Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am receiving a new Dums on Wed morning and just had a few questions. Should you remove her from her enclosure for feedings in order not to produce a feeding response? Everything that I have read says that I should leave her alone for the first few weeks so that she settles in. She is a 2 1/2 foot female. Any other advice on the species is great as well. I am not a new snake owner, just new to Dums.

thanks
caimanbite

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I choose to fed my snakes in a seperate container. But with a new Dumerils. What I have done is I feed them in their cage for the first few times. If it looks as though I will not have a problem then I start feeding the boa in a seperate container.
Good luck with your new boa.
Chuck

Even though adult Dumerils are pretty mello, my juveniles can be ravenous when they are hungry. When I didn't have so many boas, I fed my Dumerils in a separate opaque container. Worked well. Now I'm just feeding them in their enclosures and as long as they are aware that I'm me and not a rat- I have little problem with feeding response.
Later-
Matt Schubarth
Pet Nebula

Congratualtions! Enjoy your new Dums.

I would leave her alone for at least a week once you get her. Handle her as little as possible during this time and just let her settle in. After that, you can see how she reacts. Most Dums seem to be pretty easy-going.

With regard to feeding in a separate container, I think it's a personal call. Some people say that feeding separately makes it easier to deal with the snake in its cage at non-feeding times. I feed in the cage because, right from the start, my Dums had a really strong feeding response. Whether in his cage or a separate container, he is intent on his food! It's also common wisdom to avoid handling a snake after it has been fed (could cause regurgitation, also could cause you to get bitten!). I figured it would take some fancy handling to get my Dums from his feeding container to his cage (especially when he got bigger), so I decided just to feed him in his cage. For me, the slight extra effort involved with a separate feeding container didn't give significantly different results.

All snakes should be fed in their enclosure.
From my own personal experience, I just can't see how a snake fed in it's own enclosure will be "tamer" than a snake fed outside of it's enclosure.
What blows me away are the people that feed their retics and burms outside their enclosure. I've owned both. There is no way in hell I would ever be brave enough to do that. LOL!
I will be totally honest in saying that I do feed two of my boas out of their enclosure. It is due to space reasons. I will be getting new tanks in this week to fix this problem. I can't stand feeding them outside the tanks.
I have fed snakes both ways. Time and experience have proven to me that it's MUCH safer for the owner and animal to keep it in it's enclosure. And, once I get my new tanks.........I will only feed this way.
I have heard to "tails" of how your snake will be more prone to a feeding response if you feed in the tank. I once even somewhat believed it. But, I did question it. I have not found this to be true with any of my animals that I feed in their tanks. I have had some VERY aggressive feeders as well. The retics and burms come to mind first. A few of my boas are either a match...Or, close to their feeding response.
What are the pros to feeding outside the cage?
Personally, I can't find any. I don't believe in the feeding response tail. (I could possibly see it if your boa is not handled a lot. Mine get handled a lot more than they are fed.)
What are the cons?
1)Possible regurgation
2)Stressing the animal
3)You are a lot more likely to be bit this way than the other. I have been struck at more times feeding outside cage. I have almost been nailed quite a few times. I have never been struck at with an animal inside the cage. I feed them.......And, then I leave them alone. The opposite is true with outside feeding. You snake is still surrounded by the smell of prey. If they are anything like mine.....They are looking for more food. And, their conditioned response is the opening of the rubbermaid for their prey item.
4)What are you going to do when this animal hit 6 feet or more? Transferring a snake just gets more dangerous with time and size.

Now, with Dumerils. My experience with them is only slight. But, I have owned one. Mine use to be a picky eater when it was a baby. If I even thought about feeding her outside her enclosure.......She would have gone off feed. Once she hit 4 feet......Feeding never became an issue. But, this is pretty common with Dumerils. They can be fussy as babies. The last thing you really want to do is move them around during feeding time. Mine did much better with in tank feeding. Again, I never had any issues with aggression.

There are always exceptions to the rules. Life generally is never black and white. To further illustrate my point. I have over 30 boas in my house right now. Other than the two that are fed in seperate containers.......The rest are fed in their tanks. Not one of these boas is agressive twords me when I reach into the tank. And, if they do happen to be having a bad day. I have my snake hook to remind them what I am doing. (Everyone should own a snake hook.)
So, enough of my ramble. My word is not law of course. This is just my experience. I believe firmly in this. And, I try to resond to these because I do feel it is a safety hazard sooner or later.
Take care. And, have fun with your new Dumeril. THEY RULE!!
John
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"To be the best..........You must lose your mind."

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I agree 100% IMO removing an animal from its cage to feed it is just foolish. The only thing John forgot to say is feed mode, you got a 6ft snake in a rubbermaid, the thing is surrounded by food smell in feed mode ready to slam anything and someone wants to stick there hand in there? To each his own I guess, I wouldnt some of these people doing that may get away with it for a while but sooner or later will get railed,

I have a 2ft pair of midwest snake tongs I use. I wlk through my room with the tongs and they are slamming the glass, they see tongs and know its dinner time, other wise they are fine, best of luck
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Jason & Danica
Don't wanna wait 'til tomorrow Why put it off another day? One by one, little problems Build up, and stand in our way. Oh One step ahead, one step behind it Now ya gotta run to get even Make future plans I'll dream about yesterday, hey! Come on turn, turn this thing around (Right now) Hey! It's your tomorrow (Right now) Come on, it's everything (Right now) Catch your magic moment (Right now) Catch your magic moment Do it right here and now Do it right here and now, IT MEANS EVERYTHING (Van Halen, Right Now)

So am I still waiting for this world to stop hating/Can't find a good reason, can't find hope to believe in/...You can't change the state of the nation we just need/ some motivation...So am I still waiting for this world to stop hating(Sum41 Still Waiting)

Classic Dums frozen feeders

I have always fed my dumeril in her cage. Live and prekilled. She never ate any substrate or had any in her poop. Of course she is only 5 1/2 months old so I can't say she never will, but she is eating prekilled now so I think there is less chance of her eating substrate now than when she ate live.
I think an ambush hunting animal like a dumeril would be less likely to feed in the open in a container, especially a picky one. Though I never had a problem getting mine to eat, except the prekilled mice twice, and I was doing that wrong so it is my fault not hers.
Mine doesn't associate opening the tank or my hand coming in with food. I open the tank everyday to change water, take her out, or fix the probe for the thermostat.
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Tim W.
http://tsw.f2g.net