my dumerils boa

[Mikoh4792]

Nice looking boa and cage. But it looks like the water bowl is taking up much of the hotside, and judging by the distance of the lamp to the floor of the enclosure, how do you provide a hot enough basking spot while still providing a cooler area? I'd imagine temps are pretty much the same throughout the cage.

[Reddog]

I can physically feel with my hand a difference in surface temperature. Now do you think that it would be better to use a heat pad for this enclosure or are you saying that this enclosure is useless?

[sweatshirt]

Nice dumerils!!

[TeaNinja]

i doubt anyone would have reason to make up another age but that is just crazy to me that he isn't that big. i thought they got to at LEAST 5 or 6 ft full grown and it should definitely be full grown by 10 years. i got both my dums from craigslist with no ages so i'm just assuming, but i know my male wasn't quite full grown when i got him and he's reaching what i suspect to be full grown so i'd guess he's in between 4-7. watch the snake over the next year and see if he does much growing. if he doesn't, then he's probably just a slightly smaller full grown :P he has some sweet color tones it looks like.

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Reddog

I can physically feel with my hand a difference in surface temperature. Now do you think that it would be better to use a heat pad for this enclosure or are you saying that this enclosure is useless?

I think a heat pad would be better in creating a localized basking area.

I can't doubt you since I am not there examining the cage, but in my experience using different sizes of heat lamps and enclosures, I'd have to assume that the gradient is very small.

[marvelfreak]

Originally Posted by TeaNinja

i doubt anyone would have reason to make up another age but that is just crazy to me that he isn't that big. i thought they got to at LEAST 5 or 6 ft full grown and it should definitely be full grown by 10 years. i got both my dums from craigslist with no ages so i'm just assuming, but i know my male wasn't quite full grown when i got him and he's reaching what i suspect to be full grown so i'd guess he's in between 4-7. watch the snake over the next year and see if he does much growing. if he doesn't, then he's probably just a slightly smaller full grown :P he has some sweet color tones it looks like.

Zak I have seen people add a couple years to the age of a snakes so they can say it's a proven breeder just to try and get more money out of them.

[TeaNinja]

oh yeah, i can definitely see that if he was sole AS a breeder and not as a pet. if that is the case they could just be blowing smoke up your *** and selling you a 4 year old male saying it's a 10 year old breeder.

[exwizard]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

I think a heat pad would be better in creating a localized basking area.

I can't doubt you since I am not there examining the cage, but in my experience using different sizes of heat lamps and enclosures, I'd have to assume that the gradient is very small.

I agree with this. Black Betty's Neodesha is set up for a heat lamp on top, but I'm not using one for her. Instead, I have 2 11" flexwatt heat strips on the left side of her cage. This way, she gets her heat gradient without a heat lamp drying the air out.

Originally Posted by TeaNinja

oh yeah, i can definitely see that if he was sole AS a breeder and not as a pet. if that is the case they could just be blowing smoke up your *** and selling you a 4 year old male saying it's a 10 year old breeder.

I've actually seen both sides of this. The "breeding" trio that we got 3 years ago was sold to us at a reptile show from a guy who acquired them on another snake deal and he said they were 8 years old then. If that were the case, that would make Black Betty 11 years old now. She was 9' long then and 9' long now. However, it's hard to imagine a 9' Dum at 8 years old. I suspect she's older than that. Her color in addition to her size indicates that.

Reddog, I believe you when you say your Dum is 10 years old. He's still a decent size even if he is a little small. Males don't get very big anyway. Avg. size is generally between 5'-6' and if he's a pet, then there's no reason to exaggerate his age anyway. He's very pretty and I can see how he would make you proud to have him.

[smy_749]

That is a huge dum...

[Reddog]

Originally Posted by marvelfreak

Zak I have seen people add a couple years to the age of a snakes so they can say it's a proven breeder just to try and get more money out of them.

I got the snake a tank and 6 l xl rats with him for a really good price i dont the little old lady was tring to hustle me. He is older than teen years old she keep him for a pet mainly and said she no longer could give him the attention he needs.

[Reddog]

And exwizard black betty is a beast. Yea the only thing that concern me was his age but she ensured me with proper care he will live much longer.i new before i went over there that he was around 4 foot long just thought sence he was a male he was just a little under standard for size any way weigh him he is a whopping 8.10 lbs didnt think he would weigh that much for only being four foot or so still cant get a proper length.

[exwizard]

If he's 8-10 lbs. I'd say he's closer to just under 5'. Popeye, my male from my that same trio is 5 1/2' and 12 lbs. He is the avg. size for a 11 yr. old Dum.

[rocknhorse76]

Originally Posted by exwizard

If he's 8-10 lbs. I'd say he's closer to just under 5'. Popeye, my male from my that same trio is 5 1/2' and 12 lbs. He is the avg. size for a 11 yr. old Dum.

Yeah, he looks closer to 5' to me too. My male is about 4 years old, just over 6' long, and about 10 lbs.

Here he is on a king size bed:



Next to a pop can for reference:




And with me:

[exwizard]

Are you sure he's over 6'? He looks healthy enough but at 10 lbs. my guess would be he's just over 5'. Again, I'm using Popeye as a reference. He is 5 1/2' and 12 lbs.

[rocknhorse76]

According to the string and tape measure, he's just over 6'.