That's a new one...the things a "reptile" vet will say...

[redshepherd]

If a vet told me that, my expression would probably be something like that :

LOLL.
Same, I'd just straight up say, "No, she's a ball python. And don't worry about the rest of the checkup, I'll be leaving now." Not that snakes even need regular checkups.

[CALM Pythons]

On a Ball Python facebook page that I'm a member of a lady just posted a picture of her albino Ball Python.

Its a pretty little thing, looks dehydrated, though, or in the middle of a bad shed.

She said she took it to the vet for a "general checkup" and come to know, she actually has a Ball Python/ Blood Python hybrid. She said the Vet
sexed the snake and its a female with the head and body of a Ball Python and the "insides" and "genitalia" of a Blood Python.

Wow...

I do not think this is made up either, she was just proudly showing off her new noodle and the picture was made at the Vet.

I have to say, thats a new one!

Well the new Laws are on "It's" side, he/she can be what/who ever they want lmbo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Spiritserpents]

I once had a 'reptile vet' try to tell me that cryptosporidium serpentis was a- not fatal, b- curable, and c- transmissible to humans.

[Cydonia]

The only thing I could get from this is the fact it seems that you can "roll" sex blood pythons, by rolling your finger from their vent downward and feeling for hemipenes. Maybe the vet was referring that they couldn't feel any hemipenes when examining?
Here's a video of the sexing method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l1-aSEKa1A

[zina10]

I once had a 'reptile vet' try to tell me that cryptosporidium serpentis was a- not fatal, b- curable, and c- transmissible to humans.

WHOA!!!!! lol

[zina10]

That above linked picture of a Ball/Blood hybrid clearly IS a hybrid.
Its more then pattern. You can see it in the body shape, the head, etc..

The case with the vet, that was a very apparent Ball Python. Esp. being an Albino. The Albino bloods look nothing like that. And the vet told her the snake was a Ball/Blood python hybrid, but only the snakes insides (as in organs, etc) were Blood. Oh, and the genitalia.

That is very different. A hatchling female blood python genitalia doesn't look much different from a hatchling female ball python genitalia (sorry you all)
There is no way any vet could determine that that snake was a blood python hybrid, with the blood under the skin.

That was the snake in question. I'm not a 100 % comfortable sharing that here, but since it was shared on the internet, I suppose it is ok. If not, let me know moderators, and I will take it down!!



The owner is relatively new to snakes and tries to do the best she can, or what she feels is the best, hence the checkup at the vet.
The way she worded her post, I doubt there was miscommunication at the Vet. She was told her snake was a Mix between those 2 species, with the sex and inside being the Blood part. She asked for help in adjusting husbandry for a "mix".

I'm not a expert discussing the genetics like you two, and its fascinating to learn.

But I'm pretty sure that all that does not apply to the snake, esp. since NO fancy testing of any kind was performed. The snake was sexed, that is all. It was sold as a albino Ball Python.

My post was meant to lighten the mood, as it is rather funny. I have learned some stuff from the resulting discussion, that is for sure.

But what the vet did, to me, is no different then me taking a Poodle to the Vet for a checkup, and the Vet telling me its actually a Mutt. Mixed with a Bulldog, but the bulldog is only expressed on the inside and the genitalia. I think I would look at that Vet a little sideways..


edited to say, I invited the owner of this snake to this forum, for friendly advice and help with her Ball Python. I told her she can ask questions on everything she wants to know about, that there are plenty of helpful people here. Sounds like a better idea to me, then to listen to her vet.

[OhhWatALoser]

Perhaps we should dial back to the original topic, what is the difference between ball and blood genitalia?

[predatorkeeper87]

Very interesting. I just did a quick google search and popping a blood python looks exactly the same as popping a ball python to me. Must be those years of experience. I actually revised the care sheet the vet gave me while in the room once and handed it back to her when she came back lol. It wasn't terrible, you wouldn't kill a snake following it, but things like feeding outside the enclosure to prevent cage aggression, Cage needing to be twice the length of the snake (do you keep your ball pythons in 8-10 foot long cages?), needing uv light, needing to soak, ect. oh and the 10 foot gtps.

had this exact experience with a vet. Had to argue about UVB for a ball python...he was adamant it was needed and that's why my snake had eye infections...

[zina10]

Thanks all for the great info on genetics, this is really fascinating to me, although I can't say I understand it 100%.


That said, the snake in question is a Baby Ball Python female, no hemipene.

I doubt that a baby ball python females genitalia looks any different from a blood python female baby. At least not to the point that you could tell that one was in the body of the other..

[Lizardlicks]

Are we even sure the vet sexed it right at this point?