Dumerils Boa How Long Does It Take to Have Babies

The Dumeril's boa is a medium-sized snake native to highly vegetated, dry forests in Madagascar. Information technology has a thick-set body with a light to dark brown coloration, and tin can abound up to eight feet long.

Dumeril's boas are easy to intendance for considering they're non-venomous and require minimal care. Many beginner reptile hobbyists confuse Dumeril's boas with Madagascar ground boas because both snakes are ground-dwelling and endemic to Madagascar.

Table of Contents

Dumeril's Boa Overview
- Origin
Advent and Behavior
- Size and Lifespan
- Temperament
Housing Dumeril'south Boas
- Enclosure size
- Lighting
- Temperature and Humidity
- Substrate and Decoration
- Cleaning
Dumeril's Boa Care
- Nutrient and Water
- Handling
- Mutual Health Issues
Breeding
Choosing and Buying a Dumeril's Boa

Dumeril's Boa Overview

Common Name(s):	Dumeril's boa
Scientific Name:	Acrantophis dumerili
Natural Habitat:	Dry forests in Madagascar
Developed Size:	Upwards to eight feet long
Average Lifespan:	Up to 20 years
Diet:	Carnivore
Housing:	Large terrarium more than v feet long
Experience level:	Beginner to intermediate

Origin

The Dumeril'southward boa (Acrantophis dumerili) is native to dry forests in Southwest Republic of madagascar. This species is not accustomed to the highly humid atmospheric condition typically associated with rainforests in Madagascar.

Southwest Republic of madagascar is moderately dry and certain areas are ripe with newly introduced tree species', dry forests, and villages. The Dumeril's boa lives in these areas, and isn't frightened of homo disharmonize or other basis-dwelling animals in its native expanse.

Dumeril'due south boas are classified as "endangered" in the wild, which is one of the reasons why these snakes are a popular pick amongst reptile hobbyists. hese boas are likewise popular considering of their not-venomous status, so if you get bitten by one, you'll only be left with a scar.

Appearance and Behavior

The Dumeril'south boa is a medium-sized serpent with a stocky, thick-set body and a green, red, brown, and peach coloration that camouflages it in the wild. This serpent is an ambush predator and volition sit still and wait for casualty. An adult Dumeril's boa sleeps during the solar day and spends most of the dark awake.

Males and females await similar at offset glance. However, females are usually larger than males. These snakes are hard to sex, just there are some signs to await out for. Females take thin tales with a gradual taper, whereas males accept thick tales with a sudden taper.

Size and Lifespan

Adult Dumeril'southward boas grow up to eight feet long in captivity, although it'southward mutual for wild snakes to accomplish 10 feet long. These snakes have a long life under the correct captive conditions, and yous can look good for you snakes to live for upwardly to 20 years or more than.

Temperament

Dumeril'due south boas are at-home and peaceful snakes. These docile reptiles accept peaceful dispositions, but some tin become aggressive and agitated if you don't respect their personal infinite.

Male Dumeril'due south Boas are territorial around other male snakes, so housing your ophidian lonely is the all-time mode to prevent territorial beliefs.

Experienced reptile keepers volition find information technology easy to handle Dumeril's Boas. If you're a beginner hobbyist, you should take care while handling your snake. You should put your Dumeril's Boa back into the terrarium if it starts to bear witness signs of irritation because the snake may bite you if you lot overstep its boundaries.

Housing Dumeril's Boas

Dumeril'southward boas have uncomplicated housing requirements. These snakes thrive in dry, highly vegetated regions of Republic of madagascar. The Dumeril'due south boa'southward natural habitat includes trees and low-lying vegetation, and this boa oftentimes lives in and around villages and a few man-made buildings. You should replicate the Dumeril's Boas natural habitat to continue your snake happy and healthy.

Invest in a large terrarium that is at least five feet long. Dumeril's boas are terrestrial reptiles that require plenty of basis space to roam in, which makes the substrate more important than the terrarium'south vertical infinite.

Place a hide box in the terrarium to give your Dumeril'southward boa a place to hide and balance. Besprinkle sticks of various sizes around the enclosure so that your snake tin explore its enclosure and climb to higher than footing level.

Collect leaves that oasis't been chemically treated during autumn and scatter them around the Dumeril's boa'south enclosure. Snakes similar exploring new scents and textures, and leaves are cracking seasonal toys for your ophidian.

Enclosure size

Keep your developed Dumeril's boa in an enclosure that is five feet long, two feet wide, and one pes alpine. Juvenile snakes can live in pocket-size two anxiety past two feet enclosures, simply Dumeril's boas are fast growers and will likely outgrow such an enclosure.

Large enclosures are hard to find. However, as long every bit the terrarium has a removable lid with air holes, and is made of hard plastic or clear glass, and so the enclosure is suitable for Dumeril'south boas.

Lighting

You should use daytime heat lamps or fluorescent bulbs in your Dumeril's boa'due south terrarium. Dumeril's boas don't take specific lighting requirements, but you should provide them with a 12 60 minutes mean solar day to night natural lighting bike. You can install a timer to manage your snake's light cycle and foreclose disturbing their routine.

Temperature and Humidity

The Dumeril's boa needs a basking spot and shaded area in the enclosure. Yous should keep the temperature in the shaded expanse constant and at 80°F. The basking spot should exist located at the reverse end of the terrarium from the cool spot, and must stay between 85 and 87°F.

Employ heating pads to go along the temperature in the basking spot constant, and measure the temperatures in the cool spot and basking spot daily.

Like most reptiles, Dumeril's boas shed their skin. The humidity and moisture levels in the terrarium can help or hinder the shedding process, so monitoring these parameters daily is vital for the snake'due south health.

Keep the humidity in the terrarium between xl and 60 percent. Never let the humidity levels become higher than threescore per centum. our snake could develop serious respiratory conditions from an overly humid environs.

Substrate and Decoration

The best substrate for a Dumeril'due south boa terrarium is a DIY mix of 60% organic topsoil and 40% sand (ideally play sand). This is a cost-constructive substrate option that is readily available at most reptile stores for a reasonable price.

Avoid lining the enclosure with a rough gravel substrate. Dumeril'south boas like to play in the substrate, and gravel can cause these snakes serious injury and volition cease them from roaming freely in the enclosure.

Dumeril'south boas don't demand bedding, rocks, or caves in their enclosure. Nonetheless, yous should place a hide-box in a shaded corner of the enclosure, and a big water bowl for your serpent to breast-stroke and drink from.

Line the enclosure with leaves and sticks, and decorate the enclosure with small trees and then that the Dumeril'due south boa can explore dissimilar areas of the terrarium. The Dumeril's boa is an intelligent ophidian and needs to exist stimulated with activities, and then make certain your snake has enough of leaves to play with.

Cleaning

The best production to utilise to clean a Dumeril's boa terrarium is vinegar diluted with water considering vinegar is natural and non-toxic. Remove the substrate and any decorations, and wipe down the walls with the diluted vinegar and water solution on a monthly basis.

Spot-cleaning the terrarium is of import and you should exercise this equally and when you run into dirt, leftover food, or soilage. A Dumeril'south boa'due south enclosure can get dirty apace, which volition exit a distinct and unpleasant smell in and around the terrarium.

Never apply bleach or other chemical cleaning products to clean a Dumeril'southward boa enclosure. These chemicals are toxic and tin kill your pet.

Dumeril'southward Boa Care

Dumeril'due south boas are piece of cake to care for and have minimal care needs. These boas are low-maintenance and only need a comfortable, large enclosure with access to food and h2o to thrive.

Food and Water

Dumeril's boas eat mice, rats, chicks, small rabbits, gerbils, and hamsters. These snakes thrive on a varied diet. Feeding Dumeril's boas according to their size and age is essential.

Juvenile Dumeril's boas are still growing, which means they should eat every 14–20 days, whereas adults are no longer growing and should be fed every 21–28 days. You should feed hatchlings and snakes smaller than three feet long every vii days.

Equally a rule, Dumeril'southward boas should eat food that is as wide as the widest part of the snake'due south body. Prey that is smaller than this will exit the snake hungry, whereas big prey could be regurgitated and can leave your snake uncomfortable and agitated.

Treatment

Dumeril'southward boas tin can be handled, but yous should handle your boa with care to avoid stressing or harming the ophidian. Here are some tips for treatment Dumeril'southward boas:

Remove the snake from the enclosure using a claw, not your hand.
Make sure you lot support the snake's whole body weight, not simply its head or tail.
Never let your snake wrap itself around your neck. Dumeri's boas are stiff constricting snakes with a powerful grip.
Keep the ophidian away from your face up.

Overhandling will stress Dumeril's boas, and can cause your ophidian serious health bug. Make certain your boa'due south enclosure is located in a quiet room away from children and other pets.

Common Health Issues

Dumeril's boas are prone to mites, obesity or sudden weight loss, and respiratory infections in captivity. Snakes are notoriously good at disguising illnesses, then you should be vigilant and perform a physical check of your ophidian on a weekly basis.

Below is how you can overcome some of the common health bug associated with keeping Dumeril'southward boas.

Mites — You can utilize human head lice creams to treat mites. Even so, there are reptile-specific products on the market besides that are readily bachelor in reptile stores and veterinaries.
Weight loss — Weight loss can be a sign of serious health issues and requires urgent medical attention.
Weight gain — Feed overweight Dumeril's boas lean meats like birds, or feed your snake pocket-sized prey.
Respiratory infection (RI) — High humidity levels in the terrarium, or temperatures that are too cool tin can cause respiratory infections. Accept your snake to the vet if you suspect your boa is suffering from a respiratory infection.

Keeping a record of your snake'south weight, eating habits, shedding, and general behavior will help yous identify health problems before these conditions get a serious concern.

Breeding

Dumeril's boas are easy to breed during the cool season. Still, some snakes volition brood during the warm flavor, and because of this, your snakes need to go through a brumation flow. Wait out for a small lump on the female's underbelly. This lump indicates that the female person is ovulating and that the convenance process is going well.

You shouldn't feed Dumeril'due south boas during breeding, and just feed females small prey during gestation to prevent digestion bug and discomfort. Follow the steps below if you lot want to breed your snakes.

Beginning cooling the female's enclosure in October. Yous should gradually reduce the temperature in your snake's terrarium until the basking spot temperature is at eighty°F.
Keep the enclosure cool until tardily January. Outset gradually heating the enclosure back upward and leave the heating pad on overnight.
Keep the male person ophidian in the enclosure until yous are confident that the female is pregnant.
Females that are close to giving birth will shed their skin. The average gestation period is nine months.
Remove the male person in one case yous notice the female begins to shed her skin. Male snakes will attack birthing females and the males will eat their young.

Dumeril'south boas give birth to live young, which is unusual, because nigh snakes lay eggs.

Choosing and Buying a Dumeril'due south Boa

Dumeril's boas vary in price, and a salubrious ophidian costs r between $200 and $800.Shopping around and doing some groundwork enquiry into reputable ophidian breeders in your area is important.

Dumeril'south boas are readily available in pet stores and online. However, you should check the laws around importing these snakes in your surface area if you lot lodge online.

Buying Dumeril's boas online is a risk considering you could receive an unhealthy ophidian. Instead, go to your local reptile breeder or pet store and find the snake for a while to brand certain the snake is displaying healthy beliefs.

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Source: https://www.everythingreptiles.com/dumerils-boa/