So, maybe it just comes with time, or maybe i'm getting more and more hooked with reptiles, but i have developed a bit of a curiosity about how to probe and pop reptiles.
I have never tried this, nor do i know anyone who has experience with this that could show me how its done firsthand.
I'd like to learn, but know serious harm can be done to the reptile being probed/popped if this is done incorrectly.
from what i have come across through searching online, and correct me if im wrong here, probing is done with Adult snakes, and Monitors and Tegus? Popping is for juvinille Snakes, and geckos that don't show pores? I have also read that probing juvinille tegus and monitors is okay, but i dont really get why it would be okay here but not for baby snakes?

However, No Way am i grabbing my snakes, or my tegu, and trying to probe them with only what i've read, and the videos on probing and popping ive watched. Anyone know ways of getting practice in with something where the risk of injuring an animal is signifigantly lower?

I've read that the best way to practice is to start with confirmed males? Any truth to that.

Any ideas?

Also, as for probing, ive heard the best are ball tipped probes? Is that true, and whats a good affordable set?

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

Im sure your vet would let you observe the procedure and probably walk you through it if you asked. Around here there is a reptile store that probes snakes for customers for a $3 charge, they let me watch and walked me through what they were doing, its not something Id want to risk doing but it looked fairly simple.

I have only probed snakes, so I am not certain if it is used with Tegus and Monitors, though I don't see why it couldn't be.

I have never tried popping anything other than a snake but would be leary of popping geckos. Many gecko species are autotomous and I would be worried that popping them could cause enough stress to force a tail drop.

Known males are easier to learn with because the probe goes in deeper. If you have never probed a snake before and were trying for the first time with a female, it would be easy to think that you haven't gone in deep enough and end up rupturing her wall. With males, you can go to the right or left and the probe will enter the hemipene and go in much deeper.

lll Reptile has an inexpensive 8 piece, ball tipped set here:

8 Piece Ball Tipped Sexing Probes

Any vet who specializes in exotics should be able to show you how to probe properly.

Ball tips are safer as they help reduce the chance of rupturing anything.

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Thanks, good idea about the vet, all the petstores i know of around here are chains, without employees that would even know how to probe, let alone show me how. ill have to check with an exotics vet.

I read an article in a reptile magazine about popping geckos, and kinda thought the same thing, seemed a bit risky.

From what i understood it Sounds like a relativly uncomplicated thing, probe slides in carefuly, goes so many scales for female, or enters the hemipine and goes so many scales for male, and i've even watched a few "tutorial videos", but really don't want to injure any animals attempting this unexperienced.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

I always pop the baby burms when they come out of their eggs then later on I probe them. I use the ball tipped probes. I agree with everyone-check with a vet-they should be willing to take the time to show you how to probe correctly.

Pretty good advice all around. Though I wouldn't try popping or probing any type of lizard there's just too much risk. Really any age of snake can be probed given the right size probe. It's just easier to pop young snakes of most speices.

Any good vet or breeder should be able to show you how the hardest part is really fixing the tail to keep the snake from moving too much. Popping is best learned on a male as you can see what your looking for. Probing can be learned on both sexes so long the proper care is taken. After probing a few times you really get the feel of what sex it is just by how the probe stops males will have a little give, while females are very solid stop.

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