Viper Boa Sex Identification

[justgerrardz]

Hi friends!, I just got female viper boa few days ago from the trusted seller in my city. But I doubt she is real female because I found little spurs on her anal.

I read from few articles sometime they said female don't have spurs, and another said, some female have a little spurs.

What do you think, guys?

 

[Helenthereef]

Could be either, depending on age.

I keep Candoia bibroni bibroni (Fiji Boas), not Vipers, but in my Candoia while they were young and small, the spurs were only seen in males.

My adult females now do have visible spurs, but they only became visible as they grew to full size (now over 10 years old and 6 feet long).

So, technically either sex can have spurs, but while they are young they are really only perceptible in the males. Do you know how old your snake is?

 

[justgerrardz]

Could be either, depending on age.

I keep Candoia bibroni bibroni (Fiji Boas), not Vipers, but in my Candoia while they were young and small, the spurs were only seen in males.

My adult females now do have visible spurs, but they only became visible as they grew to full size (now over 10 years old and 6 feet long).

So, technically either sex can have spurs, but while they are young they are really only perceptible in the males. Do you know how old your snake is?

I'm no sure how old my snake is.. but i can say now she enter juvenile size..

I also have compared with my male viper boa, and i can see the head shape slightly different.. female one have thiner head than male..

 

[Helenthereef]

I'm no sure how old my snake is.. but i can say now she enter juvenile size..

I also have compared with my male viper boa, and i can see the head shape slightly different.. female one have thiner head than male..

How do her spurs compare with the male? Are they smaller?

If she had NO spurs you could be certain, but small spurs does not means she can't be female. If it was me, I'd keep her, but try to get a written guarantee from the seller that if, in future after you try to mate her, she turns out to be male, you can return her for a full refund.

 

[Helenthereef]

Here are a couple of photos from my Candoia:

First - Male very obvious spur.
Second - Female no spur, or spur so small you can't see it amongst the scales.

These snakes were less than a year old.

 

[justgerrardz]

How do her spurs compare with the male? Are they smaller?

If she had NO spurs you could be certain, but small spurs does not means she can't be female. If it was me, I'd keep her, but try to get a written guarantee from the seller that if, in future after you try to mate her, she turns out to be male, you can return her for a full refund.

yaa.. too bad, there is no guarantee here.. Now I just can wish that she is pure female..

 

[justgerrardz]

Here are a couple of photos from my Candoia:

First - Male very obvious spur.
Second - Female no spur, or spur so small you can't see it amongst the scales.

These snakes were less than a year old.

yes.. i can't see her spurs

 

[Helenthereef]

I actually think she's probably female, just can't be 100% certain.
My large females now have quite obvious spurs.

 

[justgerrardz]

I actually think she's probably female, just can't be 100% certain.
My large females now have quite obvious spurs.

I will upload my male's pictures soon.. so we can discuss it further.. btw, thank you for your response..

having a bibroni actually on of my dream list, even I can't have it in Indonesia..

 

[Helenthereef]

I must confess I love my bibroni - check out their blog (below my signature) for some photos if you are interested.

 

[justgerrardz]

Here is some picture of my aperas, the possible female is on number 1, and another numbers are male.

As you can see from the picture, number 1 aspera have slightly different head shape with another apera. What do you think?

 

[Helenthereef]

I would say that from this angle 2 and 4 look the same, and 1 and 3 look the same.

What that says about sex I can't be sure - bibroni don't differ in this way between sexes. I wish a real Viper Boa person would join in!

There is a thread here with a picture of a male and a female next to each other - maybe that helps?

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=654112&highlight=Viper+boa