I just don't get it. Recently I went to purchase 3 normal established breeder females from a trusted friend. As always I probed them just to make sure. 2 of them obviously probed female with the properly sized probe only going about 5 scales deep. The third probed much further then that... Going at least 9. My friend was totally confused by that because she knew without any doubt that that particular snake had laid good eggs for her multiple times. Every known male ball python baby, sub adult, and adult I have ever (literally over a hundred) "popped", I have been able to get at least 1 hemiphene to pop out. I could NOT get one to pop out on this snake. I ended up not getting it.
Well then almost the same thing happened again... Went to buy another established breeder female. This time it was a beautiful 2,000 gram granite girl. The reputable guy I was buying her from said she has laid for him 3 years in a row. At 2,000 grams she is actually pretty skinny right now from recently laying eggs.
I probed her and the right side obviously probed female barely going 5 scales But then the left side probed 8 or 9 scales deep. She is a big girl so 9 scales deep is almost half of the probe! Again I was unable to get any hemiphene to pop. I ended up getting her because I believed him. He has since sent me a picture of her sitting on her eggs!
Today I probed and popped my entire collection. I was able to pop at least 1 hemiphene on all of the males pretty easily. Couldn't get any hemiphenes to pop out on any of the known girls. then I probed. All of the males probed nice and deep like a male should. Probed all of my females and they all probed nice and short like they should... Except one!
One of my established breeder females probed like a male! Both sides went about 9 to 10 scales deep! Now I know for a FACT that this girl has laid for me two years in a row.
More info: it isnt user error! I am using a properly sized ball tip probe. I am not pushing with ANY pressure. All I do is slide it in and twist gently till it stops. Usually there is a clear difference between the girls and the boys. With the girls the probe goes a few scales deep then stops immediately when it hits what feels like a wall. The males go much deeper and when it stops, the hemiphene stretches a little so it has a totally different feel to it.
My established breeder female probes exactly like a male... When the probe stops it even stops like a male. Why is this when she has already proven to be a properly functioning female?
So what is the deal? Does it mean that someone previously probed them too hard breaking thru the wall? I honestly find that hard to believe on three different snakes. Plus I thought I read somewhere that if that ever happened it damaged them and they wouldn't be able to breed?
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