iHerp Answers: Two red spots on cornsnake shed: Hemipenes or scent glands??

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Two red spots on cornsnake shed: Hemipenes or scent glands??

Posted By:

Causack

In Relation To:

Adelaide [Laide]

I noticed that my 4 year old snake, Adelaide, has had these two little marks and some white stuff right in the middle. I was told she was a girl when I bought her, but I'm wondering if these are the marks of hemipenes and if shes showing sperm plugs?

Or are these normal markings of a females "scent" or "musk" glands?

I included a picture of her entire tail maybe to help... I have counted the scales before but I feel like i lose count and get it wrong? I have no faith in my ability to sex him/her hahaha.

Also is this supposed to happen everytime? I looked back to some of her old sheds ( I keep them in an album) and I realized she/he has these the last couple of times...but when she was smaller she didnt have them. Does this mean shes/hes hit puberty?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Attached Photos:


Points:	150
Topics:	General Health , Skin
Tags:	Cornsnake, Visuallysexingcornsnakes
Species:	Other Colubrids > Other Colubrids > Elaphe guttata guttata
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Member Comment

8/6/2018 10:54:54 AM

Cenobite

It's a boy!

Member Comment

9/3/2018 8:37:58 PM

Doomtrooper

Devil horns !!!

Member Comment

10/11/2018 10:08:30 PM

MegF

Kind of short for sperm plugs. At least with my GTP's the sperm plugs are pretty long. Still, scent glands on females are usually rounder than that.

Member Comment

1/30/2019 2:15:21 AM

Shiari

Those are probably still scent glands, but the shape of the tail in that shed is more similar to stereotypical male than female.

Member Comment

11/20/2020 1:21:43 PM

sissyt213

I know this is an old post but since outs never been answered correctly, I'll answer it correctly. It's not a boy and it's not scent glands. It's where the vent is. That's it. It's just the area where the shed comes out of the vent/cloaca area but it only goes in so far. Females and males both have them.

Member Comment

11/20/2020 7:47:23 PM

MegF

That's just not true.....females will have scent glands that leave small red spots like that. Males tend to have (at least when they are sexually mature) sperm plugs. If the animal is young, it is sometimes hard to tell.

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