Dumeril's Boa: Rookies

[metzgered]

Hi,
Our 8 year son (wants to be a herpetologist) old met and handled a Dumeril's Boa yesterday and has since been very excited about possibly having a pet snake. We have plenty of pets (6 cats + 45-50 African Cichlids), but no reptiles. I'd appreciate any advice on the subject, including:
Yes/no decision on having a Dumeril as a pet for an excited 8 year old (his much older brother had a few snakes in the house while growing up)? How does one maintain the very high temperatures (75-90 degrees mentioned on some pet care sites) in a normal house/basement (a small heater in a sealed aquarium/terrarium?)? General temperament? Type/size of container? Specific humidity requirements (and how maintained in a normal home environment)? Feeding options? Need for a separate (to reduce routine biting) container for feeding versus normal keeping? Required care while we go on a week long vacation? Internet source for answers to some of these questions? Other?
Thanks in advance for your help,
Father of a future herpetologist

[Bluzmn59]

The following is fairly comprehensive, straightforward, care guide for Redtail Boas, but the information would also apply to Dumeril's. My only concern is that you realize that these animals can live for 20 - 30 years if proper husbandry is observed. Please be prepared for it.

http://www.redtailboas.com/general_care/general_care.html

I hope this information helps.

[Jay_J]

If you want a good beginner snake I was told Ball python, Well on my first fall season I paniked. They could stay off food for months at time. Making your first reptile experence a bad one. A corn snake would be ideal. They eat they grow. A Dum is a good snake that getts large not huge, but big. Weigh your options. find out what is available in your area and ask questions. I have an assortment of snakes and they are all on there way but at the start of every snake you will find your problems. Good luck. An eight year old should never handle a full grown Dum by hisself "recipt for disaster." Look for a Captive bred Ball python you have seen eat or see a large lump. If the are scratchs or scars don't buy wait it out. There will always be another snake I learned that.

[NocturnalBC]

Everyone has a snake that works best for them but maybe not work for others. You should ask your self 2 questions before you even start

1) How big of a snake do you want
2) How much money do you want to spend on a snake

Once you have answers to those, then spend a few weeks on the net doing research on what snake bests fits your needs and how too take care of it. Every snake has different care needs so it's impossible to give you a general care list. It's good to ask others for personal opinions and advice but when it really comes down to it, you need a snake that best fits you and your situation.

As far as my opinion on Dum's, I'd say it's a great snake but is a little big as a 1st snake for anyone, especially for an 8yr old child.

[paulsreef]

Exo-terra, Zoomed and others make heat pads for snake enclosures. The heat pad adhears to the outside bottom 1/4 of the enclosure. The desired heat can be regulated with a thermostat, also available at the pet shop. You want a warm end and a cool end. A water bowl in the enclosure with provide humidity. To regulate humidity the number of air holes will have to be determined for the the particular snake you are keeping. Rubbermaid containers with locking lids are great for snake keeping; additional clasps must be added to the lid to prevent the snake from popping the lid off. Snakes are great escape artists, take the time to make the enclosure escape proof, but simple enough for an 8 year old to work. Specialty snake enclosures with sliding glass doors are also available, especially if you decide to go for a Boa.

[fErReTs]

Well there are many great sites on the internet on Boa care . If this is your first snake I don't know if a Dumeril's would be the best first snake , although it is different for everyone . These snakes may not get huge but they are still a large heavily bodied snake, they can live upwards of twenty years and need a medium/large enclosure . They eat larger more expensive prey compared to a corn snake and they are a bit expensive to purchase . Just do lots of research and think ahead and all should be good . Some snakes I would recomend other than a Dumeril's would be cornsnakes , king snakes , spotted pythons and ball pythons just to name a few . It really depends on what you want , but if you have your heart set on a Dumeril's go for it , just know what you are getting into first and have everything set up . Well good luck and hope all goes well for you .

[tonyj]

If an eight year old is to be left in sole charge of the husbandry needs of any pet, then even a goldfish could become a major problem.

If however this is to be a 'joint venture' with the eight year old being the 'official' owner of the snake and the parents overseeing and assisting on an ongoing basis with the general upkeep, maintenance and protection of the snake, then I dont see a problem in acquiring a Dumeril's boa.

I totally agree that a Dumeril's is one of the medium to big boas, reaching five or six feet and even seven feet on occasion, and that an adult sized Dumeril's would be too much for a small child to handle without the assistance of an adult, but remember it does take two or three years for a well fed snake to reach those sizes, and the owner meanwhile has also grown and gained valuable experience.

As mentioned previously the Dumeril's is a great snake. It is a very beautiful snake as well as being one of the most laid back and good natured snakes.

Dumeril's can can be treated similarly to other terrestrial boas and do not have any unusual and special husbandry needs. They also tend to be a little more active and less shy than a Ball Python, but are not as 'squirmy' and 'wriggly' as many other popular snakes.

I currently have 2.2 Dumerils, ranging from four and a half feet to just under six feet in length. They are all quite chunky; not fat, but chunky.

Each of them is totally trustworthy around small children (2 year olds and up) and I would have no reservations in recommending a Dumeril's boa to 'metzgered' as a first snake, providing all the husbandry needs of the snake are met.

The only proviso is that there must be an adult who will ultimately assume responsibility for the well being of the snake, and to assist in the general husbandry needs of the snake. That would of course be the proviso for any pet bought for an eight year old, even the goldfish I mentioned earlier.

Good luck metzgered ! You can make the Dumeril's into a win-win situation if thats what you really would like, but it will take a team effort I'm afraid.

[jkitchens1980]

I totally agree with tonyj.....couldn't have said it any better. Good luck w/ whatever you decide on.........

[metzgered]

Thanks to all of you for your time and insightful replies. We'll make the decision on yes/no and which type of snake with much better information than we had previously.
Have nice Thanksgiving,
Metzgered

[Joe Kerekes]

I don't think a dumerils boa is a good first snake. I've kept them and bred them for the last 10 years.
I really think they are a great snake and arn't aggressive at all, also they don't seem to fix on one pray item or go off food for long periods of time.
The reasons I don't think they make good first pets are as follows, as new borns they can be very,very hard to get feeding and some people will sell them before the are really in the feeding zone. This can take many months and sometimes even after a meal or 2 they stop eating and in the hands of someone new to the hobbe this usually means death of the snake.
Dums can get 7+ feet for female and push the scales over 20 pound, too big for an 8 year old and too big for someone starting out with an 8 year old.
The other thing is they are ambush predetors, and will usually strike first and find out what they have in their mouth later. This behavior seems to get stronger as they get older.
Another thing I'd like to say is, any pet you get a child under 12 you have to realize that you will be the one resonsable for its feeding, cleaning, health, in short its life.
If you want a first snake, and I think you won't regret having it, look into corn snakes kingsnakes, stuff like spotted pythons,Colombian rainbows, really anything that stays small and make sure its a good feeder!
Remember do your homework and ask a lot of questions.
Piers

[Joe Kerekes]

OPPs I have Joes tower, mine died but it seems I'm comming up as Joe.
Piers Leroux
guppyranch@uniserve.com
:medpirate

[tonyj]

Piers, I have to agree with all you have said, but wish to offer a couple of comments in reply to your post, and why I still think that a Dumerils boa is a good choice for a first snake, all other husbandry matters having been taken care of.

Firstly, a Dumerils bought from a reputable breeder and not from any other source, would normally be eating routinely, whether it is feeding on smaller f/t mice, rats or whatever, before being sold. Therefore I feel that feeding should not be too much of a problem at that point.

Breeding; It may be four or even five years before our newly acquired Dumerils is ready to breed, assuming of course that our 8 year old, who would now be 12 or 13 years old, wishes to breed his snake, and of course that he has found a suitable and compatible mate for his snake.

Anyone who has 'cycled' the snakes and prepared them for a successful breeding, has in my opinion achieved some degree of experience, and would hopefully be able to overcome any difficulties arising from the reluctance of neonites refusing to eat on demand.

These are just a couple of thoughts which I feel remove some of the hurdles in a young herper who wishes to own a Dumerils boa, owning one.

I still say 'go for it'.

Incidentally I own a number of Dumerils including a pair which I believe originally came from you. I bought them from Joe Kerekes.

This is a good looking pair which I hope to breed, possibly in the next year or so. I am not 100% sure of their ages, but I would estimate them to be at least 4 years old, based on appearance and what Joe told me when I picked them up in beautiful downtown Mission last Spring.

They have both grown into robust specimens; mind you they weren't exactly tiny when I bought them. They are both blessed with amazing temperaments, as are my other Dumerils, and have no feeding issues whatsoever.They do have their own individual preferences however, the male refusing anything but f/t bunnies, and the female eating nothing but f/t rats.

Piers if you can recall this pair and you know their approximate dates of birth or indeed anything else which may be of use or interest, I would love to hear from you, privately or otherwise.

Thanks Tony P.

[Piers]

Hey Tony, If they are the pair I'm thinking of they are about 3.5-4 years old. I'm pretty sure that the male isnt related to the female. I seem to recall Joe traded males with Henry Piorun and the father of that male isn't related to any Canadian stock, possibably any U.S. stock either.
My dumerils always seem to give birth around mid to late July. I can't tell you more than that, Joe had them longer than I did.
You can always email me at guppyranch@uniserve.com if you think of anything else you want to ask me.
Piers

[Joe Kerekes]

Piers,
I did trade the male from the pair you produced For an unrelated male From Brad Mc Donald but produced by Henry Piorun.

[tonyj]

Thanks to both Piers and Joe for your answers.

I'm not sure now if I'm more clear or more confused on what I actually received from Joe last Spring. I do know that Joe told me that Piers had been the original owner of these snakes, or at least that is what I thought he told me.

Any further clarification on the background ot these two handsome snakes, I'm sure that between you, you can help to clear the picture a little?

Did Piers breed the female and Henry breed the male?

Thanks guys, as I say they are a good looking pair. Any information would help of course.