popping..?

[cking1]

I was at my local pet store the other day (not a commercial chain), and was just looking at the snakes they had. The lady in charge of them was showing some other people a few burms and demonstrating a technique called "popping" to determine the sex of the snakes. She turned them over and bent the tail back to reveal the (for lack of the "scientific" term she used) dual penis'. Is this a proper technique? I’m just concerned because this is the same lady I purchased my BCI from. Thanks all

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

[RioBravoReptiles]

For someone who knows how to do it the technique you described is much safer than probing a baby boa. Experienced keepers don't have to actually 'pop' the hemipenes, it is a combination of judging the length and shape of the tail along with exerting just enough pressure on the tail in the right place to see how the cloaca and the glands associated with it are everted.
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This is common practice in a wide range of Colubrids and pythons and again when done properly poses no threat to the animal.
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Hope that helps.

	Cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the intestinal, urinary, and (usually) genital tracts of certain animal species.All birds, reptiles, and amphibians possess this orifice, from which they excrete both urine and feces

[mo1416]

I've also heard that if done incorectly it can be injured just like probing.

[TONYHAWKINS]

This is the only way I sex my baby boas. And with colubirds I just look at the tail. I really perfer this method with the boas.