Ball python a few questions

Question

I just picked up a ball python,the person said it was 2 yrs old , is there any way too tell? When I got him he must have just shed but it didnt all come off, there are still patches of old skin on his back. I gave him a bath that got rid of some of it . but he didnt seem to like it much .I had too do it in the sink (no bath tub ) and he kept trying to get out.I have a bark like hide spot ,that I put close too tank sides in hopes when he came out the rest would peel off,it has not yet.How can you tell the s*x of a snake?He also has not gone in his bowl , i saw him drink not long after i fed him other that that he has stayed in his hide spot as far as i know.I know that mostly come out at night so I might not see him in it .any help would be great.Thanks Gary

Answer 1

all you can do for age is guess. sexing must be done by a reptile vet which mine does for $12. if its your first bp read the care guides you can find on google.

Answer 2

do not worry about him shedding but give him a somewhat rough rock for him to rub off.

well if your snake is over 1 meter  he is over 1 year old

Answer 3

By the age guestimate, the only way to know s*x would be to have it probed because he's too old to be "popped". There's really no way to know for sure the age, other than over 3 feet its at least over a year. Not knowing how it was treated (which can effect its growth rate) really doesn't help a whole lot either. The skins not a big deal. Let him have a place to soak and keep his humidity right and it'll be gone soon enough. Feel free to message me if you have anymore questions. ^_^