Definetly female. With sperm plug?

[philippe]

Hey everyone,

I know patience is key but im getting a little frustrated from not seeing any signs of anything by now. I have only seen my pair lock up once this season and have been feeling for follicles for a while now and nothing although she does seem to be getting bigger, no marbles or anything. So i decided to check once again if my female was really a female and indeed she does seem to only have scent glands, but when i popped her there was a sperm plug that was also there, not coming out of the scent glands or any penes, but just there in between. Do you think it is possible that this is a plug from my male or would it be too far in to come out when popped if it was really a plug from mating. I check them about 500 times a day and im pretty sure they didnt mate previous to popping so what could this be? A reputable breeder probed her and told me she was a female and i could easily pop my male and get penes and plugs out but not with my girl so she is surely a girl. What do you guys think about the plug though? and am i just being impatient or should i at least be feeling follicles by now?

Thank-you
Philippe

[rabernet]

Females also secrete some fluids that dry and can be mistaken for sperm plugs, but they do look a little different. I picked up an adult female that another member here passed on at a local pet store, because he thought he popped out some sperm plugs. She went on to lay 11 eggs the next season.

[Sarin]

I don't want to doubt your knowledge at all but is there any way it was just shed in her vent?

[philippe]

That's a good assumption but no i am certain that it was not a piece of shed.
Also it did really look like a sperm plug although i do not know how a dried bit of female fluid might look. Is it even possible that it would be a plug from my male or does the sperm go directly inside the females reproductive organs and can in no way be expelled by popping? Also am i being impatient or should i normally be feeling follicles by now?

[RichsBallPythons]

if this female has locked with a male then yes she could have dried sperm plugs in her vent.

My females always has some in their vent here and there when the male would first lock with them. Nothing out of the ordinary at all.

[philippe]

So in that case you believe this is a good sign? meaning they would have copulated. However i popped my male and he had plenty of sperm and i doubt he would have had time to regenerate that much in such a little timeframe between the time i introduced them and the time i seperated them.
Basically im wondering if i should think that its a sperm plug from my male and be excited or if its something else and i shouldnt get my hopes up.