New Dumerils Behavior

[BPGator]

I acquired a 3 month Dumerils this past weekend. I'm letting him settle in and will give him his first meal with me this weekend. He shed yesterday. Here's an overview pic of his tub (12 qt Sterilite)



The aspen is about 2" thick. When I first got him, he spent his whole time on top of the little cardboard hide



But when I checked him yesterday, I found that he had shed and completely buried himself in the aspen. So I figured he was on the hide because he was close to shed. But when I checked on him today, he was back on top of the box.

My understanding is this species likes to be buried, so I'm curious as to why he seems to like being on the box. His temps are good (85 hot/ 75 cool) ambient around 70-72. Humidity is high (85%) but I'm trying to bring it down; no visible condensation. I know the seller didn't feed him last weekend, so he hasn't eaten for a week and a half.

Any thoughts? Is it the environment, is he hungry, something else or is this within the realm of normal behavior? I've considered removing the hide since he doesn't go in it, but he does like being on it.

Here's a post-shed pic just for fun




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[redshepherd]

If he's eating, I wouldn't worry about it. Have you ever seen him go in the hide before? Sometimes they take awhile to figure out that the box has an opening to go in, so I pick them up and lead their head to the hole and let them slither in.

If he's been in it and doesn't go in right now, it's also possible he thinks the hot side is too warm at the moment. My dum often buries herself on the cold side, even when my hot side is also around 85.

eta: Just saw that he hasn't eaten! I'd offer and see how it goes first...

[distaff]

What a beauty!
I want one.

[BPGator]

If he's eating, I wouldn't worry about it. Have you ever seen him go in the hide before? Sometimes they take awhile to figure out that the box has an opening to go in, so I pick them up and lead their head to the hole and let them slither in.

If he's been in it and doesn't go in right now, it's also possible he thinks the hot side is too warm at the moment. My dum often buries herself on the cold side, even when my hot side is also around 85.

eta: Just saw that he hasn't eaten! I'd offer and see how it goes first...

Thanks,red. I'm going to try and feed him Friday. I did see him use the hide once. I had actually moved the box out a few days ago. I then put it back and kind of put it over him. He ended up slithering out and getting on top of the box.

Right now I have two pieces of heat tape (room's a little cold). One side is set to 85 the other to 75. I have a bulb nearby to raise the ambient air a few degrees to his enclosure is around 72. He buried himself in what seemed like between the two pieces of tape. The fact that he's been on the box, in the box and under the box makes me feel like he knows what he's doing. It just seemed odd that the majority of his time is on the box.

[BPGator]

What a beauty!
I want one.

Thanks! The time waiting to let them settle in is so hard. Hopefully he eats this weekend.

[DennisM]

Try a smaller hide. I wouldn't remove a hide if the snake sits on it but not in. He seems to like the spot. I haven't kept Dumerils, but when I see my carpet pythons on top of their hides it's feeding time!

[Sauzo]

My little dumerils girl never uses her hides. If you give them deep enough aspen, they will use that. My girl just stretches out under the aspen with her face poking out of one of many holes she makes in the aspen lol. I would give him something to climb on though. My gal loves to climb around her silk vine at night. You can try and offer him a little mouse. Not sure how big he is but my girl who is about 18" eats a hopper mouse a week and you can tell when she is hungry as she comes out and cruises all over all night lol.

[BPGator]

My little dumerils girl never uses her hides. If you give them deep enough aspen, they will use that. My girl just stretches out under the aspen with her face poking out of one of many holes she makes in the aspen lol. I would give him something to climb on though. My gal loves to climb around her silk vine at night. You can try and offer him a little mouse. Not sure how big he is but my girl who is about 18" eats a hopper mouse a week and you can tell when she is hungry as she comes out and cruises all over all night lol.

He's got plenty of aspen, he just chooses not to bury himself, although he did yesterday and had his head poking out like yours does.

Hoppers, huh? The seller said she was giving him small mice. For some reason I took that to mean adults, so that's what I ordered and was going to try. I got a shipment coming in tomorrow. If they look too big, I'll have to run out and grab something smaller.

Here's another post-shed, better quality pic

[redshepherd]

Here's another post-shed, better quality pic



[/QUOTE]

That is a neat head stamp! (Or whatever they're called in the boa world)
Looks like a japanese spirit gate.

[Sauzo]

He's got plenty of aspen, he just chooses not to bury himself, although he did yesterday and had his head poking out like yours does.

Hoppers, huh? The seller said she was giving him small mice. For some reason I took that to mean adults, so that's what I ordered and was going to try. I got a shipment coming in tomorrow. If they look too big, I'll have to run out and grab something smaller.

Here's another post-shed, better quality pic

Well it depends on the size of your snake. My girl is only about 18" long. A hopper mouse leaves a slight lump which is what you want in a boa. You don't want a huge football like pythons and even for pythons, I'm not too thrilled about it. I fed Caesar a small rat and he has been in his hide for 3 days now lol. He got it down but it looks like he ate a football. I'm gonna drop him back to weaned rats as they left a nice lump but not a huge lump and he was active again in 2 days where as with this small rat, I haven't seen him for 3 days unless I lift up the hide and he is just curled up in there lol. I personally wouldn't worry too much about him kicking on top of the hide. Each snake has their own personality.