Visual sexing of snakes

Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum

Help Support Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

kwaka_80

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
863
Reaction score
0
Location
Noosa, Queensland
Hey guys had my biggest snake out and was curious about sex of it... Although I could get it probed, I was curious about visual aids... I have always suspected female due to slightly shorter stubbier tail but on closer inspection I came across spurs. No I'm sure both sexes can have spurs but can you use them for a sexing reference?



It's one of my favorite snakes so would potentially like to breed at one point. As it's over 8 years old it's well and truly ready for next season on finding the right mate...
So guys any ideas on sex (just looking for suggestions, and will not be 100% untill probed)

Cheers, Matt
 
I find the the best way to visually identify a female is see her lay eggs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It's hard to tell just from looking at the pics. But what you can do if you can't probe is popping.

Hold the snake like you are in the second pic, and with the hand that's holding onto the body, use your thumb to pull the ventral scales down a little so you can actually see the bum. and with the other hand that's holding onto the tail, starting at the tip you roll your thumb down the tail. If any tube thingys pop out (penis) its male if nothing pops out its female. It takes a bit of practice, but its fairly easy to do. Just be gentle of course when you do it, and if the snake struggles or tries to move let it then try again.

There are plenty of vids on youtube that you can watch to get a better understanding. :)
 
Hi [MENTION=1779]kwaka_80[/MENTION] I am fairly sure that both sexes have spurs and that the females' are smaller than males'.

There's a keeper in Mackay whose wife does this old fashioned thing with a crystal on a string over the snake (like people used to do over women's pregnant bellies). If it spins one way it's a girl or a boy if it swings the opposite way. I don't 'believe' in it working necessarily but she's not been wrong yet and they've successfully bred many pairs.
[MENTION=38897]Beans[/MENTION] popping is usually recommended for young/small snakes, not ones that are 8 years old.
 
Well I can imagine it would work the same. Just thought I'd try and help
 
It's hard to tell just from looking at the pics. But what you can do if you can't probe is popping.

Hold the snake like you are in the second pic, and with the hand that's holding onto the body, use your thumb to pull the ventral scales down a little so you can actually see the bum. and with the other hand that's holding onto the tail, starting at the tip you roll your thumb down the tail. If any tube thingys pop out (penis) its male if nothing pops out its female. It takes a bit of practice, but its fairly easy to do. Just be gentle of course when you do it, and if the snake struggles or tries to move let it then try again.

There are plenty of vids on youtube that you can watch to get a better understanding. :)

You cant do it with a python of that size. Please remember this is a public forum and it easy to lead new keepers astray with bad information. I'd hate to think someone would go and try and pop a sub adult or lager carpet. I trust you have the best intentions. But not everyone who reads your posts will know that you are a new keeper with limited experience. This sort of behavior is reckless and potentially dangerous for peoples animals.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well I can imagine it would work the same. Just thought I'd try and help
It doesn't work the same at all. After a certain age, the muscles used to hold the hemipenes in are much stronger and all you end up doing is causing damage if you attempt it.
 
You can sometimes tell sex by the shape of the tail just past the cloaca. I have a friend that is quite good at this and when I probe after his guess he has been right. There is an example given on pilbara pythons website. The males tend to bow where the hemipene is and females bump is much smaller and then flat.
Spurs don't generally give a good indication with carpets.
Sometimes sloughed skin will have the sex of the carpet as males will have longish tags where the hemipene is. I think someone got this analysed recently and its a collection of dead skin cells that accumulate in the hemipene, which comes off with the shed skin from time to time.
 
Okay. I just thought it would be a good idea cause the snake in the photo seems rather small.

I'll just be quiet then hehe.
 
Okay. I just thought it would be a good idea cause the snake in the photo seems rather small.

I'll just be quiet then hehe.

Small is a week or two out of the egg.

- - - Updated - - -

Some ant's can be popped as adults, but only by the very experienced.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Please remember this is a public forum and it easy to lead new keepers astray with bad information.
It seems everything I say is bad information.

Anyway, to the OP good luck with your breeding and sexing endeavors.
 
It seems everything I say is bad information.

Anyway, to the OP good luck with your breeding and sexing endeavors.

Yes you have given some dangerous or incorrect information as of late.
We have all started somewhere. We have all been where you are now, as a first time keeper of a juvie carpet.
However the giving of advise and help needs to be specific and correct. For this reason when we first begin the journey we often refrain from comment when people ask for help and listen closely to the advise given. In some instances it will match what we thought. In others it will contradict what we assumed. Ask lots of questions, evaluate all the information closely and the sources it came from.

Enjoy the learning. Enjoy the journey of keeping and breeding. It's a great hobby and one where no one stops learning....
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey guys thanks for all the replies... As a new keeper, that I am not. I have had snakes for over 9 years now but never really seen them as a "play" thing or something to experiment on. (If I'm not sure I'll ask then with gathered information I make up my own mind what's right and what's wrong) I have never bred or even needed to get my snakes sexed (irrelivent in my mind) but I just had it out and was interested. I have seen some clips about "popping" and read even more about it. It's something that will need to be done while very young due to lack of muscle control. I do know of several people in my area that can probe. I'm sure to contact them.
My idea of this thread was to see what everyone's thoughts on it were? From the pics anyone want to throw out any guesses as to what sex it could be?.

Cheers, Matt
 
"Sometimes sloughed skin will have the sex of the carpet as males will have longish tags where the hemipene is. I think someone got this analysed recently and its a collection of dead skin cells that accumulate in the hemipene, which comes off with the shed skin from time to time."

Hi Snowman,

I've been using this method for quite a number of years now and have always found it conducive with sexing males of a number of species of snakes besides pythons. I find it very effecting without incurring any discomfort or stress to the animal.

Sheds from females also have them however they are nowhere near the length of those from male sheds.

Here's a link that I just found on Google to a thread on this forum that contains photos of typical males sperm plugs.

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-reptile-discussion-42/sexing-shed-skin-think-204838/

George.
 
It seems everything I say is bad information.
It can sometimes feel that way, and I know you're heart is in the right place. But in this instance especially, Popping at that age would be dangerous. I think we are all guilty of imparting not too wise advice at some point(I am lol)I have learned so much by just sitting back and reading the replies of some of our more experienced members. I actually reply less now than when I first joined ;) (much to every-one's relief heh heh heh) I will usually answer a post if it isn't life threatening and my advice is solid and correct and if no-one else has replied.

Hope you can find out Matt, I am useless at sexing unless I probe :)
 
Last edited:
.
My idea of this thread was to see what everyone's thoughts on it were? From the pics anyone want to throw out any guesses as to what sex it could be?.

Cheers, Matt

Probing is a basic skill which most people who breed learn. If you get any if your animals probed, get them to teach you at the same time.

Visually it would be hard to tell from those pictures. The pictures need to be horizontal with a non distracting background.
 
[MENTION=39076]GBWhite[/MENTION] would be talking about these i assume :) pretty good indication of a male but it only really shows once their a few years old and of breeding size in my experience
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0061.jpg
    IMG_0061.jpg
    42.7 KB · Views: 46
Thanks snowman, I'm sure I could do if I ever needed to. I have seen it done and also have held held a couple of hatchies while a seller probed them. Just never on the pointy end. I will get it sexed within the week...

Cheers, Matt
 
For pythons bordering on maturity, the tail base is often noticeably thicker on males, doesn't start tapering for a cm or two after the cloaca. Females usually have a very obvious taper immediately behind the vent. The info in George's post, well illustrated by Thomassssssssssssss's photo, is often the way I go. Foolproof.

Jamie
 
Thanks, yeah over the years I have more skins from it as I care to remember (after 8 years +) of keeping it. I have always suspected female, and have never seen the "tags" although I have seen similar on some of my other pythons. I never thought anything of it and after the first year just started throwing the skins out. So looks like I'll have to track down a nice male for "her" over the coming weeks/months. She was sold to me as jungle/coastal intergrade so would be looking to keep the jungle line in her. She displays a nice yellowing and stripe straight along the back, I would like to continue those traits...

Cheers, Matt
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top