Hello, friends!
I am the proud mama of a lovely 7 month old Dumeril's Boa. I know they are notoriously finicky eaters, so I am thinking a change of approach might be in order. I've not kept a snake in many years (since I was like 14, actually), but I've never had one that did not go into immediate feeding response upon being offered food. I have had her for about 11 weeks now and she has only eaten 4 or 5 times.
This may not be a cause for concern at all, as maybe she's just not hungry and only wants to eat every 2 weeks. It just seems the general expectation for a snake her size is that she should be offered food about every 7 days. I don't want to feel like a horrible mom who is starving her child, but it would be way easier if she could just tell me when she's hungry
I have always fed my snakes live prey, but it seems like a lot of people these days are feeding f/t prey. I know there are a number of valid reasons to choose either approach, but it does seem like it might be easier to offer her f/t prey if she will make the switch. That way, I can leave it in her enclosure for a couple hours and let her eat alone in the dark as she prefers. And then, I wouldn't have to house her cast-off mice until she feels like eating them
Anyone have a preference regarding live/frozen food? Or tips for making the switch? Oh yes, last thing! When I bought her, the store owner told me all three Dums he had on hand were good, consistent feeders who had never refused a meal. In fact, after I held her, he put her back in her tank and tossed in a hopper to show me that she would eat. She attacked it immediately. I have never seen that response in her while in my care. Not even close, actually.
She doesn't really show other signs of being stressed (though perhaps I'm not keen enough to pick up on it yet?). Her cage is definitely bigger than the one she was in at the store, but not tons bigger. Temps are about 91 degrees on the hot side, about 86 on the cool side, humidity is usually around 40-50%. She has 2 hides, a branch, and lots of coconut mulch to burrow under.
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