Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just brought home a pair of yearling dumerils last week. the breeder informed me that the female was a finicky eater. which i have found to be true, she struck at a mouse multiple times but it seemed as if it were defense and not feeding because she never came close to getting ahold of it. i tried killing it for her so there was no chance of it jumping when she striked but the same thing happened. The male ate one live but didnt want anything to do with the pre killed one. anybody have any experience with this or any suggestions should i wait a couple weeks and let her get real hungry then try again? Thanks!!

*Make sure they are housed separately (they are known to eat each other and are stressed anyways when cohabitated).
*Have lots of hide spots and deep substrate (they are ambush predators).
*Make sure your tank is not too big!
*Don't try too hard with the rodents (the presence of a rodent may stress too much)...stick with attempts once or maybe twice a week at night.
*If the breeder said that the snake is finicky, make sure you are attempting the same food item that it was previously eating.
*Make sure your husbandry is up to par.

Good Luck!
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Thanks,
Amy
www.myboids.4t.com
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1.14 Normal ball pythons
1.0 Pastel ball pythons
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milk Snake
0.0.1 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
2.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
1.2 BCI
My list is too long, so I'll stop here!

Has anyone ever had a cannibalism experience with dumerils?? ive read of it only a couple times but never heard of it actually happening. ive seen the pictures of a bci eating a ballpython..... but what about dums? just curious??

Not personally with my snakes as I don't house them together except during breeding season. I keep a good eye on the male at this time, but luckily my girls haven't shown aggression towards him. I know a guy who's buddy was breeding dumeril's and the female ate the male during the breeding season. If you google search "dumerils and cannibalism" you will find loads of stories. Dumerils in the wild have a higher reptilian content to their diet (especially as juveniles) than many other boas do, which is why they are more likely to eat a cagemate than another species. I doubt too that anyone would want to partake in a cannibalism experiment, so I think you'll have to wait on that one!
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Thanks,
Amy
www.myboids.4t.com
----
1.14 Normal ball pythons
1.0 Pastel ball pythons
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milk Snake
0.0.1 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
2.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
1.2 BCI
That's Just The Snakes!

I have a female that I bought when she was 6 months old. I was told she was a finicky eater as well. When I contacted the guy I bought her from he told me to try using a feeding box for her. He said dumerils can be shy and want a place to feed where they feel secure. He told me to use a small plastic storage box that closes securely so she can not escape. I used a hot knife to melt some air holes in it(so the holes would not be sharp) and when it is time to feed her I place her in the box with the rodent and leave. I check on her in an hour or so and 9 times out of 10 she has eaten the rodent.