Yes! New Dumerils Boa!

I got my first Dumerils boa last week. I have lots of other snakes but this is my only boa and he is really beautiful. I wanted a boa that could get large but not monserous. I have worked with a lot of durms over the years and they are always so gentle and so beautiful and never get much over 7 feet so a male durmerils seemed like a great plan.

My one concern was getting him on prekilled mice. I just hate weekly trips to buy mice and I even got my last hold out house snake on prekilled so I was hoping I would not have to go back to weekly trips to Pet Land and driving young mice down that "last long mile".

Well I tried to feed him about 2 days after he got here and he refused but today I put a nice young mouse in his viv all thawed out and an hour later gone. :w00t:

I am really happy about this I guess I got lucky cause I have read so many stories about it being hard to get a baby durm on pre killed.

Now here is the other side, I have a carpet python and he was "nippy" and grew out of it like everyone says. I expected my dumerils to be less nippy but he is beyound nippy he is like a freaking little demon! :devilish:

Anything near his face and especially above his head gets struck at and bit. Doesn't really hurt but he draws blood sure enough, so the wife is freaked out. LOL

I have gone to gloves just to stop bleeding on my stuff when working with him. I have only handled him a tiny bit so far cause he is so new. The day he arrived I took him out and he seemed cool then snapped at my face.

Is this totaly normal for a baby dumerils and how long can I expect to have to work on this guy till he mellows out. I think this guy needs a valium or a qualude or something, :rolleye2:

Here is a few shot of him,

http://www.jackspirko.com/images/sna...dumerils-1.JPG



http://www.jackspirko.com/images/sna...dumerils-3.JPG



http://www.jackspirko.com/images/sna...dumerils-2.JPG


Pretty little demon isn't he?

Handsome little demon! :D

Where did ya get him? He's a knock out! I have three dums and they all were nippy devils as babies but mellowed rather quickly. I love dums!

Guy I bought him from is named Steve Strong up in Kansas. Found him on Kingsnake.com for 75 plus shipping which is such a deal I was concerned a bit but he sells a lot there and no bad thing have popped up on the forums so I figured I would give him a shot.

Shipped right on time and delivered exactly what he promised.

He was only born three weeks ago about how long do you think it will take him to calm down and how often would you recommend handling him to get it done. I am happy to let him sit and not handle him much at all but figure I need to some to get him over his problems.

Oohhhhh he's gorgeous! I love dums!! I don't have any advice for ya, due to lack of experience in that area....but he's a handsome devil, for sure!

Wow! I heard they where nippy snakes, but I got a female and a male from Jeff Hartwig and they are the total opposite. I handle them once or twice a week and they have not even attempted to bite me. I guess they all have their own temperaments. But like we all know, most babies are nippy.

I'd give him one week from the time you got him to let him settle in...Start now if need be. No food, NO handling, and no "peeking" on him all the time. After one week, feed him. Wait another week and then start handling him. He'll be fine. I think he's just got the baby boa napolean syndrome going on.

That is one nice looking snake you got there!

:cool: gorgeus dumerils :D love em to bits.
I would do as jim020cricket says , it always works out for the best that way :)

Well

It isnt like I have bothered him much the day he got here I took him out of the box, he bit me and I put him in his viv. Two days later I tried feeding him and he bit me again but did not eat. Then a week later I fed him and he ate of couse he tried to bite me first so in a week and a half including just putting him into his viv he has been handled three times for a grand total for like two minutes total.

But I will give him till next wednesday till I try handling him again that will be another full week totaly left alone.

Well he has eaten two more PK mice so that is good.

I have only handled him three more times and he has not bitten me once or even struck at me when I go to pick him up those times. So it is better.

However, he now will strike AFTER I put him back into his viv. Generaly I put him down and as I put the top on he strikes at it. Then he gets all pissy and strikes at any movement.

So I guess he is getting "better". I will give him a few more weeks and then will start a daily handling to get him over this before he gets much bigger.

Those little suckers have long teeth! :twisted:

He is amazing!!! I love his colors and pattern. Already starting to burrow in I can see

Yea he spends a lot of time in the Aspen! Took him out tonight for a 1 minute session and he still struck at me but this time all bluff I could tell he had no intent to actually land the bite.

Want to bet soon as I loose the gloves he will get serious again?:frustrate

I am just happy he was so easy to get on P/K rodents and his violent tendencies seem to be in decline. I also have determined gloves seem to be the way to go. I don't get any desire to pull back when he snaps so he never gets pinwheeled, etc.

He's gorgeous! "Napolean complex" - buwhahah! I love boas...they definitely march, er...slither to their own rhythm.

questin: i have alwys been fascinated by dumerils but am hesitant to purchase one because im not exactly sure what their size range is. can anyone help me

i have read in "the art of keeping snakes" that they grow to 4-5 feet but i have read on the net and heard from pet shop boys that they can get to 8 feet.

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Originally Posted by bigballs

i have read in "the art of keeping snakes" that they grow to 4-5 feet but i have read on the net and heard from pet shop boys that they can get to 8 feet.

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You are in touch with the Pet Shop Boys? That is awesome!!

His attitude continues to improve. Now I can handle him and he doesn't stirke and I can put him back in his tub and still no stirikes. For a bit he stoped trying to bite me but right after I put him back in he would strike the top of the viv.

He is getting better and still eating well. I am hoping what ever his issues are they are resolved before he gets much bigger. He still shows rapid breathing some times, a sign of stress, during or just after handling but over all it is looking good.

Most Dumerils are so calm, this guy must think he is a wild Hog Island or a tree boa,

I just got a new Dum baby male last weekend at the reptile show here in Kansas City. He was very calm the first day. Then the next day he was a bit nippy. He has been burrowing in his Aspen as well. He would not eat his frozen thawed mouse. I tried on two separate nights. I just had him out again this morning. He is a feisty little bugger!:taz: He was jumpy and tried to strike me several times and even hissed at me once. We named him Rorschach, which now seems appropriate with his bad attitude, hehe! Everyone I have talked to, says they mellow and calm with age. It sounds as if this truly is the norm for these guys.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steve'O

I just got a new Dum baby male last weekend at the reptile show here in Kansas City. He was very calm the first day. Then the next day he was a bit nippy. He has been burrowing in his Aspen as well. He would not eat his frozen thawed mouse. I tried on two separate nights. I just had him out again this morning. He is a feisty little bugger!:taz: He was jumpy and tried to strike me several times and even hissed at me once. We named him Rorschach, which now seems appropriate with his bad attitude, hehe! Everyone I have talked to, says they mellow and calm with age. It sounds as if this truly is the norm for these guys.

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Yo...this is three years old. Start a new thread :D:D:D