Kenyan Sand Boas are excellent reptile pets, particularly well-suited for keepers who appreciate their unique characteristics and are prepared to meet their specific needs. While they may stress out more easily than other boas, making them more of a display pet rather than one for frequent handling, their manageable size and relatively simple care requirements make them a rewarding species to keep. Kenyan Sand Boas are the most commonly available species and they now come in a variety of different colors and markings including Albino, Paradox, Dodoma, and Nuclear. These snakes are the perfect size for pet owners who want a boa species but one that stays small. These boas are nocturnal so they are very active at night.
Natural Habitat and Appearance
Kenyan Sand Boas are native to the arid sandy scrublands, deserts, and rocky edges of western Africa. The species is found within Kenya, as well as in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, Tanzania, and other western countries. Loose sand is the preferred habitat for these boas, allowing them to burrow easily, a behavior reflected in their torpedo-shaped body.
These fossorial snakes are generally between 18-36” long, although some exceptional females can reach up to 36 inches/90cm, with females being significantly larger than males. They have a thick, wormlike body, small head, small upward-angled eyes, vertical pupils, and an enlarged rostral scale. They are covered in extremely smooth scales, except for the tail, which has larger, rougher scales. Coloring is generally gray, yellow, or orange with darker blotches and a pale white, cream, or pinkish belly. However, a patternless form is known to exist. The keeled scales on their tails give them a better grip in the soft soil as they burrow, enabling effective movement.
Enclosure
Size
Baby Sand Boas can live in a 5-20 gallon terrarium depending on the species. The enclosure should be no shorter than 1/2 the length of the snake. It’s important to remember that as they grow and develop, they will require larger accommodations. Males are smaller than females but both sexes can live their lives comfortably in a Zilla 20L Front Opening Terrarium. Large adult female Kenyan Sand Boas will do best in Zilla 40BR Front Opening Terrarium or Zilla 40BR Critter Cage.
Type
Make sure the terrarium has a well-ventilated top. Even though Kenyan Sand Boas are not climbers normally, they still require sealed and escape proof housing as they are smart, curious, and talented escape artists. Custom enclosures can be made and sweater boxes can be utilized as well and seem to work exceptionally well in this species as the opacity of the walls offers a more secure feeling. Floor space is much more important than vertical space in this species, strive to offer the most. Ventilation is important. Plastic enclosures such as sweater boxes can have ventilation holes created using a soldering iron or a drill. Vision cages are an excellent option but the substrate depth is rather limited due to front sliding doors.
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Substrate
Despite their name, Kenyan Sand Boas do not require sand. They do however require dry substrate that allows for burrowing behaviors such as Zilla Bark Blend , Zilla Desert Blend, and Zilla Snake and Lizard Litter. Kenyan sand boas actually shouldn’t be housed in sand. Instead, their native environment is made up of friable soil-that is, soil that is easy to break apart. Sand tends to pack together, which is why sand boas are best housed in a mixture of pesticide- and fertilizer-free topsoil and play sand. This helps the soil to clump enough to hold a burrow while still remaining aerated and easy to move through.
For a naturalistic set-up, a 60-70% top soil to 40-30% play sand mixture should be utilized and monitored carefully. Aspen can also be used as long as the aspen is agitated daily and bedding is changed weekly. The aspen must be kept around 2-4 inches deep to offer the appropriate burrowing behavior. Never use pine or cedar shavings as the aromatic oils are irritating to snakes.
A thick layer of bioactive-compatible substrate such as Terra Sahara is essential to creating a bioactive sand boa enclosure. Because this is an arid setup, no drainage layer is needed. Instead, you can jump right into the dirt. You will need a soil-like mix that mimics the sandy soil of prairie grassland and will nurture drought-tolerant plants. If you want to make your own, you will need a mixture of 40% organic topsoil, 40% fine sand, and 20% Zoo Med Excavator Clay. Mix that with leaf litter, sphagnum moss, and 1 doses of 36qt Bio Shot to inoculate your soil with beneficial microfauna. To make the substrate functional, make sure to add drought-tolerant CUC organisms like powder blue/orange isopods and arid springtails.
Habitat and Enrichment
Sand Boas love to dig. Enclosure décor is more than just making your setup look good. It’s also an important part of providing environmental enrichment to your snake, which enhances your pet’s quality of life by providing opportunities to express natural behaviors. Although Kenyan sand boas are fossorial, it’s still important to give them things to slither around on and explore. Flat stones should be created for basking spots or a Zilla Basking Platform Ramp buried into the substrate a bit. Use things like sturdy branches, cork flats/hollows, caves, and plants to fulfill that need. Live plants in particular are critical to helping your mini-ecosystem function properly. Make sure the plants that you choose are drought-tolerant and won’t be too bothered if their roots get disturbed.
Kenyan sand boas love to burrow, which means that any opportunities to hide, squeeze, or dive into objects will be appreciated. Tight hides, overhanging rock shapes, pots, and logs can all be ideal options for a sand boa. However, despite their normally terrestrial nature, these boas also love to climb, and they will utilize vertical space that you provide. Be sure branches are sturdy, and avoid placing climbing areas above rocks or other hazards-Kenyan sand boas are curious climbers, but they’re not necessarily good at it. Falling from a climbing spot should put them back on their substrate rather than onto something hard that could cause injury.
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Cage accessories should consist of two hide boxes with one on the warm side and one on the cooler side of the enclosure if burrowing substrate is not provided. Hides can be as simple as a half a flower pot, half log, or as complicated as a rock structure (make sure it’s well anchored). Rocks added into the enclosure offers enrichment and some variation in the enclosure.
Temperature
It is important to create a thermal gradient (or a warm and cool side) in the cage/enclosure. This can be done with an appropriate sized Zilla Heat Mat adhered to the bottom of the tank on one side. Ideal temperatures for Kenyan Sand Boa range from 76-82°F on the cool side and 80-85°F on the warm side. Provide an 95°F basking area on the warm side. The enclosure, regardless of type, should have a gradient of 75-85F° with the warmest spot no more than 90F°. These temperatures should be maintained with a thermostat and monitored with two thermometers ideally. One thermometer should be placed on the warm end an inch above the substrate and the other an inch above the substrate on the cool end of the enclosure. Under tank heaters, heat cable (outside the enclosure not in the enclosure), heat tape are the most appropriate to warm the substrate.
The soil in which a sand boa spends its life insulates it from some of the sun’s heat, which means that Kenyan sand boas tolerate cool sides between 72 to 80 degrees. However, the basking spot should offer a range of temps peaking at 95 degrees so that your boa has the option to regulate its temperature as needed.
In captivity, using halogen flood heat bulbs is the best way to replicate the type of warmth provided by sunlight. The basking rock should be placed on top of the black plastic hide box, which will act as your warm hide. Generally speaking, 50w halogen flood bulbs should be plenty to achieve your target basking surface temperature. If you notice that they’re getting too hot, dial it down with a plug-in lamp dimmer. If your basking surface is too cool, you need higher wattage bulbs. You will need multiple heat bulbs to create a large enough basking area to evenly heat your snake’s coiled body. Two bulbs should be enough for an average Kenyan sand boa.
Lighting
Daytime temperatures should be around 84-90° F. Night time temperatures should not drop below 78° F. Use a Zilla Mini Heat & UVB Fixture with a Zilla 50W Mini Halogen bulb and a Zilla Tropical Mini Compact Fluorescent UVB Bulb will provide the correct heat and UV for your Sand Boa to thrive. Placing the heat bulb over the basking platform is ideal. You can use fluorescent lights and leave them on for 8-12 hours a day. Lights should be scheduled to be on for 12 hours/day year-round.
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Although technically sand boas can survive without UVB lighting, it’s best practice to provide UVB to them. In other words, we recommend installing appropriate UVB lighting as part of your snake’s setup. The 22” Arcadia 6% or Zoo Med T5 HO Reptisun 5.0 is likely to work the best for a sand boa in a 40 gallon enclosure. Your UVB bulb must be replaced every 12 months to maintain its output. Resist the temptation to use other, cheaper brands - when it comes to UVB, brand matters! Because this is a bioactive setup, you will also need a plant light to encourage healthy plant growth.
While Kenyan Sand Boas don’t need UVB to survive, UVA/UVB light has been shown to greatly improve the immune system, health, and wellness of all reptiles, both diurnal and crepuscular. Sand boas are nocturnal by nature and do not require intense lighting despite their desert habitats. However, it is recommended that a 5.0 ReptiSun UVB bulb be offered during the day light portion of the light cycle. All snakes can absorb the calcium from their whole prey for their own use but a UVB bulb still offers some health benefits as well as promotion of natural behaviors from the UVA being emitted.
UV radiation is critical for helping your snake to metabolize calcium and other nutrients that keep it healthy and happy. Place your UV light near your basking platform, as heat facilitates this process. For an appropriately sized enclosure of at least 36 inches, you can use a 22 inch UV strip, such as ZooMed’s T5 HO Reptisun. Ideally, this is placed inside the enclosure (at a safe distance from your snake) to maximize UV exposure.
UVB Lighting Details
To provide appropriate UVB, you will need a high-quality, low-intensity UVB bulb, roughly 1/2 the length of the enclosure, placed on the warm side of the setup. The highest branch should be positioned so the snake is no closer than the following distances from the UVB lamp:
- Arcadia ShadeDweller kit: 7-9” (mesh), 10-12” (no mesh)
- Arcadia T5 HO 6% / Zoo Med T5 HO Reptisun 5.0: 10-12” (mesh), 13-15” (no mesh)
Use an Arcadia or Vivarium Electronics fixture to maximize UVB output.
Humidity
Kenyan sand boas need a moderate humidity environment, with most of the moisture being underground rather than in the air. To be specific, they need an average of 50-60% humidity. Despite the fact that Kenyan sand boas come from desert areas, remember that they spend most of their lives burrowed, where the soil or sand is damp and humid. Thus, your boa will appreciate an ambient humidity of between 60 and 80 percent. This is the most common challenge in caring for sand boas, which is why dehydration and trouble shedding are their most frequent health issues.
To raise the humidity in your snake’s enclosure and moisten the substrate, use an Exo Terra 2qt Mister to wet things down once a week or as needed. In captivity, humidity is generally not something you need to worry about too much, but it is important that the snake has access to a to a humid hide for use as desired. This should be a hide box on the cool half of the enclosure with lightly moistened substrate or sphagnum moss inside. It’s also beneficial to occasionally mist the enclosure with a water sprayer.
Humidity should be maintained under 50% to keep this species healthy as they do poorly in high humidity. No special techniques are needed to keep the humidity low, just proper ventilation and placement of the water bowl on the cool side of the enclosure.
Food and Water
Boas eat rodents no larger than the snake’s girth. In the wild, these snakes feed primarily on rodents, lizards, and small birds that pass by. In captivity however, most are fed mice with a penchant for smaller rodent prey than what their size could ingest. These snakes seem to relish nestling mice the most and feed well after dusk! It is highly recommended to feed only pre-killed prey as live prey can severely injure or kill a snake. Chicago Exotics recommends feeding properly thawed frozen rodents. These snakes are aggressive feeders despite their slow moving nature.
Baby Sand Boas should be fed once a week. Pinky mice and small mice are ideal meals for baby Sand Boas. The size of food needed will depend on the species of boa. Hatchlings are typically fed pinkies or in the cases of the smaller species, pinky mice parts. Adults can eat small mice but tend to prefer hopper mice. Hatchlings should be fed every 5-7 days and adults fed every 7-10 days small meals.
It is best to feed your boa frozen/thawed rodents. For Sand Boas, you must make sure the thawed rodent is not damp as sand will stick on it and the boa will eat the sand. Most Sand Boa keepers feed their boas in a small paper bag or in a plastic dish and then return it to their enclosure. This prevents the boa from eating sand and causing an impaction which can be potentially life-threatening. Also, a live rodent can cause harm to your boa if it tries to fight back.
Although mice are the most common feeders, the key to providing a healthy, balanced diet for your pet snake is VARIETY. For this reason, Kenyan sand boas also do well with Reptilinks, since they mimic the variety in their diets that these snakes encounter in the wild. The frog & rabbit links have been popular with Kenyan sand boas, and iguana links can fulfill a sand boa’s natural inclination to prey upon lizards in the wild. No matter which Reptilinks you choose, aim for a blend that is suited for carnivores. Micro or mini links may be appropriate for younger specimens, who can upgrade to larger sizes as they age.
To reduce the risk of accidentally getting bitten by your snake, offer prey with a soft-tipped pair of feeding tongs.
Provide a very shallow dish of fresh water and make sure it stays clean. These boas are desert dwellers and need very little drinking water. Provide them with a Zilla Terraced Dish for drinking. Use caution that the water dish is not too deep as Kenyan Sand Boas will spend too much time in the water if given the chance and can stop eating from filling up on water.
Your Kenyan sand boa should have free access to a small bowl of fresh, clean water daily. The water should be changed whenever it gets soiled.
Handling
Sand Boas are excellent reptile pets. They stress out more easily than other boas and most keepers consider them display pets rather than pets to handle often.
You will need to wait a little while after bringing your new pet home to let it settle in. This usually takes about 2 weeks, but you shouldn’t start handling until it’s eating regularly.
Once your Kenyan sand boa is ready for handling, take it slow at first - just like any relationship. Start with brief handling sessions (no longer than 5 minutes), and don’t return the snake until it is calm. This teaches your pet how to behave during handling by using rudimentary positive reinforcement. Once this has been accomplished, you can work up to longer sessions. Handling should occur at least weekly, but no more than once daily.
Before you pick up your sand boa, first wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer. This removes potentially harmful bacteria, viruses, or parasites from your hands, as well as makes your hands smell distinctly inedible. Next, use a paper towel roll to tap its head (gently). This sets expectations by letting the snake know that it’s time for handling, not food. Scoop up the snake from below, one hand behind the head and one supporting the rest of the body.
While handling your snake, be gentle. Rather than grabbing it, let it crawl onto your hand. Lift it from below rather than above, and support as much of its body as possible. Use slow movements and don’t walk around too much.
Don’t handle your snake within 48 hours of a meal, as this can stress them out and lead to regurgitation, which is a traumatic experience that can actually lead to death. Also do not handle if your pet’s eyes have turned opaque or cloudy.
Kenyan sand boas usually tolerate handling well and very rarely bite. However, they are ambush predators, and instinctively lunge at prey-like objects when they are hidden under the substrate.
Health Considerations
Spot clean the enclosure for urates and feces once a week. Feces and urates should be removed daily, and contaminated substrate should be scooped out and replaced.
Because their desert-sounding name clashes so heavily with their humidity needs, the most common health problems faced by Kenyan sand boas in captivity are a lack of water leading to shed problems and dehydration. If your snake looks wrinkled or lumpy, or if their eyes appear to have creases, these are signs that they are not getting the humidity they need. Their scales may feel coarse or flaky, and opening their mouth may result in thick, viscous saliva strands. If your boa is dehydrated, the first step is to address humidity concerns. Is your humidity high enough, and if not, what can you do to change this? Consider regularly stirring cup-fulls of water into the dirt. If your humidity is correct, can your sand boa access their water bowl? If it is too slippery and smooth, they may be discouraged from drinking from it because they cannot get a good enough grip or do not feel safe. Additionally, some sand boas react to the chemicals (such as chlorine) used by certain municipal water companies and may turn their noses up at tap water.