Madi
Dumerils can be found along the western coast and southwestern regions of Madagascar. They live in a semi-arid habitat, which has a fairly low amount of rainfall.
Dumeril boas are medium size snakes. They average at about 4 to 6 feet.
Temperature
The cool end of the enclosure should be at about 80 F, and hot at around 95. I keep the daylight time throughout the year set at 12 hours of light and 12 hours of night, gradually decreasing it to 8 hours of daylight only in winter. Nighttime temperatures drop about 10 degrees from those listed above.
Housing
As Dumeril's spend a lot of time in hiding in the wild they should be given plenty of hiding places within their cage. Hides, hollow logs and places to hide are important to avoid stress. Aquariums are not good cages for these animals as they are a shy snake. A wooden cage with a glass or perplex front is the recommended enclosure.
Young Dumerils should be kept in containers that are small enough to allow the snake to feel secure and also should have a hiding place. Dumeril's will suffer stress if placed in an oversized cage or an aquarium.
Bedding
Indoor/outdoor carpeting such as Astroturf™ can often provide an excellent substrate that is easy to clean and disinfect. Linoleum is also another excellent alternative. Other substrates such as newspaper, and aspen can also be used. Cedar is not to be used, as it is toxic. If the Boa is kept on wood shavings it is recommended to not feed it on that substrate as accidental ingestion of shavings can lead to intestinal blockages.
Food
Young snakes can be fed on fuzzy mice weekly. The prey size should be increased as the boa grows, never exceding the girth of the snake. Adult specimens being fed on large rats or rabbits can be fed less often, once every 10 - 14 days is adequate.
Cleaning and Handling
The enclosure should be spot cleaned daily. If using indoor/outdoor carpeting it is recommended that you have at least a second piece available to swap with the soiled for ease of cleaning. A 5% bleach solution can be used to disinfect the enclosure as needed. Be sure to rinse and dry everything thoroughly before using. Water should be changed daily. It is recommended to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your animal or cleaning the cage or cage accessories.
