Popping

[jwk811]

I'm going to need to learn how to pop or probe balls. I thought the probing looked much more risky and complicated so I thought I'd try and learn the popping method instead. I was looking up some information on this and got this from a web site.

A safer method of sexing juvenile snakes is the "popping" of the male hemipenes. The animal is held inverted in the left hand, with gentle finger pressure just forward of the cloaca. The ball of the right thumb is placed on the tail, about twenty scales behind the cloaca. The right thumb is then rolled forward toward the cloaca. This pressure on the tail will cause the hemipenes of the male snake to be everted.

What happens if it's a girl? And is there anything else I should know about on this before I attempt to do this.

[wildlifewarrior]

Not a whole bunch, you'll either know its a boy for obvious reasons OR it will obviously be a girl because nothing "pops" out. You should learn on an animal that you know the sex of, that way you will know that you aren't popping a male wrong and assuming its a girl. I would also recomend learning on a good sized animal, a small snake can be hurt if you havn't learned on a good sized animal.


good luck!!!

wildlifewarrior

[jwk811]

Once the hemepenes pops out I let go? And what if it doesn't go back in? Will it right away? For sure?

Thanks!

[ddbjdealer]

Once you evert the "mound" out of the cloaca, you still have more work to do... you still need to "pop" that mound and see if hemipenes emerge from said mound. It takes lots of practice... and while it was recommended it be "tried" on an older snake, its much easier done on hatchlings... they don't posses the muscle control to "hold it in" just yet.

[wildlifewarrior]

Yea there is no need to hold them out, once you know its a boy you've done your job, and yea they will go back in, just as long as you don't do it overly hard.


wildlifewarrior