popping vs probing

which do you perfer and why
thanks for the info :D

I learned how to pop long before I learned to probe...so that is how I role.

Also, visual confirmation is always better then counting scales and maybe being wrong...in my opinion.

I prefer probing, but that's because I feel safer doing it; I know I have a steady and delicate hand, and that I will be able to feel very well...whereas the idea of squeezing the snake until its insides pop out tends to squick me out. Besides the fact that I learned to probe first, and only saw a snake popped in person once, but wasn't being shown how hard to squeeze--I just don't feel comfortable squeezing such a delicate area so hard. Probing, to me, seems less stressful for the snake; mine always seem calm when I practice on them.

EDIT: However, as Sean said, visual confirmation is far better proof than a scale count which can be wrong. Still, the above is just my personal opinion; I might just be too afraid of hurting the animals, since I'm told that one CAN pick up a pregnant cat without hurting her, after refusing to do so for fear of it. XDD

I prefer popping baby balls and probing older snakes once they reach the 400g range. It's just so much easier to pop them as it only takes a second to do. You really don't apply much pressure at all and I wouldn't really call it squeezing them but more like rolling your thumb.

I like popping its pretty easy after somebody teaches you.

It's a good idea to become skilled at both.... :)

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Originally Posted by Sputnik

It's a good idea to become skilled at both.... :)

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I agree. When I was first learning to sex snakes, I preferred probing, but now I prefer popping. Why? Because I don't have to worry if I have my probe kit on me when I need to sex a snake.

I actually find adults far easier to pop than babies for some reason. Even the males.

I've never gotten the hang of popping, but then again, no one's ever shown me properly.

I grew up probing and it works for me, though I'd love to learn the proper technique to popping one day.

:)

I'll do both. But I feel a bit more definite about it if I get a nice pop happening. But I find adults harder to pop and hatchlings to be really super easy.

And I think it is a better skill to learn. Picking up a snake, flipping it over, everting it's bits and then saying... "HEY YOU SAID I WAS BUYING A FEMALE!" is just easier...

...except they pee on you... I had a BP pee in my eye when a person at a pet store asked me to pop all the babes they just got in.

And what did I get for it? Yeah... pee in my eye!

bruce

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Originally Posted by Loft Lizard

...except they pee on you... I had a BP pee in my eye when a person at a pet store asked me to pop all the babes they just got in.

bruce

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Ed (Freakie_Frog) can empathize with that sentiment! :P

Popping smaller snakes, probing larger.

Probe definitely. Popping can be tricky cause I haven't yet learned the correct technique and I don't like to get wet or messy!:weirdface

I love it when they cooperate and just show their stuff without me having to do anything..it's like they read my mind and show me what they are! :banana::gj:

I pop most of the time, and when I need confirmation, I probe...

But I mainly pop.

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Originally Posted by ptate

I prefer popping baby balls and probing older snakes once they reach the 400g range. It's just so much easier to pop them as it only takes a second to do. You really don't apply much pressure at all and I wouldn't really call it squeezing them but more like rolling your thumb.

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:gj: I second this :)

I have never been shown how to do either. I tried popping before but I think I just ticked her off because I had no idea what I was doing. I got one snake from a friend and she said it was a boy so I call the other one a girl. LOL

I always use a probe, for some reason I cant pop them and dont want to take a chance of injuring the snake:gj:

I just learned to pop, i feel that it is much easier than probing, my cornsnake was probed when he was younger and was incorrectly sexed.

I probe because I can't pop to save my life. Anyone wanna come over and learn me how to pop?

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Originally Posted by Shadera

I probe because I can't pop to save my life. Anyone wanna come over and learn me how to pop?

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I'll be right there :)

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

I'll be right there :)

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Holy hell, I better go put a cake in the oven and get the mai-tais brewin'! :banana:

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Originally Posted by shadera

holy hell, i better go put a cake in the oven and get the mai-tais brewin'! :banana:

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Woooooooooooot!!!

:P

and when your done there,,swing by orlando?,all i get when i pop is peed on,nothing else comes out,,but nice pee,,,

i pop, it takes literally 2 seconds, its also a sure fire way rather than counting scales, when you see 2 red penes pop out, there is no mistaking it.

i pop... sometimes i probe older ones for reassurance but young ones are way easier to pop

I can and do both, But I prefer popping, because usually when I need to sex a snake I dont have a Probe kit in my back pockets. Also popping is EEEEEASY if you learn how to do it right. Both methods are dangerous to the animal if done incorrectly.

I am afraid to try either

Id love if someone would post a link on a proper video as to how to "pop" a snake. Because ive heard if you do it wrong it can really hurt the snake

So i just tried it out, amd i was succesful :) popping is very simple, only took me probably 2 maybe 3 tries and sure enough two little hemipenes popped right on out lol. If you do it correctly you really dont even have to use too much pressure at all. I was very nervous of hurting my little guy at first, but everything went well. So to anyone who is nervous or scared to try, just watched a few videos and get comfortable with it then try it out.

Now thats out of the way, if someone could take a look at the pic of my python and tell me which kind it is id appreciate it :D i just know that there are many different kinds of BP's and not to sure with how they all look. Thank you

My only concern with popping is, you can't pop a female. I can't tell you how many people I know have been burned on "females" that were popped and turned out to be males. It has happened to me as well. I always probe any snake that doesn't pop as a male.

I probe all my snakes. I just don't feel comfortable popping. Fortunately for you all, I just made an awesome video on how to probe ;)

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...r-snake!-Video!

I find palpating to be better than both popping and probing. Insanely accurate while being 100% non-invasive. And, I've never been wrong.

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

I find palpating to be better than both popping and probing. Insanely accurate while being 100% non-invasive. And, I've never been wrong.

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How the balls (pun intended) do you palpate for sex!?!? That confuses me. Are you looking for follicles to confirm female? What if its a baby snake? I'm lost?!?!

Nope you palpate for hemipenes. Like I said, I've never been wrong! I LOVE this method so so so much!

http://www.mutantboaconstrictors.com/sexingsnakes.html

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

Nope you palpate for hemipenes. Like I said, I've never been wrong! I LOVE this method so so so much!

http://www.mutantboaconstrictors.com/sexingsnakes.html

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Very interesting! I hadn't heard about palpating until very recently. I'll go give it a try!

no probes shall enter my ball pythons ever :)

I agree, snakesRKewl!

As far as I'm concerned if you're doing the palpating correctly, you can't be wrong! I don't think it's possible on a baby corn snake because of how microscopic they are, but I've done it to baby ball pythons and it works. A bit less obvious than doing it on adults, but once you get the hang of it, it's an excellent non-invasive method of sexing.

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

I agree, snakesRKewl!

As far as I'm concerned if you're doing the palpating correctly, you can't be wrong! I don't think it's possible on a baby corn snake because of how microscopic they are, but I've done it to baby ball pythons and it works. A bit less obvious than doing it on adults, but once you get the hang of it, it's an excellent non-invasive method of sexing.

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I haven't heard of this method since I only work with ball pythons, but I will have to investigate it further, interesting idea.
We pop babies dripping goo straight out of the egg and we pop huge adults, it takes practice and patience to learn it properly, but once you learn to roll the tail up like a tube of toothpaste it gets real easy imo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPmIpc_gP9I

I pop babies as well but this method also works. And I find this method best for adults.

Yeah I tried palpating and popping one of my smaller males... I just can't do it!!

Oh oops, I was viewing this on Tapatalk and didn't realize it was a poll thread, lol!

Kaorte, try putting a nylon stocking on your hand while you do it.

I think you're high. :P

I tried this on ~ 10 babies and they all have the same bump about halfway down.

Then you're doing it wrong, or they are all males.

:P

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

Then you're doing it wrong, or they are all males.

:P

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Oh I have no doubt that I'm doing it wrong. I don't think I have the delicate touch necessary for this sort of thing.

Keep practicing though, it's easy to get the "feel" for once you've done it enough! Practice on some of your adult balls that you know are males, and some that you know are females, and you will surely feel the difference. Just keep in mind that their hemipenes are larger than you think while retracted!!

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

Keep practicing though, it's easy to get the "feel" for once you've done it enough! Practice on some of your adult balls that you know are males, and some that you know are females, and you will surely feel the difference. Just keep in mind that their hemipenes are larger than you think while retracted!!

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"...Its bigger than it looks"

Lolololol

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

"...Its bigger than it looks"

Lolololol

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Yeah, that's what he said....

Both myself, younger pop, older probe.