Confused........sort of

[DanJ]

Ok so this is my first BP. I was told 1. It is a FEMALE and 2. It is a normal... I talked a guy at a local pet shop about the size mouse rat or what to feed it. He asked when it last ate and was it live or f/t. I was told by the previous owner he feeds ONLY live.. I got a frozen to try and see if it will eat it (it ate it wheeeeew) I asked about breeding it and he asked How do you know it is female? Like I said the former owner told me it was. He said bring her in and we can probe it to see for sure. So I came home got one of my wifes small storage totes (WARNING WARNING WARNING: THIS IS A BAD IDEA IF YOU DO NOT ASK FIRST) I got my snake in the tote and went back to the store. 2 of the clercks looked and told me 2 things 1 This is a MALE but the guy who knows better wont be in until 3 I may go back but if 2 of the ones who do this say it is Male I guess I will go with that. and 2 It is not a normal but has pastel traits and that I got an awesome deal (I traded a older tablet for the snake and bedding a light a enclosure and lid) Any advice from any of you who have been into this a while? Thank you in advance for any helpful information that you can offer.

[Inknsteel]

Post a picture and we can tell you for sure if it's a pastel or a normal. As for sexing the snake, you need someone experienced with either popping or probing to sex the snake for you. I wouldn't necessarily trust someone who says that a snake sold as a normal has "pastel traits". It's either a pastel or it isn't.

[SquamishSerpents]

It either is a pastel, or is not a pastel. Post a pic and we will tell you. How big is this snake? Did they pop or probe it? I'm not saying they are wrong, but every single mis-sexed snake I've encountered has been sexed by probing. It can be very inaccurate if you don't know what you're doing, or if the snake manages to "resist" the probe.

Is this a reputable pet store? Do they know what they're doing? By the "pastel traits" comment I'm going to guess No


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[DanJ]

The snake was PROBED... VIPets is where I took it.. http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...C1272-Copy.jpg here is a picture they said the colors are just a lot brighter than a typical Normal.... Thanks again.

[Inknsteel]

Well, I've never heard of VIPets so I can't speak to their reputability. From the picture you posted, it looks like a normal to me, but a full body shot and a belly shot would help. Pastels should be bright yellow along the sides, not brown...

[Anthony Renna]

Not the best picture but looks like a bright normal, pastels generally have green eyes yours has the normal brown eyes

[DanJ]

How do you pop them? is that when you push at the opening back by the tail? sorry for the dumb questions.

[iCandiBallPythons]

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

[Inknsteel]

Yes, popping involves applying pressure to the tail below the cloaca to expose the sex organs. This is something that I wouldn't recommend attempting without someone experienced to instruct you. You can look up youtube videos to see how it's done, but it's possible for someone inexperienced to injure the animal when trying to pop.

[DanJ]

Here is a bit better pic I hope http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...elJ4292/BP.jpg