Please please can someone help me with this

[shorty]

I just bought a cornsnake it is my first snake and the pet shop told me nothin about the snake.I was wondering if any one could tell me how old my snake was it is about 12" long and his head is about the size of a peanut.how do i also find out the sex.i would be grateful for any help.

 

[CAV]

It is a hatchling, probably 2-5 months old. There are several methods used for sexing a snake. I'd recommend finding someone experienced with snakes to assist you in making the determination.

 

[Spitfire]

You should get a pro to tell you whether the snake is a male or female but you coud try and guees by checking the tail. A large broad tail indicates its a male while a thin tail indicates its a female. (Someone correct me if I have it the opposite way. I'm pretty sure that's right.) You should also pick up a copy of the Cornsnake Manual by Cathy Love. It'll answer a bunch of questions for beginner herpers.

 

[MegF.]

No, you've got it right. I also had mine double checked by a breeder to make sure that I had guessed the tail right. She's an amel, so we just used a bright light, and checked for signs of a hemipenes.

 

[CAV]

Visual identification of gender using the tail method will not work on hatchlings and juvenile snakes. The growth differences don't become discernable until the snake is much larger and older.

If you want to be absolutely sure, probing is the answer. Even popping can be inaccurate is not performed correctly.