Acrantophis dumerili

Dumeril's boas are native to Madagascar. My current colony of Dumeril's boas is 4.7, from 4 different strains.

Interestingly, the babies shed as they are born, sloughing both skin and egg sac. I have to fish around in the bedding to find them. Unlike most neonates, they have made no offer to bite, hiss or strike. Wonderful snakes.

I feel that these are an excellent species for both beginners and advanced keepers. They don't get very large, usually 4.5-5 feet for breeding size. Some eventually get to 6-7 feet. The babies are around 18-20 inches at birth. Although they attack food, it is a rarity to be bitten by one, even neonates.

They are generally an easy snake to keep and feed. One thing that I have noticed with the young that is not mentioned in the literature is "caudal luring." The young will remain buried in the substrate but will sometimes wiggle the tips of their tails in the air, trying to entice prey.

I keep mine in cages with a substrate of wood chips, and they usually bury themselves under it. I have no problem with reaching in to pick them up but if food is introduced, they erupt, rapidly grabbing and coiling about the prey.

For speed of download, I have made the rest in thumbnails. Click the pic to see it in full size. Some of them are light, some are dark. I like them all. The last one was loaded with reddish color as a baby, and retains some of the color.

         
       

This is one of the prettiest that has been born here.