Are these Burmese pythons trying to mate or fighting?

Question
Hi.  I have two 11-foot burmese pythons.  I've had the male for 13 years and I just introduced the 6-year-old "female" that I recently purchased, into his cage.  Within minutes, they began this sort of writhing intertwining with each other.  The female seemed to initiate it by sliding a coil forcefully over the top of the coiled-up male.  But then they both got into it.  This looks like mating/courting behavior in some aspects, but in others in looks exactly like the "combat dances" I've seen rattlesnakes engage in.  My male uses his spurs to scratch the female, but he also occassionally bites her and lets go.  The female seems to be trying to push the male into the floor.  They both are trying to get on top of one another.

I'm only pretty sure, not certain at this point, that this "female" is really a female.  I didn't probe her, but the woman I got him from said she had.  Its head is quite a bit smaller than my male's head, and she's much fatter, but they are the same length.  However, her spurs are almost as big as his.

The spur size coupled with the fact that these snakes look as much like they're fighting as they do like they're trying to mate, my question is: Is it normal for the female to act "pushy" and overbearing, like the male, when courting?  In past experience with breeding pythons, I've only seen males act this way.  And, is it normal for the male to bite the female while courting?  Or should I separate them?  They don't look like they're actully injuring each other, in spite of all the biting, pushing and shoving.  I want them to mate if they really are male and female, but I don't want them to hurt each other if they're both male.

Any suggestions will be welcome.  Thank you.

Answer
Hello Hoke,

I have to say I had a female I had probed by a reptile shop. She turned out to be a he. I had popped him to find he is creating sperm. I could not figure out why she would fight with the males when introduced until I pulled her out and checked. Now I know....

It sounds like you have had the same luck. The best thing to do is probe or pop her. The popping will guarantee the sex. Probes are good but not always correct.

Hope this helps,
Eric