I ask because last summer, we were "snake-sitting" our friends male Dumeril's boa, David Bowie.

They went on a 1.5 month roadtrip across Canada (SO JEALOUS) however when they got back, something had happened with their housing situation, and they could no longer care for him. They knew I was IN. LOVE! with this snake, and decided to let me keep him since they knew I would provide him with the best of care.

He is just the biggest puppydog ever, with GORGEOUS colors. I have not been able to capture his colors with a camera yet, but I think he's due for a photoshoot soon! He's got browns, greys, pinks, speckles, he's got it all.

But ANYWAYS, the reason I ask is because right now, he is housed in a 55 gallon aquarium.

He had been eating live for his entire life, and I have FINALLY managed to switch him to f/t. It only takes a good blowdrying of the rats to get him to eat them...but I hope to wean him off the blowdryer one day! But since using this method, he is eating a lot more steady than he was on live.

Now since I got him I just took their word for it that he was a male. Never really bothered to look into it, as he's a pet only, and I don't ever plan on breeding Dumerils.

I'm just concerned that if he is indeed a female, I'm going to need to get much bigger housing for him (because I assume he's going to start growing like a weed on his new feeding regime) or perhaps rehome him.

Can any of you tell me how to figure out weather he is a male or female? I've read that males will have spurs.

I breed ball pythons, so I know what spurs look like. He doesn't really have any, though he does seem to have teeny tiny places where spurs might be. I know with ball pythons the spurs can shed off into almost nothing. Could this be the case with him?

I am going to get some photos of his cloaca area later on, I just need Dave to help me hold him!

Thanks!

PS - Pics!

here is David and David:



and me and David:



and David playing in the park: