sensitive tail?

hi, i ordered a 100% het Caramel Male from '04 and he's been in the box/cage with my other unsexed snake. I check on them every now and then, and the cloacas on their tails are usually an inch apart when their tails are near. I have wondered if a sensitive tail might be a helpful hint about if it's a girl or not. I touch its tail right after the cloaca on the sides and it jerks its tail away. Is that a hint of being female?
Thanks in advance
-Josh

Josh, let me ask you this.....if someone poked you in that area while you weren't expecting it, wouldn't you jerk away? That's not going to tell you the sex of the snake.

Ball Pythons do best when housed alone, and ESPECIALLY if you don't know the sex of your other snake, they should NOT be housed together, for the safety of the snakes. Is your other snake a Ball Python as well? How old is it, and how big is it?

Josh, playing with or touching a snakes tail is a good way to get bitten.

it can be stressful for some animals to be touched in certain ways/places. Unless the snake has an infection or the cloaca/vent area looks like there may be something wrong, leave him/her alone. I imagine the sensitivity is due to the same reason they are sesnitive about their heads being held or touched, it is a vital part of their gene's survival and carelessness can result in the non-continuation of their genes in one way or another...
Most behavioral traits in reptiles are non-gender specific unless it is mating related, and even then, the best way to tell is getting them probed if the species can be. And yes, separate cages are a must for nearly every species of snake in my opinion. They thrive much better in solitary arrangements.

Sorry guys I didn't think it would be that bad to do that, I don't squeeze it hard by any means, I just gently squeeze a little bit. The other snake IS a Ball Python as well. It's about 5-5.5 feet at 9 years old. The snake has always allowed me to touch its head, never once have I been bitten. It hasn't gotten scared of me touching its tail OR head until the tail thing which started when I put them together. I do also have separate cages, I just thought that maybe I'd let them see eachother and get used to eachother for awhile. I've never had a problem like this before, I'm just scared that it might be hurt. The 100% het Caramel Albino is around 4-4.25 feet.
Once again,
Thanks in Advance
-Josh

ever think maybe he is a male, and is indicating that he is not receptive to sexual advances (from your other male)?

didn't think of that.
a snake's way of saying, " i don't love you like that, man."


if you are terribly concerned about his tail hurting, make sure there aren't any unusual colors on his belly or bite marks, and leave it alone. If anything starts turning unsual colors, take him to a vet, or better yet call your Reptile vet and ask them about it.

Thanks everyone, I seperated them again. There weren't any unusual colors or anything different like marks from bites or something, no scars by the way
I just needed some kind of confirmation.
-Josh