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Sexing by illumination

Kevin S.

Kevin S.

Active member
Kathy Love's book mentions something like this for young amel corns, but I hadn't heard of it anywhere else until recently. Check out the article on page 25 here: http://varanidae.org/Vol3_No1.pdf

Basically, they're using a bright light to see hemipenes when sexing lizards. I can see black ventral pigment in some corns possibly limiting the usefulness of this technique, but it seems like it should work in many cases too. Has anyone tried this before? I'm going to give it a shot soon, but I'd be interested in hearing everyone else's findings as well.
 
I've heard it being done with the amel based corns, but not sure about the darker ones. You're probably better off popping or probing. I wouldn't trust this method.
 
Well, I just tried it with my male blizzard and my female amel and they looked exactly the same. I think that the color of the snake does not matter - it was performed in this article on lizards. I think that lizards are just generally more "well endowed" down there.
 
It works great on the light snakes as a first cut. I use a compact fluorescent bulb in a hooded lamp where I can have just the edge of the bulb showing. I do double check by popping when needed but it's pretty obvious in most cases. Only works on very small hatchlings, though.
 
I used this method this year on all of the light colored morphs to test it out. I would later pop them just to confirm the gender. The light method was accurate 99% of the time. It has to be done with amel based morphs. I also used it to confirm sex in ultramels. The light behind the animal will shine right through allowing you to see the hemiphens. What you are for is a long red line from the vent to almost the tip of the tail(male). After you do it a few times it becomes really easy and yes it is best to do it on hatchlings or those that are still pretty small.
 
You know, I just tried it again. It nearly gave me a heart attack. I got out my male, tried it on him, and immediately, the long, thin red line under the vent was noticable. Then I got out my female, and I see the exact same line. I was just like... oh. Crap. I have two boy snakes. But then I realized that she actually has a line on orange coloration under the vent, clearly due to her scales. So I tried it again and she's most definately STILL a girl.
However, I would still go with probing or popping. Weird coloration and similar instances could make a false reading.
 
salvadorian said:
You know, I just tried it again. It nearly gave me a heart attack. I got out my male, tried it on him, and immediately, the long, thin red line under the vent was noticable. Then I got out my female, and I see the exact same line. I was just like... oh. Crap. I have two boy snakes. But then I realized that she actually has a line on orange coloration under the vent, clearly due to her scales. So I tried it again and she's most definately STILL a girl.
However, I would still go with probing or popping. Weird coloration and similar instances could make a false reading.
Click to expand...

LOL That's why you have to make sure what you are looking at is inside the snake. Not on the scales. :)
 
Actually, it works on non-amels IF they have white bellies (such as motleys, stripes, and bloodreds), and IF they are babies. Once they get a little size to them, the skin thickens and it becomes difficult to see the blood vessels, even when well lit.

Although it is often easy to see the little red/purple blood spot on baby males with white ventrals, I still would pop or probe to be sure. I offered the candling alternative only to those unable to perform the other, better, methods.
 
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