Wondering about a Dumeril's boa...

[boosh96]

...Not for myself, but for my 9-year old brother. He's been dead-set on getting a snake for his upcoming 10th birthday, for the past year or two. Would a Dumeril's boa be a good choice for him? I haven't asked him very recently, but he seems to have narrowed his choices to a Dumeril's boa or a Coastal carpet python. What do you all think?

[smy_749]

...Not for myself, but for my 9-year old brother. He's been dead-set on getting a snake for his upcoming 10th birthday, for the past year or two. Would a Dumeril's boa be a good choice for him? I haven't asked him very recently, but he seems to have narrowed his choices to a Dumeril's boa or a Coastal carpet python. What do you all think?

Both are pretty large for a 10 year old. I would say stick to a colubrid unless you are planning to do most of the work for him. Or some of the smaller species, like sand boas, BPs, childrens/spotted pythons, etc. But still, I recommend corns or kings for him, and when he gets it down, then you move up the chain.

[RyanReptile]

I agree, both these species can very well exceed 7 foot, a bit large for a 10 year old in my opinion.

[boosh96]

Yeah, I was worried about that. But if we get a baby, wouldn't he be, like, in his teens by the time the snake gets big? I'm not disagreeing, I'm just wondering.

[smy_749]

Yeah, I was worried about that. But if we get a baby, wouldn't he be, like, in his teens by the time the snake gets big? I'm not disagreeing, I'm just wondering.

No he'd be like 11, 11 and a half :P

[moshirimon]

I'd just stick with a corn. Show him a bunch of colour variations and let him pick. Corn morphs are usually pretty cheap

[exwizard]

I have 10 Dumeril's of various stages of development, size and age, some of which I got when they were babies. I can tell you from first hand experience that they are slow growers. If you get a Dum when it is still a baby, there will be several years that go by before it even comes close to reaching it's adult size. If your brother gets this Dum when it's a baby, you can bet that it will be at least 5 years by the time it reaches adult size.

I have included a pair of pics of the same snake, Sabrina, who is cbb 2011. She was one of the "Tinley Park Trio" of Dums I got last October. This first pic was taken of her shortly after bringing her home. The second pic was taken of her this morning for the purpose of showing her progression. She has grown a bit in the last 7 months but not really a whole lot.

The last pic is of Gandalf the Grey. He is a cbb 2008 which makes him 5 years old and this is how big he is now.

If you have any other questions about Dums just let me know. I will be sure to answer you with what I know based on my experience with them.

Also some things to know about Dums include the fact that their temperaments are very calm and the fact that their humidity requirements are not very critical since they do come from the drier more arid areas of Madagascar. Their care is actually quite easy and I would recommend a baby for a good first snake for a 10 year old.

[smy_749]

I still think by the pics, that thats big for a 11 year old with no snake handling experience. Also, why skip to step 2 or 3 when you haven't finished step 1 yet.

I still say corn or king, because while the dumerils may be easy, the corn is easier. While dumerils may be calm, corn is calmer, etc.

Example: Inexperienced and forgets his hand smells like rat, corn snake with the size of a head grabs his hand, or dumerils , both at 1 year of age? He will proceed to panic and probably smash the thing on a counter top....

[exwizard]

That 11 year old will have a year's worth of experience by the time he reaches 11 and a baby Dum which is what he would get at 10 is smaller than the pics I posted. I won't deny that a Corn is easier than a Dum. I have those as well. Either choice would be a good first snake but another thing to consider is at 10 if he isn't happy with the snake he got, no matter how easy it is to take care of, he's not going to take care of it.

[smy_749]

That 11 year old will have a year's worth of experience by the time he reaches 11 and a baby Dum which is what he would get at 10 is smaller than the pics I posted. I won't deny that a Corn is easier than a Dum. I have those as well. Either choice would be a good first snake but another thing to consider is at 10 if he isn't happy with the snake he got, no matter how easy it is to take care of, he's not going to take care of it.

That last point is a good one...honestly, I forgot what its like to be 10 years old. Highschool seniors look about 10 to me now, so I'm all confused.

[Snakesitter]

I agree, I think a baby Dum would be fine for a ten-year-old. Plus, this avoids the common trap of getting a snake an owner does not really "want," which gets shunted aside or rehomed later. Good luck either way.

[Aaron_S]

Juvi or adult corn snake.

No other better option. You know it will be docile and an established feeder.

[boosh96]

I asked him to list his top three, and he included a corn snake. I think I might go that route, especially since you can get a kick-*** morph for dirt cheap.

[Mark Taylor]

Can't go wrong with a corn I love mine he was my first. I quickly got a cb12 bci she is nearly 5' at just over 11 months so they grow quick. Why I like the corn is it is easy to keep and handleable on quite a regular basis I have never heard mine hiss or attempt to bite. The other reason is mine seems to like to climb in his set up he has part of a tree with lots of branches so I get to watch him moving around without taking him out of his ideal environment.:)

[moshirimon]

Yea go with a corn.. I'd stay away from the larger snakes with more specific requirements for a first timer let alone a 10 year old. And corns are very beautiful snakes anyways I'll always have a soft spot for them as they were my first snake.

[totheend]

I think a dum is a good choice too. They are slow growers and are good snakes to keep. I personally love carpets, but babies can be kinda nippy so that could be a put off. If your brother is not interested in corns I would advise against getting one.