The Dumeril’s boas seem to love simplicity and that’s both kinder to your wallet as well as easier to replace. In truth, we usually just use cardboard boxes (especially shipping boxes) after stripping the tape until they’re gross/obviously in need of replacement. This has happened in every attempt at a vivarium I’ve worked at with Dumeril’s boas and I recommend a faux habitat over a living one for these guys.Īdults require pretty large hides of 20×20, with the really big females sometimes requiring an even larger hide. Generally speaking, I don’t recommend living vivarium for this species due to their excellent ability to nose at plants (and even dig at them) until they fall over and die. If you do use UV lighting, make certain that the enclosure does not overheat on the hot side since this species does not need a basking area. LightĪs mentioned earlier, this is a nocturnal species and therefore does not require extra lighting.Īn aquarium hood with a simple LED light can be used to simulate the day/night cycle for the benefit of the snake, or you may decide to use UV lighting. Your snake should not get tangled in the wires. Use two thermometers (one on either end) to make sure that your temperature falls within the correct spectrum. Please read the manufacturer’s suggestions based on the size of your enclosure to select the correct heating pad. I recommend using a heating pad and thermometer controller, though the size of the heating pad depends on the size of your enclosure. We also recommend using two probe thermometers on the ground level to make sure that your snake is being kept at proper temperatures so they can regulate their body temperature. If your Dumeril’s boa is not living in a climate-controlled reptile room, we recommend using a heat mat against the hot side of the enclosure with a digital controller attached to it. You can choose to give them a UV bulb, but it is unlikely that you will see any difference in health or comfort if you do decide to do this. Since they are nocturnal, they require no extra lighting. It’s also nice to work with these substrates since, in my experience, this tends to be somewhat of a more messy breed and it’s nice to be able to just scoop out wherever they’ve gone and have some absorption as opposed to using brown butcher paper and having the snake sling their mess absolutely everywhere.īrown butcher paper or paper towels can be used for juvenile dumeril’s boas, but avoid cedar or pine shavings, they contain oils that can be harmful your snake’s skin and fumes that can lead to neurological issues when heated up. I’ve seen several of them bathing in their water bowls (and try to give them somewhere to do so at least once or twice a month, usually by adding a wide and shallow pan to their enclosure) and they seem to prefer a moisture gradient as much as they do a heat gradient.Ī dry forest floor can be easily achieved when working with the above substrates, you simply mist one side a little more heavily than the other and the substrate eats it right up. While these snakes do not require the humidity of say, some of the Amazonian species, they do enjoy having a relatively moist place to settle into. I really like aspen, coconut coir (eco earth snake substrate), or cypress for this species. Still, we do prefer a front-opening enclosure for all species of snakes since predation usually comes from above and may put a nervous snake on edge. A snake box should not swell or warp the way that it may with high humidity requirement species.įront-opening Exoterras are plausible enclosures but will likely be too small for adults, especially adult females. Remember that these are not extremely high humidity snakes. In all honesty, if you get a solid snake box for this species when they are sub-adult, you should never need to upgrade them again and the box will likely last the rest of the Dumeril’s boa’s lifespan. This is a seriously solitary species and care must be taken when you are breeding them because of it.Ī proper enclosure for this species is a “shoebox”-style rack bin or a 5 gallon aquarium for neonates.Īdults should have access to a 4 ft by 4 ft by 2 ft snake box or a very, very large aquarium of similar measurement. These snakes will absolutely eat each other if placed in the same enclosure, especially as neonates, and may end up dying because of it. dumerili, please remember that you’re going to need more than one enclosure. Since these boas are nocturnal, placing your dumeril’s boa enclosure in an extra room or along a dark hallway is ideal. These snakes are typically not much larger than large adult corn snakes or rat snakes, though their bodies are thicker and their weight significantly more impressive. Dumeril’s boas are easily housed within a typical home, with their required enclosure (even as adults) not so large as to take up more than a coffee table or a large aquarium area.
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