dumerils feeding question

Redtailboa1 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 02:40 AM

i just got a baby dumerils boa on sunday but she won't eat. Most of all of my other snake(including rtb) have eaten right away. What is a safe time for her not to eat(this is not a beginner question, i know that snakes will go for long periods of time without eating) what i mean is, how long of acclimation should i expect before something is wrong? thanks temps good.
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morti · #2 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 02:44 AM

Hi there!

I generally allow any boa 2 weeks of aclimatization (if that is even a word) before I even start to get a little concerned about them not eating. Then if they have not eaten in 4 weeks, they go to the vet.

-Your Sick Uncle Morti.
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LdyDrgn · #3 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 02:48 AM

First off, does the dum have plenty of substrate to burrow in? They don't use hides so much as burrow. Aspen is wonderful for this. If you have that and the baby still refuses to eat, offer a lizard. I understand they feed on them in the wild and prefer them as babies. After you get it feeding, start switching over to rodents by scenting them with a lizard.

[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] good luck
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Redtailboa1 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 02:50 AM

ive got two inches of aspen in there. So wait two weeks until i should EXPECT feeding?

_________________
Red tail boas...dumerils boas...wow what snakes

LdyDrgn · #5 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 03:01 AM

It is possible. Give her time to calm down and get used to her surroundings. Dums are a little more high strung than the bci. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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#6 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 05:24 AM

How are you offering the prey to the snake ? Dums are ambush hunters of prey btw and sometimes when they are not eating it's just a matter of "staging" their ambush for them to hunt their prey down is all when feeding them.
Give the snake like a week and set up a feeding tote for it with a hide and place the snake in the hide..then place prey outside the hide for the snake to "ambush". That might get it to feed for ya.
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Ed_r · #7 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 05:30 AM

As ldyDrgn stated in the wild baby Dums are lizard and snake eaters. Depending how old yours is it may need to be switched over. This would require scenting a f/t mouse/rat(depending on it's size) with lizard. basically means buy an anole and rub it all over the rodent prey. This usually will intice a feeding response too.
Since you have the borrowing substrate, thats half the battle. Also Misting with a spray bottle a few minutes before feeding sometimes gets them excited a bit too.
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ChrisRezendes · #8 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 06:12 AM

Why not just feed anoles? They are only 2$ apiece around here in most places... and everything is excessively expensive here in good ol' New England. That's a bit more expensive than pinkies and full grown mice, but much cheaper than the rats you'll have to feed him one day...
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talon · #9 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 06:27 AM

my baby dumerils didn't eat for 2 months and didn't lose weight! she know eats any time i leave a rat pinkie (live at first) now pre killed near her hide spot in her tank and is growing rapidly. she won't eat out of her hide spot no matter what. also try feeding it at night after you have let it get use to its new enclosure. does it have a place to hide? ALso could it be going into a shed by a chance? try leaving it with the food overnight with prekilled prey or VERY young pinkies. Are you offering it the same type of food that was offered it to before? If you don't know try contacting who you purchased the snake from and they can probably give you some info..
Good luck! (it can be frustrating)
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talon · #10 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 06:29 AM

when feeding reptiles to reptiles you have to be especially careful with preventing the transmission of disease and parasites!

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JuliusSqueezer · #11 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 07:03 AM

It is almost impossible to get a baby dum to eat prekilled for the first few meals...it is also near impossible to get them to eat in a feed tote....they will burrow leaving just their nose sticking out and they wait to ambush their prey as it walks by....they are dead set to hunt this way. A pink rat won't hurt them so let them burrow and hunt and drop a pink rat in front of them and leave them be....they will eat it but you can't watch [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]....now then...swallowing substrate is bad. especially wood shavings like aspen...true they love the stuff to burrow in but you really don't want to feed them on it....the best thing I have found is bed-a-beast or what ever name it goes by in your area....it is the compressed brick of crushed coconut that when water is added turns to dirt. Of all the substrates suitable to burrow in, this is probably the safest for them to injest. After a few months, they will get over the need to burrow to hunt and will start taking F/T in a feed tote like everyone else. It's just the first few feedings you have to play their little game....then you can change the rules on them.
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