Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I received my male Dumerils yesterday and he seems very healthy. He was shipped cross country from Los Angeles to my home in North Carolina and arrived in great shape. I'm not sure of his exact age, but I think he is about a year old. Apx. 4 feet long and he weighs 564 grams. How often should I feed him? What is an appropriate size prey item? I have a quantity of frozen weaned rats (ave weight 50 grams) and also frozen med. rats (ave weight 150 grams.) What would you recommend for his feeding schedule? Should I feed him in his cage or remove him to a feeding box? I'm thinking one weaned rat might be too little for a meal, but is a 150 gram rat too big for him? I've got experience with BPs and corn snakes, but this is my first Dumerils. Advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Congrats on the dum!

my 2 are around the 4' mark (not sure of weight) and eat medium rats from Layne Labs. I usually feed them 1 rat every 2 weeks but I mix it up a little from time to time. Sometimes they'll go 3 weeks without a rat, sometimes they get a rat 2 weeks in a row, and sometimes they get 2 rats in one feeding.

I feed in the cage... usually grabbing the rat by the tail using tongs and shaking it in front of the snake. Dums are known to be "wild" strikers so pay attention to what you're doing because they may miss the rat and come at your hand. I've yet to be tagged by my dums, but there have been some close calls during feeding. You may be able to get away with leaving the dead rat in the cage and letting the dum stumble upon it.
-----
1.1 Argentine Boas
1.1 Dumerils Boas
1.1 Black Milk Snakes
2.3 California King Snakes
1.1 Nelsons Milk Snakes
2.2 Corn Snakes