Dumeril's Boa Not Eating

I've had my Dumerils Boa for exactly a month today. He has not eaten at all.

He's shed twice and hasn't lost weight and is active but refuses to eat. I was told he was eating live hopper mice after being placed in a dark small tub. This is what I've been doing but he just ignores the mouse.

This last time I tried a f/t and brained it but he refused that as well. Does anyone have any suggestions or should I just wait him out?

He is in a 12qt tub with a UTH and a mixture of reptibark and eco earth substrate deep enough for him to burrow. His temps are 78-80 ambient, 86 on the hot side. Humidity sits at a steady 55%. There are two hides but he prefers burrowing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LaggyDucky

I've had my Dumerils Boa for exactly a month today. He has not eaten at all.

He's shed twice and hasn't lost weight and is active but refuses to eat. I was told he was eating live hopper mice after being placed in a dark small tub. This is what I've been doing but he just ignores the mouse.

This last time I tried a f/t and brained it but he refused that as well. Does anyone have any suggestions or should I just wait him out?

He is in a 12qt tub with a UTH and a mixture of reptibark and eco earth substrate deep enough for him to burrow. His temps are 78-80 ambient, 86 on the hot side. Humidity sits at a steady 55%. There are two hides but he prefers burrowing.

---

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How old is your little one? Your temps sound ok to me. Honestly, I’d say just keep offering every 10 days or so. He will give in [emoji6] If he’s already shed twice, he’s definitely growing fast! Nothing to worry about.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Team Slytherin

How old is your little one? Your temps sound ok to me. Honestly, I’d say just keep offering every 10 days or so. He will give in [emoji6] If he’s already shed twice, he’s definitely growing fast! Nothing to worry about.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

Not sure of his age. He is 73g and roughly 12in long.

I figured I'd have to just wait him out. Had to do the same thing with my Hog Island.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LaggyDucky

Not sure of his age. He is 73g and roughly 12in long.

I figured I'd have to just wait him out. Had to do the same thing with my Hog Island.

---

Oh, he’s tiny! They can be really shy, so he might just need some extra time to get used to his surroundings. Honestly, mine has always been a trouble feeder and I let it stress me out way too much. Then I realized, as long as husbandry is good and her body condition is great, she’ll eat when she’s hungry. We’re on a 5 week fast and counting [emoji849]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Team Slytherin

Oh, he’s tiny! They can be really shy, so he might just need some extra time to get used to his surroundings. Honestly, mine has always been a trouble feeder and I let it stress me out way too much. Then I realized, as long as husbandry is good and her body condition is great, she’ll eat when she’s hungry. We’re on a 5 week fast and counting [emoji849]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

Yes, he is a tiny little dude. Both my BP and my Hog were problem eaters when they were young but have luckily grown out of it. My BP's longest fast was 11 months 2 years ago.

This is my troublemaker Donut the day I got him.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/2emhcnn.jpg

I’d bump the heat a bit if it were me. I’ve always heard they like it rather steamy... could be wrong. Im keeping my caye at a 90-91 hot spot and 81 ambient.

Ive always heard boas are fierce eaters. I’m only a month into one but she hasn’t refused a meal yet... yours sounds tiny tho. My girl is 350g so I didn’t have to deal with the early phase.

Please keep us posted

I would bump up the humidity a little. People will tell you dumerils only need 40-50% humidity which from Luna my dumerils, i found was BS. When i kept Luna that low, she was crunchy like a potato chip when i held her and when i would mist her cage, she would crazy and dig in the wet substrate. I keep her around 70-75% humidity along with the boas and she does great. nice supple skin and honestly doesnt seem to care that much about misting anymore.

Are you sure that the snake was eating regular when you got it? Baby dumerils are notorious for being a pain to get eating. Luckily when i got Luna, she was a pig and a fat little baby too. She was about 12 inches when i got her. She would eat any FT mouse you put in front of her. My problem is trying to switch her to rats now.

Just keep trying every week or two. I would personally just try FT, just get it good and warm, fluff dry it and then walk it past the dumerils in the cage. Taking the dumerils out of the cage is probably putting it off food as they tend to be shy to start with and being a baby just makes it worse. I always fed Luna in her cage. Just use forceps and walk the mouse head first towards her when she was buried in ambush mode and she would fly out and snatch it. Then i would slide a piece of cardboard under her and the mouse and let her eat. When she was done, she would usually climb under the cardboard lol.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LaggyDucky

Yes, he is a tiny little dude. Both my BP and my Hog were problem eaters when they were young but have luckily grown out of it. My BP's longest fast was 11 months 2 years ago.

This is my troublemaker Donut the day I got him.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/2emhcnn.jpg

---

Wow! 11 months is enough to give anyone anxiety [emoji23] I’ll be interested to see if bumping humidity is helpful for you. I took Nagini out today and she did, for the first time, feel a little dry. I’m gonna test out Sauzo’s theory! Still amazed at how fat she looks, even though she never eats[emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Team Slytherin

Wow! 11 months is enough to give anyone anxiety [emoji23] I’ll be interested to see if bumping humidity is helpful for you. I took Nagini out today and she did, for the first time, feel a little dry. I’m gonna test out Sauzo’s theory! Still amazed at how fat she looks, even though she never eats[emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

Definitely give it a try with the humidity. I can tell when all my snakes' cages are getting low on humidity as they dont feel as supple and silky. When i keep Caesar and the boas in 80% humidity, they literally are as soft as silk. Almost feels like you could push your finger into them..i know, gross thought but they really do feel buttery soft lol.