustment and leave her alone for a week (NO HANDLING) than offer a prey slightly smaller than the girth size.

If she eats, I would still advise you not to handle her as often, at least not until she eats with consistency.

That makes alot of sense, Im just curious at to why the temps sould be that much higher. And i will for sure get a digital thermometer.

It's was mentioned earlier, but if you look for ralph davis' popping video you can learn from him how to sex your own snake. I did it with both of mine and they are both males.

I was scared at first, so I thought they were females, but I tried a few more times and got their junk to pop out.

Our caresheet here has a great list of reasons why a snake might not feed. It's unusual for a ball python under a year old to be fasting. Check this out and try to figure out what's off for her:

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WHY WON'T MY SNAKE EAT?
In almost all cases, a ball python refuses to eat due to husbandry issues. Especially a young one. If your snake misses more than one meal (sometimes they won't want to eat while in shed) please check the following possible causes:

Lack of Security -- No hides, or hides that are too large or exposed (ie: half logs). They prefer dark, tight hides they barely fit into. Also, if the enclosure is too large, or too open (glass) or in a high traffic area with a lot of loud noise or movement. Another snake in the same enclosure can also cause serious security issues.

Over Handling -- Frequent intrusions into the enclosure, changes to the enclosure, and/or long frequent handling sessions can cause a shy snake to feel vulnerable and refuse to eat.

Improper Temps -- Temps that are too high or too low, or temps that fluctuate too much. Make sure you have an accurate and consistent read on your temps.

Improper Lighting -- Bright white lights shining directly into the enclosure, or 24 hour lighting can cause stress. Make sure there is some sort of day/night cycle.

Offering New Prey -- Changing prey species (ie: mice to rats) or methods (ie: live to f/t) can cause refusal. Such changes can be made, but may require patience and persistence.

Improper Offering of Prey -- Offering prey too frequently can do more harm than good. If a snake refuses, do not attempt to feed again for a week. Also, changing environments by moving to a feeding-box or removing hides and "furniture" can cause refusal in these shy snakes.

Prey Too Large -- Too large an item may intimidate a snake and cause refusal, or even a regurgitation if it is eaten. Also, if a ball python has eaten large meals in the past, it can cause a sudden an indefinite period of fasting.

Mites -- An external parasite common to snakes that must be treated and eradicated. A product called Provent-a-Mite (P.A.M.) is the safest and most effective method.

Seasonal -- Sexually mature ball pythons may fast for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months during their mating season (typically anywhere from late fall to early spring) especially if a sexually mature snake of the opposite sex is in close proximity.

Illness -- If all other possible reasons are eliminated, a vet check may be in order to look for internal parasites, as well as possible infections to the skin, scales, mouth or respiratory system.

Fortunately, ball pythons are extremely hardy snakes that can go for months (if necessary) of fasting without suffering any ill effects. This gives a responsible keeper plenty of time to figure out why the snake refuses to eat and get them on a regular, consistent feeding regimen.

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Originally Posted by Gwen

That makes alot of sense, Im just curious at to why the temps sould be that much higher. And i will for sure get a digital thermometer.

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Temps in the mid 70s can cause respiratory infections in bps. The reason you got the recommended temp range is because those are the temps that provide the best results when it comes to feeding and housing a happy healthy bp. You should read the sticky on top of the husbandry forum if you haven't already.

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Originally Posted by starmom

8Ball Adam has done a great popping video as has Ralph Davis. Check those out; it is easy to pop yourself once you watch these great vids :D

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Only problem is you have to do it right or you can damage their sexual organs. So if you are planning on breeding them, the best suggestion is to take it to a herp vet or someone that has been dealing with snakes for many year. BE CARE!

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Originally Posted by Evilme5229

Only problem is you have to do it right or you can damage their sexual organs. So if you are planning on breeding them, the best suggestion is to take it to a herp vet or someone that has been dealing with snakes for many year. BE CARE!

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I'm not sure this is truth as much as lore - it's pretty hard to do it incorrectly in a manner that harms the snake.