Who has a Dumeril's Boa!?

As the title says, who has a Dumeril's boa??? I've talked to a couple of people who have them, and they have said that their Dumeril's is one of their favorite snakes in their collection.

Are they really THAT awesome? :D
I'm going to Repticon in July, and I just have a feeling I'm going to pick one up without even planning to.

I've looked at some care sheets, but most are pretty vague. So what all specifications for husbandry do Dumeril's need?? Also, I have also seen drastic ranges in how big they get..? Some people have said max, 5.5 feet, then some have said 9. I just wanna know some more info from first hand owners. :)

Thanks a ton.
-Jake

Serpant Merchant has one that has a wicked cool pattern! (he insists its just a plain old normal dum though lol):P

If he doesnt comment be sure to drop him a PM!

Mike, he is one of the people I mentioned in the beginning sentences :P haha I've definitely been talking to him

I love my Dumeril's Boa. I have a gorgeous little female. She's pretty good about handling, and has been getting better the bigger she gets. :P I don't think she was handled much before I got her. I love her to pieces though. She thinks she's fierce and hisses at me when I pick her up, but then once she's out of her cage she's a puppy dog. Much more shy than my BCI, but she'll grow out of it. They have similar husbandry requirements to ball pythons actually. My girl prefers the temps to be in the mid-80s. Any hotter than that and she curls up on the cool side. But that could just be her personal preference.

Anyways, here she is. :)

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...x/photo-31.jpg

And one of the new pics I was just about to post actually in another thread...lol.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...MG_1589fav.jpg

I love the smiley on her head. ;)

Well you already know that I have one and love her.

Most will stay in the 5-7 foot range but the largest females can get up to 9 (though 9 footers aren't all that common)

And thanks Mike I've yet to find any info saying that there are any known morphs. I have yet to see a Dumeril's that I thought looked bad...

The best thing about Dumeril's is that they are so calm. I could do just about anything to my girl and she won't react. She moves around and is interesting but does so in a cautious way that is easy to handle.

I don't have one (yet :D ) but I've only ever heard good things about them

Yeah their husbandry is almost identical to ball pythons. So what I might do if i decide to get one, is get a small rack to put my ball and dumerils in (assuming I get a juvenile) then when it gets older, bigger cage.

I keep mine on my juvi bp rack for now. He is about 8 months now and has been amazing since day 1! Always incredibly calm and the kids and company prefer to hold him over any other snake I have! My care of mine has been identical to a juvi ball python so far except that he will always eat!

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Originally Posted by Tfpets

I keep mine on my juvi bp rack for now. He is about 8 months now and has been amazing since day 1! Always incredibly calm and the kids and company prefer to hold him over any other snake I have! My care of mine has been identical to a juvi ball python so far except that he will always eat!

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That's awesome :)
I want to get a nice, small closed aired rack and keep my ball and "future Dumeril's" in :gj: haha

I've heard Dumeril's are veryyy slow growers so that would be great for a rack

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Originally Posted by Trackstrong83

I've heard Dumeril's are veryyy slow growers so that would be great for a rack

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I heard that too...my girl is disproving that. :rolleyes: She's heavier than my BCI who is the same age roughly. She's growing like a weed! She's almost 3 ft long at a year old. :O I have a feeling she's going to be a beast. Especially once she starts to fill out. She's still in that 'skinny' baby boa stage.

Not that I know a whole lot about them, but there seems to be a huge difference between males and females as far as size and growth. I can't imagine mine reaching 2 ft. by the time it's a year old.
I fell in love with them at a show last year. A lady had an absolute monster female around her neck. Very intimidating look and size but it was an absolute sweetheart! I have yet to see one that is anything but friendly!

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Originally Posted by Tfpets

Not that I know a whole lot about them, but there seems to be a huge difference between males and females as far as size and growth.

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That's what I was Thinking. From what I can tell males stay much much smaller

Anatopism has one that is about 6 feet long and shes a beauty you could also pm him and ask a few questions hes always willing to answer any questions. I had one and sadly she passed before long and I have no idea why but I was extremely disappointed because she was one of my favorites. Their pattern and colors are just awesome and I think their easy tempered for the most part. I plan to get another sometime in the near future. Highly recommended. However mine was a picky feeder and would only eat live.

Guys I'm really starting to love these Dumeril's :gj:
I'm only reading good things about them! They also have an iridescent look to them, kinda like a rainbow boa, I didn't know that. Interesting.

Most boas do. So does my BCI. It is definitely cool though. I wish my girl would have cooperated with the camera earlier. I may have been able to catch it. :rolleyes:

Check out this caresheet done by our very own Moonlight Boas.
http://www.moonlightboas.com/care-in...care-sheet.php

His breeding pair is gorgeous. :cool:

My 4 year old male is about 4'-9". Most of the time, I don't have to get him out of his enclosure. I just open the door and hold my hand there, he will usually come right on out and up my arm...

Since I haven't seen her post lately, I'll put up the link to Tiffanys thread with her 7' female...

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...dult-Dumeril-s

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

My 4 year old male is about 4'-9". Most of the time, I don't have to get him out of his enclosure. I just open the door and hold my hand there, he will usually come right on out and up my arm...

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I've heard that they are very personable like to be handled once they're accustomed to it. That's so awesome that your snake loves to be handled lol

and thanks for that link btw. It's crazy because when most people think about a 7 foot snake, they think of something HUGE, but in reality, it's not that large.

This is a good thread as I too became VERY interested in these. Shortly after we got my son his female royal, I went berserk and started reading and researching all the constrictors.

I'm telling myself once the girl we have grows (hopefully 4.5 - 5.5 ft) we'll have all the snake we'll ever want. However, I liked the Dumeril's because they are big, but not too big. I don't ever picture being in a spot where I'd ever be anything but a solo handler unless my son decides to live at home forever LOL.

I was recently at our reptile store and they have a nice pair of male Dumeril's and a female. The female is THICK!! I don't think she's much more than 7 FT, but her girth was impressive. I liked the males as well, and could see owning one. The female seemed to be a lot of snake.


With that said, I also see dwarf/super dwarf retics and burmese popping up here and there,

Having some of those options in mind and the possibility a blood python, has anybody had a chance to evaluate the general qualities and nature of the above mentioned. (dwarf retic/burmese or blood VS Demeril's)

The Dumeril's sounds like a nice snake and with the similar husbandry to the B/P so it may be an easy step up if I ever take the step.

Thoughts just for fun?

Yeah I love the Dumeril's because it's a larger snake, but not too big to where you need two people to handle it. I like thicker snakes as well, and with its temperament, it seems you can't go wrong with a Dumeril's. And since it is such a slow grower, you won't have to worry about getting its final enclosure for a couple of years.

And yeah the husbandry is almost identical to BP's which is terrific!!

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Originally Posted by Gio

Having some of those options in mind and the possibility a blood python, has anybody had a chance to evaluate the general qualities and nature of the above mentioned. (dwarf retic/burmese or blood VS Demeril's)

The Dumeril's sounds like a nice snake and with the similar husbandry to the B/P so it may be an easy step up if I ever take the step.

Thoughts just for fun?

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From the videos and research I have done it is quite common for blood pythons to have a bad attitude however I have seen some that are quite docile and good natured and they have a reputation of eating like a pig. Again I have no personal experience but I have done a ton of reading up on bloods.

But with my experience with dumerils boas they are very gentle and like someone else mentioned they are curious but cautious so they dont tend to move around a lot while holding them like a lot of boas do but which makes them a much easier snake to handle despite their size.

I agree, most bloods I've ever worked with have had quite the attitude, but the biggest one I've ever worked with was a complete sweetheart. So it varies.

I don't think I've read up on and/or heard of anything about an aggresive/nippy Dumeril's ever

I've got three and frankly I'm not that wild about them. Mine seem to be rather nervous/highstrung snakes that refuse to eat most of the time yet have no problem taking a poke at me every time I open their tubs. Of course they're all siblings so it could just be genetics at work. :confused:

Our Dumeril's is the most docile snake in our collection and easily my favorite. Tetra is around 2 years old and well over 5ft. She does require a little more care then my BP or Sinaloan. I think that's another reason why I enjoy her so much.

I would also consider her husbandry a bit more similar to a Colubrid instead of a BP. My gril refuses to use a hot spot over 88F, ambient stays around 80F, and she likes a night drop between 74F - 78F. An increase in humidity during a shed cycle is the only similarity I see between Dumeril's and BPs. They can also be picky eaters. For example, I have to feed ours a P/K rat every 15 days, with the lights off, cage covered, and the food in the hide with her.

If you're willing to give a little extra TLC Dumeril's are very rewarding snakes to own and will quickly become a favorite in anyone's collection.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/DSC_0093.jpg

i picked up my dumerils the same place the serpent merchant picked his up from. awesome lil guys (for the mean time). they have that intimidating look but there sooo chill. mines still a little "flighty" when i try to get him out and the only time hes struck at me was during a feeding which is all my fault. but once theyre being handled theyre like puppies. once its feeding time though...whole other ball game lol. Get one! you will not regret it.

I'm definitely going to be getting one now from all the good things I've heard about them. :gj:

I own two short tailed pythons in my collection as well as a 400g female Dumeril. The dum is sweet and shy but a ferocious eater. Every one I have met has been easy to handle but a little nervous and I have only ever been bitten when I was mistaken for a rat. All short tails very alot, I have one Borneo who is very nervous but getting better with age, and a Sumatran that is sweeter then my ball python. I have read and heard that their personalities very (STPs that is) but that Sumatrans are possibly the calmest of the three species. In my opinion Boas and STPs are my all time favorite.. but for a first time owner.. Boas are def. the way to go. Dums are easy and Iv never seen one I thought was not gorgeous.
P.S look at more boas, there are alot of great things out there. My Orange Dream is the sweetest most beautiful thing ever :) good luck with whatever you choose

Is there a verdict on the average size of a male and female? From what I've read it's been:
Males: around 4-5 ft
Females: around 6.5

Does this sound about right?

I'd say on average:

5-6ft for males

6-7ft for females (but I've heard of and seen bigger)

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Originally Posted by fortoday634

I'd say on average:

5-6ft for males

6-7ft for females (but I've heard of and seen bigger)

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Okay cool thanks. Like I said earlier, perfect size to be impressive, yet not too big where two people are needed to handle it :gj:

What did all of you pay for your Dumerils? I've seen the average price online around 125$.

Does this seem about right?

I got my girl Black Friday weekend...so she was only $75 plus shipping. :D Not sure what the average price is. It will likely be lower at a show.

I paid $99.... $125 seems reasionable.

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Originally Posted by WarriorPrincess90

I got my girl Black Friday weekend...so she was only $75 plus shipping. :D Not sure what the average price is. It will likely be lower at a show.

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Haha gotta love Black Friday :D

And that's good to hear about them possibly being cheaper at shows, because I plan on picking mine up at Repticon in a few weeks.

I payed about 125 for my girl who is a promising red color.

All three of mine were free. A friend of who produced a litter couldn't sell the last three so she gave them to me.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

All three of mine were free. A friend of who produced a litter couldn't sell the last three so she gave them to me.

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Lucky!
Can't beat free snakes. There is a colony of red tail boas breeding in a park in Florida. Everyone is freaking out, but im thinking heck yeah! Free red tails!! Haha

I have a Dumeril's, and like many others, "she" is my most favorite snake in my collection! I say "she" because when I acquired her, I was told the snake was a male. I had an acquaintance who was driving across Canada for a vacation in the summer, and he asked me to take care of David Bowie, the "male" dumeril. He didn't trust anybody else, because everyone he knew had zero experience with snakes or reptiles.

Of course, I said HELL YEAH!! I had met this snake a couple times and he was totally chill; I was in love!

When he got back from his trip though, I guess the living situation had changed (owners wanted to sell the rental suite) and he couldn't find a new place in time that allowed snakes. He said that I could just keep "him" because he knew how in love I was with this snake.

Before I "officially" adopted this snake, it was eating live hamsters & live gerbils. Sometimes, live rats. Needless to say, it took me forever and a day to convert to f/t. BUT David Bowie is now happily eating f/t on a very regular basis. When she was eating live she was quite the explosive feeder, but now that she's on f/t she is very slooooooooooow and steadddddyyyyyyyyy. Typically I just end up leaving the rat on top of one of the hides, and she goes and starts swallowing it. No constriction, no drama, just GUUUUUUUUULP, mmmmmm nummy nummy rat!

This snake is so chill that I regularly "spoon her in my bed, lol. Or on the floor, or watching TV, or pretty much just anything. Today she was resting on me while I was laying down on the floor.

I can scratch her under the chin, or grab her by the head and kiss her, anything really. The most chill snake. And DO NOT underestimate the "colors!" of "normal" Dum's! Mine's got brown, beige, black, white, pink, salmon, etc! So many colors, and so, so beautiful!

Easy to handle, I love her heftiness (not unmaneagable at all, and I'm only 5'!) and I love her disposition. Care is so super easy. I just am in the process of upgrading her to an almost 48" x 24" x 18" cage as well, so I will let y'all know how that goes!

Either way if you're thinking of getting a Dumeril's, DO IT!

How heavy is she? I'm guessing since you are 5' tall and just hanging with her that easily there is no requirement for a second person to assist with handling?

I'd love to give it a go, but sadly I think my son's BP is it for now.

Thanks for the info, I think if there is ever a 2nd snake for this house the Dumerils will be it. Reading that they are endangered makes me want to own a C/B specimen from C/B parents. It would be a shame to see them vanish from their natural habitat.

I am absolutely getting a Dumeril's now at the show in two weeks :)

Can't wait.
I am starting to do animals shows at boys and girls clubs, and pre schools now. Showing things like snakes, beardies, uromastyx, chinchilla, (pretty much everything except dogs and cats) I would LOVE to throw a Dumeril's in there now that I know how calm and chill they are. :gj: Aaron(the Serpant merchant) says he would trust his Dumeril's 100% around little kids...is everyone else's like that too??

I wouldn't say 100%. Snakes can and will bite when provoked. No matter how good natured a snake is, there is ALWAYS the chance it could bite. Nobody could ever be able to guarantee that their snake won't bite.

HOWEVER, I trust my Dumeril's way more than any other snake that I have. As long as you keep the head away from little kids, you should be fine.

I had my Dumeril's out once and my friend and her baby popped by. Bailey is 6 months old and was really enthralled with my Dumeril's. Of course I had my hand around the snake's neck the entire time just in case anything did happen, but Bailey was petting David Bowie like a 6 month old does...sometimes not the most gentle, but I knew she was safe since I had such a good handle on the front end.

Just be careful, take all the precautions you can and you should be good.

Absolutely safety first. I did a show yesterday and I showed a 4 foot longtail boa, I could tell that it was stressed and didn't let any of the kids hold it.

The only time i've ever been bitten by Yo-Landi was during feeding... not Not get between her and a meal.. girl is crazy.

I have a dumeril and love him. He has a beautiful pattern on him, is very social. Just an awesome fella. My best friend has a female who is HUGE, but a real sweetheart as well. I talked to her about breeding, so we may have some babies next year or so. :cool:

Track I got mine for free. :D

The person who offered to sell him to me wanted $40.00 just to get rid of him and $40 for an Amazon tree boa. I called a buddy of mine who has a huge collection of snakes, I offered him the Amazon for $100.00 and thus I got mine totally free and made a small profit. ;)