Dumerils Boas are NOT terrestrial

[Dutti]

I have moved my 13 months old male Dumerils Boa to his new big adult enclosure since a month. His new enclosure is 7,20 feet long, 2,60 feet deep, 2,60 feet high. So i provided him with a long tree branch to climb on. And he climbs it almost every night and spends hours happily on it. Who said Dumerils boas are terrestrial? False information

[SDA]

Climbing does not mean arboreal either. I have flow in an airplane, would you call me an aerial species? The designation refers to the majority of their time spent in an area. Terrestrial species spend most of the time in the lower parts of their habitats while arboreal spend almost exclusive time in trees. That does not mean either designated species never cross boundaries.

It would be like building a vastly taller than wider cage for a ball python and using a vertical thermal gradient. While ball pythons can climb into shrubbery and trees, creating a habitat as I just mentioned would be detrimental to their captive health. Dumeril's boas are terrestrial but that does not mean that providing climbing enrichment doesn't benefit them. My rosy boa climbs but if I did not have a terrestrial hot spot he would suffer.

[PythonBabes]

Lol When are you gonna stop ??

[Dutti]

Climbing does not mean arboreal either. I have flow in an airplane, would you call me an aerial species? The designation refers to the majority of their time spent in an area. Terrestrial species spend most of the time in the lower parts of their habitats while arboreal spend almost exclusive time in trees. That does not mean either designated species never cross boundaries.

It would be like building a vastly taller than wider cage for a ball python and using a vertical thermal gradient. While ball pythons can climb into shrubbery and trees, creating a habitat as I just mentioned would be detrimental to their captive health. Dumeril's boas are terrestrial but that does not mean that providing climbing enrichment doesn't benefit them. My rosy boa climbs but if I did not have a terrestrial hot spot he would suffer.

According to your definition of terrestrial and arboreal which is terrestrial species spend most of the time in the lower parts of their habitats while arboreal spend almost exclusive time in trees i would define Dumerils boas as semiarboreal. As i have mentioned, my Dumeril climbs his tree branch almost every night and spends hours on it. That does not sound terrestrial rather semiarboreal.

[Dutti]

So there he is enjoying his tree branch

[IMG][/IMG]

[SDA]

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/282/0

It is usually terrestrial and larger specimens are cathemeral whilst juveniles are mostly nocturnal. It is viviparous and litters consist of 6-13 small juveniles. It feeds on wild terrestrial vertebrates as well as domestic poultry.

More important is this designation:

Systems:Terrestrial

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, the experts, might just know what they are doing.

In case you want to debate more, usually means by definition: "under normal conditions; generally." Meaning something usually terrestrial spends time on the ground under normal conditions.

[redshepherd]

Lol ok so

I swim sometimes for fun. That makes me an aquatic species, am I right?

Young dumeril's do climb sometimes- that's known. Just like MANY young terrestrial species. Once your dum gets older and bigger, they stop climbing altogether. I've removed my branch from my dum's enclosure once she was around 3 years old, because she just burrows under it and never uses it.

And regarding your setup- Where are the hides? Where is your thick substrate? Your setup is honestly terrible for a dumeril's. Dumeril's need hiding places and they are a BURROWING species, not even just a terrestrial species. If you provide them with substrate at least 3" thick, they'll burrow way under and have their nose poking out.

Your substrate is so thin, and your setup is so open.

Tip: Bad setups ALWAYS make snakes behave out of the norm, usually out of discomfort and seeking somewhere better.

[Dutti]

Lol ok so

I swim sometimes for fun. That makes me an aquatic species, am I right?

Young dumeril's do climb sometimes- that's known. Just like MANY young terrestrial species. Once your dum gets older and bigger, they stop climbing altogether. I've removed my branch from my dum's enclosure once she was around 3 years old, because she just burrows under it and never uses it.

And regarding your setup- Where are the hides? Where is your thick substrate? Dumeril's need hiding places and they are a BURROWING species, not even just a terrestrial species. If you provide them with substrate at least 3" thick, they'll burrow way under and have their nose poking out.

Your substrate is so thin, and your setup is so open, there is no doubt all it is doing is attempting to seek somewhere more secure.

His substrate is Aspin and is thick enough for him to burrow himself deep which he does. He has a hide which he uses very often but its not shown in the photo. The photo does not show the whole enclosure. So he is not climbing to feel secure as you have suggested. I don,t think that he will stop climbing as he gets older

[Dutti]

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/282/0



More important is this designation:


The International Union for Conservation of Nature, the experts, might just know what they are doing.

In case you want to debate more, usually means by definition: "under normal conditions; generally." Meaning something usually terrestrial spends time on the ground under normal conditions.

I know that Dumerils are defined as terrestrial. I just shared my experience with my Dumeril which contradict that. I also believe what i can observe and see with my own eyes

[GoingPostal]

My baby dum went straight into a 3'x2'x17" cage complete with a perch and branches, he never went up. My bp uses the space more and occasionally climbs up there when he's hunting so moved the dum into a longer lower cage and the bp into that one. The dum is nonstop buried in the substrate or under a hide, he used to go in a cork log but is too big now.