The Dumeril's boa is a gray-brown ground color with darker patches, which serve as excellent camouflage against the leaf litter of the forest floor of their native habitat. Found along the western coast and southwestern regions of Madagascar, it is a semi-arid habitat that gets fairly low amounts of rainfall.

Dumeril's boas are nocturnal carnivores. Their diet consists of small animals, such as birds, lizards, and small mammals. They subdue their prey by constriction. Dumeril's boas were once exported from Madagascar in great numbers, but have since been heavily restricted. They are quite prolific in captivity though, and captive bred animals are relatively inexpensive and easy to find in the exotic pet trade. Though their size makes them more suited to someone experienced with large constrictors, they have a typically docile nature, and readily feed on a diet of commercially available rats. Their main concern is that they are prone to stress, which can sometimes make them go off feed or contribute to other health issues.