So, you don't know if your ball python is a female or a male huh? It's really simple. If the snake is big, it's a female, if it's small, it's a male. Was that not detailed enough? I'm just kidding. Well, sort of. Although size can be an indicator of ball python sex, it's not reliable. Age and feeding habits will greatly contribute to a ball pythons size. Female ball pythons are typically larger than males when fully grown or mature. For instance, a good breeding size for a male Ball Python is about 700g although some will start as early as 400g. A female on the other hand should be at least 1,200g before she is big enough to breed. But waiting for them to fully grow can take a while. So how can we find out sooner? Two really good ways to "sex" a ball python are called "probing" and "popping".
Before using either technique, it's a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with some snake anatomy. First, if you look at the underside of your ball python, close to the tail end (opposite the head of course) you should see something called a cloaca (pronounced clo-aye-cuh). This is where ball pythons excrete urine and fecal matter. Snakes do not have bladders and so this is where all waste leaves the body. Have you located the cloaca on your ball python? Great job! Just inside the cloaca to each side, there are "tubes" and inside of those "tubes" are hemipenes (penises) for the males. Yes, that was plural. Male snakes have two penises. Think of the "tubes" as two empty sleeves. Beneath these sleeves lie the two hemipenes of a male ball python.
Now that you understand some of your ball pythons anatomy, let’s discuss the before-mentioned ways to figure out your ball pythons sex.
Probing is probably the surest way to figure out what you need to know. Probing is what occurs when you take a small metal rod known as a “snake probe” and you insert it into one side of the cloacal vent moving towards the tip of the tail. With males, this probe can be inserted much further than with females. Before insertion, you should lubricate the tip (a little petroleum jelly or Vaseline is fine) of the snake probe. It is also a good idea to either ensure you have a good grip on the snake (without hurting it) or have someone else hold the snake. You can rest easy in knowing that it does not hurt the snake to perform this action. Gently insert the snake probe until you begin to feel consistent resistance. At this point, you can mark the spot on the metal rod with your finger and remove the rod. Hold the rod next to the cloaca with your finger still on the metal rod. Count how many scales there are from the tip of the rod back to the cloaca. A female will have significantly fewer scales from tip to cloaca. A female will have two to four scales where a male will usually have at least eight. Keep in mind that just like humans, not all males are “blessed”. So sizing may vary a little.
Popping is another way to figure out the gender of a ball python. In short, it simply means making the penis pop out so you can see it. This is a more difficult way of determining sex and can cause trauma to the animal if done incorrectly so it is best to have someone who knows what they are doing for your first few attempts. Basically, you firmly but gently apply pressure with your thumbs below the cloaca and the hemipenes should “pop” through the cloaca. This can be difficult to recognize as, like I mentioned before, some ball pythons are more “blessed” than others and it is easy to mistake a portion of the cloaca sticking out as possible hemipenes.
So in conclusion, the best and most reliable ways to "sex" a ball python is either popping or probing. Good luck!
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