Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi.

I posted a couple weeks ago about getting a Dumeril's Boa. Well, we brought him (vet says so) home on a Sunday and he ate two mice the following Saturday (two weeks ago). Last week I thawed and warmed two mice (adult, just like the ones he ate) and he refused them, went and hid in his water dish. OK, fine then. Be that way! This week he "pooped" AND shed! Now, I figure he's gotta be ready now... thawed two mice out... nope. He looked like he was interested, but then kept moving away from them. I teased him but I think he didn't appreciate it. So he didn't eat. I humored myself and offered one to my Ball Python (who is just maybe possibly coming off a food strike since January 1st) and he struck it FAST. Ate it but refused the second one. Well, it was worth a try anyways!

So... any ideas on getting the little Dumeril's to eat something? The pet store said he was eating 2-3 mice twice a week but he has only eaten two mice in the past 2 weeks! He spends his days either in his water bowl (under the basking lamp) or buried in his shavings under his log.

Thanks for any ideas...

Karen & Riley

As far as the hiding goes, welcome to the world of Dumerils boas. lol I've had a pair since 1999 and the only time I see them is when I wave a rat into the cage or when they're looking for one. If he's spending a lot of time in his water bowl, there could be several reasons. First, check him for mites (tiny moving black/brown/reddish-brown specks...basically looks like crawling freckles) - a boa with mites will spend a fair amount of time soaking. Also, check the cage temperatures. If the cage is to warm, he'll spend a lot of time in the water trying to cool off. I've found that my pair do best with a basking spot of around 90F and the low end temperatures around 78F or so. About the only time I see mine basking is right after a meal. If the basking lamp is right over the water bowl, he could be trying to access the lamp but the bowl is in the way. And last, be sure he has enough hides. If he doesn't have a place he feels secure, many snakes will use their water bowl as a good snug hide box.

In regards to feeding, Dumerils boas have a much slower metabolism than redtail boas. He should be offered food every two weeks while a juvenile (one to two prey items) and every 3 weeks or so as an adult (also one to two prey items). Dumerils are prone to obesity when fed like redtails, hence the often heard misconception that they are heavy-bodied snakes...they aren't unless they're overfed. Too much handling can put a snake off feed, and since Dumerils seem to be pretty secretive snakes, the cage being in a high traffic area of the house can stress them and put them off feed.

Best of luck,
Raven