How to Tell if Corn Snakes Are Male or Female

Corn snakes are a small species of snake popular as pets due to their docile nature and gentle dispositions. Originally found throughout North America, the corn snake can now be found in various parts of the world due to their popularity in the pet industry. Telling if your corn snakes are male or female can take a bit of work, but knowing gender is important if you plan to breed or house your corn snakes together.

Things You'll Need

  • Magnifying glass
  • Gloves
  • Small probing rod
  • Lubricant
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Instructions

    • 1

      Examine the shed skin of your snake to count the two rows of scales on the underside of the snake from head to tail. Male corn snakes will most often have more than 140 scales while females will have fewer. You can lay the skin out on a flat surface and count the scales with a magnifying glass if they are small.

    • 2

      Remove your corn snake from the tank and hold it gently in your hands. If your snake is easily startled or has not been handled very often, you can wear a pair of gloves to prevent injuries in case you get bitten.

    • 3

      Hold the head of your snake in one and gently stretch it out to uncurl the tail. In male corn snakes, the sexual organs, also known as hemipenes, are located side by side in the base of the tail, which will make his tail thicker and longer than a female̵7;s tail.

    • 4

      Turn the snake over so you can see the underside of the tail and look for the vent. The vent is the small hole at the base of the tail that houses the sexual organs and allows the snake to void its bowels.

    • 5

      Apply a small amount of lubricant to your probe and gently insert it into the vent. In female snakes, the probe will only go in a very small way. In male snakes, the area holding the hemipenes is much longer and the probe can be inserted much further.