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Q: Sexing RTB Without Popping/Probing?
Posted By:

critterking1987

hey everone i was wondering can you tell a male redtail boa from a female just by looking at the tail i was googling this question and i got mixed answers one site said that male redtail boas have long tails and females have short tails and is this true or not because i plan on breeding some time in the future this would help me out alot
Points: 150
Topics: General Health , Knowledge Base
Tags: Boa, RTB, Sexing
Species: Boas > Large Boas > Boa constrictor imperator
Administrative: Show/Hide
Member Comment 6/25/2009 8:38:15 PM

FyreFocks
Not reliably. They arent a sexually dimorphic(sp?) species.

Buy probes.
Learn to probe.
 
Member Comment 6/25/2009 9:05:22 PM

KDReptiles
Agreed. 
You can also find your nearest reptile expert/breeder, or vet to probe them. That way, you can get an experienced answer. I know that if I learned to probe and I tried it... Even if I did it right I wouldn't trust myself, lol.
 
Accepted Answer 6/25/2009 10:05:20 PM

Izzy
If you plan on breeding as a long term project, you might want to go ahead and learn to probe the little guys yourself.  There is no outwardly visible way to sex a snake without probing.  Not even popping is always reliable (hermaphroditic ofspring does happen).  I would seriously recommend going to your local herp vet, or reputable local breeder and ask for a lesson. Besides, when you do end up with a litter of RTBs... if you're not going to take the litter to the vet, and you're not going to keep them all, you're going to want to know what you're selling.
 
Member Comment 6/26/2009 1:31:51 AM

jetmech
Ask it if it is a boy or girl! ;)
 
Member Comment 6/26/2009 1:42:07 AM

FyreFocks
That would be rude!
 
Member Comment 6/26/2009 2:28:29 AM

EricIvins
With Boas, all you need to do is run your thumb down the tail. Bump = Male, No bump = Female. You can do this with most Boas up till 4ft in length. Anything larger, and some Males won't be obvious. Tail length and spur size are not reliable. Their is a learning curve involved with doing it this way, but all you need is a few Boas of opposite sexes and practice a few times. Not hard at all, and 100% reliable. I can sex a large litter in all of 5 minutes, without being invasive. I've found you can only do this with Boas though, everything else has to be probed.
 
Member Comment 6/26/2009 10:46:55 PM

Heart and Soul Reps
My good breeder friend Keith Redmon has a secret to telling sex without probing or popping... he can count the tail scales past the vent and tell if the animal is male or female once they're up to 4 feet in length. I don't know the exact numbers... but I do know when he gets to a certian number, if there isn't enough tail left... it's a female. I wish I knew the numbers... it hasn't failed him yet when sexing an animal over 3-4 feet!
 
Member Comment 6/28/2009 11:35:44 PM

shellboa
I agree with Eric and have in fact done this with 100% accuracy. Sux that it only works for boas
 
Member Comment 10/25/2009 9:24:55 PM

zachrfields
Not any reliable ways to sex a snake without poping or probing
 
Member Comment 1/17/2011 12:22:27 PM

abi21491

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