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mrjsnow1985
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
 Posted - 04/07/2011 : 22:28:23
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Getting my first royal (a youngster) on Friday after 10th years of wanting one!
Got my 9l RUB all set up and ready to go.
Have been round several shops and after lots of duff info have settled on one where they seem to know their stuff.
Only problem is they haven't and won't sex their baby royal's ( will stress them too much apparently) is this fairly common? Is sexing straightforward?
Appreciate your thoughts.
John |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2011 : 22:39:24
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Hi, and welcome to the forum and congrats onn the imminent royal!
Many breeders/shops 'pop' hatchlings ie gently manipulate the vent so that the snake's bits emerge. Male snakes have two penises (hemipenes) and are easy to spot. Needless to say this should only be done by an expert! Another method, and thought to be more sccurate, is 'probing', where a small metal probe is inserted into the snake's vent. The distance it will reach in differs with the sexes. Again - a job for an expert. I really don't think either of these are stressful (have seen both done) but if the supplier doesn't feel able to do it, then fair enough.
An amateur method of sexing royals is the spurs. These rudimentary legs, left over from the time the snake was once a lizard, are situated either side the vent. They look like tiny stubs or horns, and - usually - in a male they are larger. BUT (there's always a 'but' lol) there can be exceptions. I have (apparently) a male and two females, and it's true that the boy's spurs are larger than the girls'.
Hope this helps. |
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markmifsud
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
534 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2011 : 23:00:31
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| hi and welcome, as above theres no real reason for an expert to not sex a snake, unless of course he has already filtered off the more valuable females and doesnt want to risk you demanding one or the other |
1.1.0 Pastal Ball
1.0.0 Normal Ball aged 7(ish)
0.1.0 Normal Ball aged 7(ish)
Bromley. SE London |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2011 : 23:08:50
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Hello and welcome to the nicest forum on the www, fact!
Sexing shouldn't be stressful if its done right, so my guess is they aren't confident doing it but didn't want to say that. Are you planning on breeding, because sex of the snake makes no difference to how they are though females do get larger than males. All my lot have been sexed visually, tail length, vent shape, spurs etc are all tell tale signs. Duke is a supposed male, he has large spurs and a short fat tail, he also has quite a small head all signs of been a male. |
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mrjsnow1985
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2011 : 08:28:42
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Thanks guys. By the sounds of it they're just not confident enough. I would ideally like a female if at some point in the future I want to breed.
I have rats which will be in the same room as the snake. Didn't think this would be an issue, but now am having doubts... what do you guys reckon?
John |
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Tawfik47
Fully Grown Royal
Czech Republic
1584 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2011 : 09:34:04
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Hi and welcome to the forum 
I think having rats and the royal in the same room is a good thing. The snake keep smelling the rats so when u put the rat in the viv the snake will strike immediately.
This is just my opinion maybe someone else could help more . |
1.0.0 Common Boa - Revo CB13
I had a royal python (Blitz) for two years for those who are wondering what I'm doing here with my boa :D |
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markmifsud
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
534 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2011 : 11:10:54
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| Just be careful to wash / sanitise your hands between handling your rats and handling your snakes, you may find you collect a few tags with ratty hands |
1.1.0 Pastal Ball
1.0.0 Normal Ball aged 7(ish)
0.1.0 Normal Ball aged 7(ish)
Bromley. SE London |
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mrjsnow1985
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2011 : 13:03:52
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| Thanks. I guess handling the royal while sitting on the lazy boy next to the rat cage is just asking for trouble... |
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mrjsnow1985
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2011 : 17:38:09
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Anyone ever had a similar situation before?
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2011 : 18:19:33
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| I dont know if a snake near rats constantly would increase the feeding response, if the scent is always there but there is no contact with a rat then if anything it may desensitize the snake to that smell. For instance whenever there is a rat defrosting in the room my boa picks up on it quite quickly and switches to demon feeding mode, if it was always there its unlikely she would constantly be in that feeding mode and if she was surely that would only lead to stress eventually. Just a thought. |
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Robert
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
957 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2011 : 19:09:44
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| Congrats on your new royal, I'm not sure I'd keep rats in the same room either but you will have to see how it goes as I've not done that myself and am no authority, however I do know that when they are ready to feed and they smell a rat being defrosted it does make them more likely to eat, so having rats in the same room may desensitise I'd be interested to know either way, I hope that you are not planning to live feed though as that could amongst other things be harmful to the snake. |
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mrjsnow1985
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2011 : 20:35:08
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this has got me thinking now. Havent got the royal as yet but was due to be picking up at the end of the week. The only other option is to keep it in the bedroom.
Either that or I leave it until the rats pass on...
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Topic |
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getting my first royal
