sexing probe...

so...i finally got me a copy of the cornsnake manual and wound up being all sorts of boring friday night and just stayed home and read most of it. the information about probing was very interesting, however, it would not be something i'd be very comfortable trying to do. nor would i feel comfortable trying to use my thumb to expose to hemepenes. i think my snake would just crap on me if i started pressing his..."area" with my thumb. i think i know that norbert is a male based on the thickness and shape the tale takes on after the cloaca (sp?). there's that extra bulge that's there in males because of the hemipenes. i could be TOTALLY wrong here. i'd like to know the sex because i am planning to purchase a snake of the opposite sex on saturday in philly. is visual determination usually on target or should i try and get him to a vet to have him probed? is the thumb test difficult to do? i'd be afraid i'd injure him. i fear i'd cause injury if i used a sexing probe to, i don't have a very steady hand.

ps- if norbert proves to be a female then i will change her name to norbina or mary louise parker, my favoritest actress in the whole wide world!! she's on broadway now, ya know! go mary!

At the "area", the tail starts to taper.
With males the tail does'nt seem to taper as much, but with the female you can see the tail taper very quickly. What Im trying to say is once you pick up how to tell its very easy from then on. To understand what im saying turn to page 37 of the Corn Snake Manuel, its right there.

One more thing after your snake sheds, and you look at the "area" you will see that there is female one line of blood or male two lines of blood.

Good luck

lines of blood?

they bleed when they shed? is there info about in the book also? he should be shedding soon, i'll look for that, i just never was aware that blood was present following that process. interesting. i might bring my snake to the reptile show on saturday and see if i can get it sexed.

norbert03 said:

they bleed when they shed? is there info about in the book also? he should be shedding soon, i'll look for that, i just never was aware that blood was present following that process. interesting. i might bring my snake to the reptile show on saturday and see if i can get it sexed.

Click to expand...

what I mean is when sheds happen alittle of fluid/red fluid comes off with the shed around the vents("area"). I dont thinks its called blood persay but it dries like blood would dark red close to black. You will notice that if there is one pc itsa male and two pcs its a female. And no it does'nt say it in the manual, I have noticed it in my own stock.

Go see a vet. Definately don't go poking about yourself. Unless you want to find out in 2/3 years your going to breed nothing because you damaged something.

If you want to learn it, let a reptile vet/experienced breeder show you how it's done. You can't read that stuff in a book. You need someone to show you.

I did notice all my makes have 2 red dots in that 'area'. I haven't checked the females yet. I never noticed anything but i intent to check them next time they shed.

I wonder how reliable that method is. Seeing that tail-thickness/probing/popping isn't 100% either. I kinnda find it hard to believe were going to all that trouble while we could have simply checked the shed. Normally a snake won't get sold before the first shed anyway.

alright, very good...

will most breeders at the show know the sex of the hatchling i'm planning to purchase? i don't wanna wind up with the same sex as norbert and two years from now wonder why they aren't doing it. i'm sure love will, hopefully she'll have some hatchlings with her.

i disagree with jicin...if you are gentle and carefully press with you thumb and try to put pressure moving up, it is a perfectly safe way to determine the sex. The worst that can happen if you are careful and gentle is you might not be successful in exposing the male sex organ. It is something you can do after reading a book or else the experts wouldnt have put it in a book to try and teach you. Having a vet sex your snakes is never a bad idea either though. its just not the only "safe" way for a beginner to find out. you cant be afraid of try new things, ur snakes are strong animals. just be careful and gentle. :wavey:

oh yea and see u in philly

i'm afraid of...

being dooked on, jk. check your private mail.

Unfortunately, carefull and gentle means different things with different people. You may either not be gentle enough, or to gentle and end up with 2 males.

You're better off having someone who knows how to pop a hatchling,show you!Unless having a sterile snake doesn't bother you.If you don't want to get pooped on,make sure the snake isn't digesting any food(when was the last time it was fed).With albinos and snows you can usually see if held up to a light.If the snake has any digested food near the vent,when you pop it you will get pooped on!

*snickers*. Get a load right in the eye

ick...and ouch.

that would be so foul i'd hurl!