Dumb Question

i feel so silly asking but like my coastal carpets are identical - i can only tell them apart because of the tags i put on the enclosures - how do you tell snakes apart when breeding? i realize the female would probably be the bigger one but at present they appear roughly of a similar size so i was v much wondering this - all of the other pairs i have for breeding are all different (eg: albino/hypo dwarf burms, normal/albino red tail boas, caramel/granite mainland burms, etc) except for them and they’re both normal Rockhampton types

You should be able to tell from their markings- their patterns are never totally identical, & you just have to find some reference points to compare.

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Originally Posted by YungRasputin

i feel so silly asking but like my coastal carpets are identical - i can only tell them apart because of the tags i put on the enclosures - how do you tell snakes apart when breeding?

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I don't think this is a dumb question. I do think it's a funny question. I've sometimes wondered if I would be able to tell my pet from a similar looking animal, and I've had to admit that I'm not certain that I could. Fortunately, I don't have a similar looking animal, but I sympathize with your plight. I'm pretty sure Boger's suggestion wouldn't work for me. I have a terrible memory for that kind of thing. I can't remember names or faces either. I'll be interested to see what you come up with.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

I don't think this is a dumb question. I do think it's a funny question. I've sometimes wondered if I would be able to tell my pet from a similar looking animal, and I've had to admit that I'm not certain that I could. Fortunately, I don't have a similar looking animal, but I sympathize with your plight. I'm pretty sure Boger's suggestion wouldn't work for me. I have a terrible memory for that kind of thing. I can't remember names or faces either. I'll be interested to see what you come up with.

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i am tots the same way! but! i just realized that eventually the female one will lay eggs so that’ll be p easy to spot! 🤣 idk why i didn’t think of that already

Take some pictures of the tops of their heads and you should note some differences between the two. They might be subtle but they'll be there.

Also are there any personality differences that would help you to tell them apart? I feel your pain. I have two female Tarahumara boas and they could almost be twins in looks. One is a touch more defensive than the other though, so over time I could figure out which was which.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Take some pictures of the tops of their heads and you should note some differences between the two. They might be subtle but they'll be there.

Also are there any personality differences that would help you to tell them apart? I feel your pain. I have two female Tarahumara boas and they could almost be twins in looks. One is a touch more defensive than the other though, so over time I could figure out which was which.

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there is a p distinct behavioral difference (as of now) between the 2 i would say - the male is a little bit defensive but overall p laid back and v curious - the female is easily the most defensive snake that i own and will snap out at the drop of a hat

I have a breeding pair of black milk snakes that can be very hard to tell apart -- their only difference is girth, and if the male is running heavy (he loves to eat) they're impossible to distinguish visually.

When I put them together for breeding, I weigh them both going in, and then again coming out. There's always enough weight difference for the scale to tell but not always enough to just see, and since of course they're not eating when they're together their weights will be about the same when they get separated afterwards. I've been doing this ever since I thought I got them mixed up and had to probe one to be able to distinguish them.

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Originally Posted by Malum Argenteum

I have a breeding pair of black milk snakes that can be very hard to tell apart...

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Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem.
https://i.imgur.com/a0q9DFR.jpg