2 little pointy things!
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they are the reminence of hind legs from the evolution process and are attached to whats left on the pelvis(though this is under scrutiny). they are said to stimulate the females during mating
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just editiong my post while you were typing yours. I think they are used for stimulation during matingDeano said:
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just checked and the spurs are floating in the tissue. heres a wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_spurs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_spurs
I am not sure if my royal has a problem, but one of her spurs is shorted than the other, and looks more recessed than the other. It looks odd, by comparison, but is it anything t worry about? I mean, is the area around the spur a common site of infection??
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Never knew about these and had a look on mine and he didn't apper to have any.
Do they come with age, or do not all snakes have them????
Do they come with age, or do not all snakes have them????
Spurs:
AKA Vestigial legs, tickling spurs.
Larger on males as the male uses them to "tickle" the female before breeding with her.
Often the spurs on females are so small they are hard to spot as they lie recessed into the surrounding scales.
You do not have to pop a snake to see them as they are on the outside unlike the hemipenal structure which is on the inside and everts when a snake is popped.
AKA Vestigial legs, tickling spurs.
Larger on males as the male uses them to "tickle" the female before breeding with her.
Often the spurs on females are so small they are hard to spot as they lie recessed into the surrounding scales.
You do not have to pop a snake to see them as they are on the outside unlike the hemipenal structure which is on the inside and everts when a snake is popped.
I forgot to mention, using spurs as a way to sex an animal is unreliable at best. Often the spurs don't shed properly and the entire structure comes of rather than just the old skin.
Many snakes have one or both missing as a result of them falling off. Also, while males are usually larger this is not a hard and fast rule, there are exceptions to this rule.
Many snakes have one or both missing as a result of them falling off. Also, while males are usually larger this is not a hard and fast rule, there are exceptions to this rule.
Spurs
The spurs on snakes are used for male to female mating. If you've ever seen one of the species of python or boa, that has large spurs, mating then you'll realise how agressive it can be. The male uses them to get the female's vent into a position where he can slip her a length. They can also be used in male to male combat where they rip each other to shreds. I have seen photos of snakes with very deep multiple wounds from this. So everybody take care to watch any male snakes housed together particularly during brumation, or at certain times of year, or when a female is present.
The spurs on snakes are used for male to female mating. If you've ever seen one of the species of python or boa, that has large spurs, mating then you'll realise how agressive it can be. The male uses them to get the female's vent into a position where he can slip her a length. They can also be used in male to male combat where they rip each other to shreds. I have seen photos of snakes with very deep multiple wounds from this. So everybody take care to watch any male snakes housed together particularly during brumation, or at certain times of year, or when a female is present.
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