Hi Nate,

When you sex your ball python I would NOT allow someone to POP its hemipene or vent. (A technique which has actually killed, crippled, sterilized snakes) I have a friend who acquired some blue phase rosy boas that were "popped" before he got them. He is totally against the practice especially with adult animals since he x-rayed and found his snakes to have broken spines and lost them all after they kept regurgitating their meals. The poor things wanted to survive but couldn't keep the meal down so they starved to death.

I am looking towards learning how to probe them myself. I'd rather do the job myself than have someone else hurt my snakes. It's like a car mechanic you don't know; it's hard to find an honest or careful one that doesn't skip corners.

take care and good luck,

DragonSun02