Male or female?

[Ballpythoncrazy]

Hey everyone!
So I just want to start out by saying that I am just learning how to sex ball pythons, and unfortunately I have to teach myself. I don't know anyone who is already an expert at it that can teach me, and I talked to one of the only [good] reptile vets in my area and I was told that it would cost equally as much as a general check up to bring my snake in and get it popped/probed (so like $60-$80) which I may do in the future but not right now.
So I've been watching videos and reading up on it and today I attempted to pop this unsexed baby super pastel ball python. S/he is only about 80g, so it's still small. I didn't hold her for very long because I didn't want to hurt her, so sorry if the picture is bad!



Whilst popping her I didn't see any hemipenes come out, but I think I remember reading somewhere that only males have these two dark red spots, and females are usually just whiteish-pink on the inside?
The thing that's really confusing me is, I have a baby leopard ball python, she roughly 150g, that I bought from a well known breeder and she was sold to me as female. But when popping her, it was the same thing! No hemipenes actually popped out, but she had those dark red spots as well.
Was I accidentally sold a male leopard bp, and the super pastel is male as well?
I don't plan on breeding for several more years, but I would like to learn how to sex my snakes before then! And if my leopard turns out male that will really stink

Thank you!


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[Galaxygirl]

Be wary popping with one hand as you are, it looks like you may be bending the tail too much. It's to my understanding that the glands on females can be that dark red color. I noticed If I try more than once, the area gets red, so first try is best. If it's a male you will see the hemipene is quite a bit longer and cylindrical than the glands on females. That looks like a female to me but the angle doesn't really show how big the penes/glands your popping out are. Sometimes it can take a couple times to get the rolling motion right to pop out a hemipene. I've noticed that maybe just focusing your pressure on one side and popping out one hemipene can be easier than trying to pop out both.

This is an immature male

[Ballpythoncrazy]

Yeah I had to hold her with one hand for a second to get the picture with the other hand. But I took the picture really fast because I didn't want to hurt her. When I was actually popping her I used both hands, but I still tried to do it quick.

Thank you!


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[Stewart_Reptiles]

Not knowing how much pressure you applied or how you place your fingers is only gonna make sexing a guess on our part from a picture.

Sometimes inexperience people do not place their fingers right or do not apply enough pressure and cannot evert the hemipenes, however it does not mean that they are not there.

I have seen male with very small hemipenes.

I have seen females with darker scent gland.

[Ballpythoncrazy]

Oh darn, okay. Thanks!


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