need good advice

[jimmyg]

keep in mind i am very new to this hobby - had maybe held a snake two or three times total in my 31 years until last week! in the last week i broke down and bought three snakes, i bought a trio from a guy here locally, i wasn't sure what to do or what to look for, it took me over a period of a week to get all three because i was unsure if i was getting screwed
i asked alot of questions, but everyone has a different opinion, it's pretty confusing when you are new! i bought a female last monday, that same night i put a deposit on a male i asked alot of questions and changed my mind alot but finally i went and picked him up on thursday
both times i was there picking up snakes he had a really pretty what he called a female that caught my eye but it was twice as much as the other ones but by this time i didn't care i wanted a trio(i was hooked) so i worked a trade and i got her sunday afternoon that evening i had them probed - 2 males an 1 female i am very dissappointed [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]
the guy i got them from said he's been breeding boas for over twenty years i think he should know male from female!!! should i get them checked again to make sure?
i haven't gotten in touch with the guy yet to ask him what's up
is it common to sex snakes wrong??? i hope it's not done on purpose [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]
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[eddie]

Hey Jimmyg,
Some times it is possible to miss probe a snake.
Some times males will clench up and you'll only get so far as a female in depth, and some times it is possible that a female was probed too deep and the probe broke the pocket and it will forever probe as a male.
But as for you getting them checked again by another, sure, wouldn't hurt, as long as it is done by an experienced person.
[addsig]

YUP Exactly as Eddie said here. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] Did the person you bought these snakes from state that the females were proven breeders at all to you ? You would think that a breeder would know the sex of their snake when selling it and have such correct in relation to the info they give you though... [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]
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[jimmyg]

yes he told me i was getting 1 male and 2 females

they are under a year old, he swore their sex

i'm disgusted over this! until i had them checked yesterday i was the happiest guy around now i find out i got !#@*&^ i feel sick to my stomach

i can't wait to talk to him to see how he's going to correct this

is probing the only or best way to check sex?
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[captainmorgan]

just out of curiousity, what kinds of snakes are they?? Are they all the same kind of snakes or is the more expensive one a boa and the other 2 pythons or vice versa???? You don't want to house different species together, that's why I was asking. Most people say not to house the same kind of snakes together but I think you can get a away with it if you're responsible and know what you're doing. Oh yeah, and welcome to RTB.net
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[travis66]

where is the breeder in fl that you went to?just wondering how big are they and what are you keeping them in?
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[jimmyg]

they are supposed to all three be bcc columbian red tails
all three about 36 inches
the guy i bought them from is located here in central fl but he said they also breed boas up north - they are suposed to be 26 year lineage
right now i have them in a 40 gallon breeder tank but i want to buy or build something with 4 to 6 seperate enclosures like wall unit with sliding glass doors

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	Boa Constrictor Constrictor Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constictor constrictor). Refers to "true" red tail boas such as the Guyana and Suriname locales.

[jimmyg]

i feel a little better the guy called me back and said he will make it right

i believe it was honest mistake but that is a big mistake

it really sucks because because this is the first snake that i wanted and i had to work twice as hard to work up a deal and then it's a friggen male

i'm still thinking about getting the female checked again to make sure

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[Relayer]

If this guy told you they are bcc columbian you might want to ask again. Columbians are bci. How much did you pay for them?
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	Boa Constrictor Constrictor Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constictor constrictor). Refers to "true" red tail boas such as the Guyana and Suriname locales.

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

[najaboy]

Not all Colombians are BCI, but I'm willing to bet that this trio is. Colombian BCC aren't even remotely as common in US collections as Colombian BCI.

As for one of the supposed females probing as a male, I personally think you should have a third person probe the snake again. It is equally possible that either one of the first two misprobed it.

If too small of a probe is used, females will probe just as deep as males. Likewise, if too large of a probe is used, then it will not pass all the way into the hemipenis.
[addsig]

	Boa Constrictor Constrictor Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constictor constrictor). Refers to "true" red tail boas such as the Guyana and Suriname locales.

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

[jimmyg]

i shopped around and for the colors and markings on these snakes i am more than happy with what i paid for them
these are pets that my 9 year old son will be around so i was searching for captive bred with some kind of history
the bci or bcc was not that important to me, although i have had several people tell me there are bci and bcc columbians!
ARE THERE BCC COLUMBIANS, IS THIS TRUE OR NOT?

i wanted a male and two females, i'm disappointed ther are two males
what sucks is that i have to decide which male to give back i'm aleady attached to them both and i'll always think i gave back the wrong one



[addsig]

	Boa Constrictor Constrictor Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constictor constrictor). Refers to "true" red tail boas such as the Guyana and Suriname locales.

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

[travis66]

there are bci colombians and bcc colombians but i think the bci are really called comon rtb's
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	Boa Constrictor Constrictor Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constictor constrictor). Refers to "true" red tail boas such as the Guyana and Suriname locales.

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

[Reticu-Lady]

How about getting another female for two pair? That way you use one male for breeding both one season, then you have another male to breed to the babies the next season (when they are old/big enough). As far as pets go, I usually prefer males as they don't get quite as large. I have been there done that with the females actually turning out to be male. Besides I have seen that a lot of people use two males to breed their females, to make sure she becomes gravid. Either way, enjoy them, they should be pets first and breeders as a bonus IMHO.
Best wishes for you and your collection!

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