How to Tell the Gender of a Snake

How to Tell the Gender of a Snake. Most snakes cannot be sexed just by looking at them. In order to determine a snake's gender, it is necessary to check for the presence of hemipenes. Hemipenes are the male snake's sex organs, are are normally stored inverted in the tail, in the area just behind the snake's vent. There are two techniques for finding out if the snake has them, popping and probing. Popping does not require any tools, but probing requires a specialized set of snake probes. You can purchase them online, or at reptile shows.

Things Needed

• Pillowcase or snake bag
• Snake probes
• Petroleum jelly

Popping

Step 1

Restrain the snake. Juvenile snakes can be held entirely in your secondary hand. For larger snakes, have an assistant hold the snake's body. For snakes that are prone to biting, place the snake in a pillowcase or snake bag, with the tail protruding through the mouth of the bag. Have an assistant hold the bag closed.

Step 2

Turn the snake's tail, so the belly scales are pointed up.

Step 3

Grasp the tail of the snake between your thumb and the the side of your hand. Place pressure on the snake's tail with your thumb, rolling the thumb towards the vent. If the snake is a male, the hemipenes will pop out.

Probing

Step 1

Select a probe with a tip that is approximately one quarter the width of the belly scale plate immediately before the vent.

Step 2

Lubricate the probe with petroleum jelly.

Step 3

Insert the probe on one side of the vent, twisting slightly as you push it in. Slide it in gently, and mark the probe at the location where it stops.

Step 4

Pull the probe out slowly, and hold it next to the snake's vent.

Step 5

Count the number of scales that the probe went under. If it goes in to a depth of nine or more scales, it's a male. If it only goes in eight scales or less, it's a female.

Warnings

• Boas and pythons can be sexed by checking for spurs on either side of the vent. Males have spurs, females don't.

Warnings

• It's best if you have an expert show you how to perform these procedures before trying them yourself. You can injure or even kill a snake if they are performed incorrectly.

References

• Prehistoric Pets: Sexing a Snake
• Sacremento State University; "Snake Gender Determination - Snake Sexing Methods"; Alan W. Zulich
• "Kingsnakes and Milksnakes : Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, Behavior, and Training"; Ronald G. Markel and Richard D. Bartlett; 1995