Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a male dumerils boa that will be 4 in july.. Currently he is 5 ft 2 inch and 8 or 9 pounds.. He still sheds every 35-45 days ... Is this normal because i herd adults shed about 4 - 5 times per year.. Just wanna know if my boy is gonna be a big boy if i keep feeding it.Need expert... I know u guys know!..

Thanks. Joe

Well, I'd say he has a little more growing to do, but not a WHOLE lot more being a male. Dumeril's tend to max out in size at about 6-7 feet or so, with males averaging somewhat less, and females usually weighing less than 20 lbs. Maximum size attained depends on MANY different factors though, e.g. feeding regimen frequency, size of prey, temperature, and of course the genetic inheritance from the parent animals.

Another reason that snakes can shed much more often than they normally would is due to mite problems, and wound healing. Of course I'm not implying that this is the case here with yours, just trying to explain other possibilities as to why snakes shed excessively, and more often than normal.

Anyway, he seems like he's doing pretty much as expected for his age from what you've said, and from what I can see.

best regards, ~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Thanks for info..Just curious..

is this true of all species there doug?.. my male brooksi is around 4 yrs old and shedding again after only a month... i did a short quarentine and a good soak to check for mites and he checked out ok...and no injuries to speak of
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Lew...