Boa - Dumeril's

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Alternative Name

Dumerils Ground Boa Scientific Name: Acrantophis dumerili

Basic Info

The Dumeril's Boa will grow to a length of anywhere from six to eight feet long. Their coloration forms into a brown and gray patchwork separated by black stripes. On the head, the black stripes turn into a bluish gray color.

Health

For housing, provide a basking area with access to a cooler area along with logs, rocks, and branches on which they can climb. For substrate, use newspaper, orchid bark, or aspen shavings. If you use moss to keep humidity levels high, change the moss regularly to avoid spoilage. Keep the daytime temperature around 86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, cooling it off to about 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Use a large, deep dish for drinking and soaking, and mist occasionally to maintain some humidity. Breeding Dumeril's Boas are relatively easy to breed in captivity. Choose snakes with a good body weight, as females will not produce if they are too thin. Many breeders simply put the Dumerils together in winter and are successful, but some recommend a winter cooling period. For about 2 months in the winter drop the temperature at night to about 65 degrees Fahrenheit and the day temperature to about 80 degrees. Put the pair together the last 2 weeks of the cooling period, then gradually raise the temperatures to their normal levels. The female goes through a gestation period of six to eight months. They are live bearers. The average number of babies will range from as few as two to as many as twenty-one. Young Dumerils boas often refuse rodents and may only eat lizards or lizard scented pinkies.

Habitat

Found on the African mainland

Behavior

The Dumeril's Boa, also known as the Dumerils Ground Boa, is known for being a beautiful snake with a pattern designed to camoflage them on the forest floor. They have become extremely popular over the past few years among hobbyists. Normally Dumeril's Boas, will not fight or become aggressive with each other, but if it is mating season, males will battle other males for prospective mates.

Origin

Madagascar

History

Dumeril's Boa is a terrestrial snake found mostly in the forest regions of Madagascar, though some are found on the African mainland. They are known to occasionally climb trees to ambush prey, but generally these snakes prefer to remain close the ground.

Common Foods

They will prey on small warm-blooded animals such as rodents and tropical birds.