In this blog post, we will answer the following question: Are male or female snakes nicer? We will discuss the differences between male and female snakes so that it is easier for you to decide what pet to get.
Are male or female snakes nicer?
There is no difference between the temperament of male and female snakes. Both male and female snakes have the potential to be friendly and domesticated to tolerate good handling.
As long as they are housed separately (one snake per tank), you will not notice any difference between males and females. Of course, all snakes have different personalities, even members of the same species. However, these differences are not based on gender.
Instead, they typically boil down to one or more of the following factors:
- Some species of snakes are naturally more docile than others. Corn snakes, for example, are generally more flaccid than green tree pythons.
- Just as we can pass on traits to our children, so can snakes.
- If you handle your snake frequently, they will become tame as they get used to you. Non-socialized snakes tend to be more fearful and defensive around humans.
As long as you treat your snakes well, socialize them appropriately, and respect any signs of stress, you will end up with a friendly pet snake.
Is a female or male snake better as a pet?
Although it may not be easy, it is possible to train your snake with persistence and experience. If you are inexperienced, take your snake to a reptile vet or herpetologist for help.
If you are thinking about buying a pet snake, you may be wondering: should you buy a male or a female? The answer, honestly, is that there is not much difference. Male and female snakes of the same species generally look and behave almost identically. They have the same care requirements in terms of heating, humidity, and food. Their temperaments are the same, and they both make great pets.
The only reasons you should consider the sex of a snake are:
- Breeding. To breed, you will need a male and female snake of the same species.
- Size. In some species of snakes, one gender is larger than another. Female ball pythons, for example, tend to grow larger than males. If you want your snake to stay small, you’d better have a male. In African egg-eating snakes, females are usually easier to feed than males, as they are larger and can eat larger eggs.
- Costs. Sometimes female snakes can be slightly more expensive than males.
- Cohabitation. We never recommend housing snakes together as they can fight and spread disease with each other. However, if you are planning to do this anyway, you will have to make sure that all the snakes are of the same sex. This will prevent unwanted playback. In general, female snakes are less likely to fight than males.
Other than the reasons above, there is no real reason to be concerned about the gender of the snake you end up with. Both men and women make equally attractive and charming pets to share your life with.
How male and female snakes differ in anatomy
Snakes, for the most part, reproduce sexually. The male produces sperm, and it is his responsibility to pass it on to the woman. The female snake contains ovules (female reproductive cells) that the male’s sperm has to fertilize.
For this to happen, mating has to take place. Males have two hemipenes that must be inserted into the female’s cloaca to transfer sperm. From there, it is the female’s responsibility to grow the babies. It does this either by raising live animals or by laying eggs, which then hatch at a later date.
In most mammals, it is easy to see these anatomical differences from the outside. However, in snakes, it is not that simple. The hemipenises of a male snake are stored inside its body (more precisely, inside its tail). So, for this reason, they are invisible from the outside most of the time. The hemipenis of a male only turns outward when he is ready to mate.
How many eggs does a snake lay?
When we talk about egg-laying we are referring exclusively to oviparous or laying snakes, as they are the only ones that lay eggs. When the eggs have formed inside the female, she lays them outside. In most species, the eggs are abandoned by the mother, without any incubation taking place. In other species, the female snake creates a nest in which she lays her eggs and cares for them, as is the case with pythons.
The number of eggs that make up the laying depends on the species, with such variability that while some carry out layings of an average of 5-6 eggs, others can lay more than 100 in a single laying.
How does a python mate?
Pythons are oviparous snakes, which hatch from eggs laid by their mother, who incubates them until the young are born. It is one of the snake species that generate the most fear, but when the mother is incubating, it is when they are most dangerous.
Such is the fierceness of these mothers that they do not hesitate to attack anyone who may be a threat to their offspring, no matter what it is, a bear, a fox or a person, it does not matter, they will not hesitate to attack him in favour of the conservation of their eggs.
Besides, this is one of the few species of snake that incubates the eggs, staying in a coiled position on top of them to keep them warm.
Are there species with asexual reproduction?
Although we have said that snakes are animals with sexual reproduction, there are some exceptions in this respect.
Such is the case of species such as the eastern cotton boa (Agkistrodon piscivorus) or the Texas copper snake (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus). In these snakes there can be both sexual reproduction and facultative parthenogenesis, which would be asexual and consists of self-fertilization of the ovules, causing the cells to divide without the need for a male to deposit his sperm.
The size matters
In most species, both the male and the female tend to outgrow the other. This can range from a barely noticeable difference to a significant difference.
As a general rule of thumb, females tend to be larger than males, according to a study in the journal Animal Behavior. Scientists believe this is because larger females can produce larger eggs (and larger babies). Young snakes that are larger tend to have higher survival rates.
Ball pythons are an example of sexual dimorphism. Although babies are the same size, female ball pythons tend to grow much larger during adulthood.
Males tend to reach 2 to 3 feet in length, while females reach 3 to 5 feet. If your python is an adult (at least three years old), measuring it might give you an idea of whether it is male or female. The Boa constrictor is the same: females typically reach 7-10 feet, while males stay at 6-8 feet.
This does not work for all snakes. In some species of snakes, males and females are equal in size. Corn snakes and rat snakes are two examples. In others, like rattlesnakes, the males grow larger.
Conclusions
In this blog post, we answered the following question: Are male or female snakes nicer? We discussed the differences between male and female snakes so that it is easier for you to decide what pet to get.
To summarize, there is no difference in the temperaments of male or female snakes. Neither are nicer or more aggressive. It depends on the species, how well it is trained and how you are behaving around it.
If you have any questions or comments on this topic, please let us know!
FAQ on Are male or female snakes nicer?
Are female or male snakes better?
Neither female nor male snakes are better in terms of temperament. There is no real difference, except in between species. However, when buying a snake you should take into consideration that in some species female snakes get bigger and they may need some special care (such as feeding them more often) while carrying eggs.
What is the difference between male and female snakes?
The difference between male and female snakes, besides their anatomy, is that female snakes can carry eggs, thus you will have to be more careful during that period. Male and female snakes of the same species generally look and behave almost identically. They have the same care requirements in terms of heating, humidity, and food. Their temperaments are the same, and they both make great pets.
Do snakes change gender?
No, snakes cannot change their gender. However, in a particular species, the red-sided garter snake can emit female pheromones.
Do snakes have both sexes?
No, snakes do not have both sexes. They are either male or female. Snakes, for the most part, reproduce sexually. The male produces sperm, and it is his responsibility to pass it on to the woman. The female snake contains ovules (female reproductive cells) that the male’s sperm has to fertilize.
Do snakes lay eggs?
Yes, snakes lay eggs, They are called oviparous snakes and represent a total of 70%. The other 30% of snakes, just like mammals give birth to live young.
References
Embora Pets – How to Tell the Difference Between a Male and Female Snake?
Snakes for Pets – Are Male Or Female Corn Snakes More Aggressive?
MyPetPython – Differences Between Male and Female Ball Pythons
