The Kenyan Sand Boa is a small species of snake native to North-Eastern Africa. They are a unique looking snake with their head and tail blending into their body. Their eyes are also located on the side of their head.
Taxonomy
As its name suggests, the Kenyan Sand Boa belongs to the Boa species of snake. Their scientific name is Gongylophis colubrinus, meaning it belongs to the Gongylophis genus of Boas.
This genus consists of three different species, the Kenyan Sand Boa, Rough Scaled Sand Boa and the Saharan Sand Boa. The Saharan Sand Boa is native to Africa while the Rough Scaled Sand Boa can be found in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
There is debate about whether the Kenyan Sand Boa contains two sub-species or whether it is a single species. Specimens in the Northern part of the range are typically more yellow while specimens in the South are more orange.
It is debatable whether these differences are simply a geographical variation of the same species of if they should be classified as two different sub-species. Further DNA analysis is needed before a conclusive answer can be given.
Description
The Kenyan Sand Boa is a small species of snake that only grows to around two feet in length. Despite their size, they are a relatively heavy bodied species with females generally being larger than males.
Their head and short tail are not very distinct from their body and they have small eyes that are located on the side of their head.
The color pattern of a Kenyan Sand Boa can vary greatly and there are a wide variety of different morphs available in captivity. However, they are typically yellow or orange in color with a lot of dark brown blotching. They generally have a white or cream belly.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Kenyan Sand Boa can be found in much of Eastern Africa. However, they are not found South of Tanzania and their range extends as far west as the Central African Republic.
They can be found in countries such as Egypt (extreme South), Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Contrary to popular belief, these snakes are not generally found in the loose sand of extreme deserts.
The Kenyan Sand Boa prefers habitats such as semi-desert and scrub savannahs. They can also be found in rocky outcrops where they can hide under loose rocks.
While these snakes like to burrow, they will often utilise abandoned mammal burrows to escape from the heat of the day. These burrows are much cooler than burrowing a couple of inches under the warm sand or loose soil.
Feeding a Kenyan Sand Boa
A juvenile Kenyan Sand Boa can be fed an appropriately sized rodent once a week. The size of the meal should be slightly smaller than the girth of the snake, at the snake’s largest point.
An adult can be fed every 7-10 days depending on the size of the meal. If the meal is slightly smaller than the girth of the snake, feed every week. If you are feeding larger items, you can reduce feeding to every 10 days or so.
We do not recommend feeding excessively large prey to your Kenyan Sand Boa. The largest we would recommend is a rodent that has the same girth as the snake, at the snake’s largest point.
A baby Kenyan Sand Boa will have to be fed pinkie mice as they are usually too small to take rats. If you want, you can try to convert them over to rats when they are big enough.
You should not handle your snake for a couple of hours before feeding to ensure they are not stressed. You also shouldn’t handle them for 24 hours after they eat.
This will give your snake time to digest their meal. Excessive or aggressive handling after a meal can lead to your snake regurgitating the meal.
Kenyan Sand Boa Enclosure
A baby Kenyan Sand Boa can be kept in an enclosure that measures only 15 x 12 inches. These boas like to burrow into their substrate so there is no need for excessive height or climbing branches.
As the snake grows, you will need to increase the size of their enclosure. Many people keep adults in a 2ft x 1ft enclosure, but we recommend going to 3ftx1ft, especially if you have a large female.
This is a snake that can be kept in a racking system as they do not need a lot of height. Kenyan Sand Boas are burrowing snakes so they will spend almost all of their time under the substrate as opposed to climbing.
Hides are debatable when it comes to these snakes as they spend most of their time buried in the substrate where they can feel secure. Just make sure that the substrate is deep enough.
However, we recommend at least one hide to give your snake the option of coming to the surface and still feeling secure. However, a clean water bowl must be present in the enclosure.
Light and Heat
An important part of Kenyan Sand Boa care is providing them with the correct amount of heat. These snakes come from a warm climate which will need to be replicated in captivity.
Your Kenyan Sand Boa should have a hot spot of around 90-95F. This is best achieved by placing a heat mat under the enclosure. The heat mat should only cover between one third and a half of the enclosure.
This will allow for a thermal gradient as the snake moves away from the source of the heat. The cool side can drop to around 80F. Basking bulbs aren’t recommended unless used in conjunction with a heat mat so the snake will be below the substrate most of the time.
There is no need for any special lighting in a Kenyan Sand Boa enclosure. However, the lights in the room should be turned off for around 12 hours each night to expose your snake to a proper day/night cycle.
Kenyan Sand Boa Humidity and Substrate
Do not keep your Kenyan Sand Boa on paper towel, newspaper or artifical grass. This will prevent your snake from being able to burrow which is what these snakes spend most of their time doing.
If you want to replicate their natural environment as close as possible, you should use a sand-based substrate. This can be mixed with a small amount of soil if you wand but sand on its own is fine.
Another option is to use Aspen Bedding. This is another substrate that will promote burrowing behaviour. It is also easy to spot clean and doesn’t smell.
You will need to spot clean the substrate whenever necessary. You should also do a deep clean around once per month. This involves replacing the entire substrate and doing a deep clean of the enclosure, water bowl and other cage furnishings.
The Kenyan Sand Boa comes from a dry environment where the humidity levels are low. This should be replicated in captivity. Around 30-40% humidity is the recommended range for these snakes.
Unless you live in a really humid environment, you usually won’t have to do much to control humidity. Keep the water bowl in the cool side of the enclosure and change out the bedding if the water spills over. This is usually enough to maintain low humidity levels.
Handling a Kenyan Sand Boa
When holding your Kenyan Sand Boa, it is important to always support your snake. These snakes are ground dwelling burrowers and are not as good at climbing as many other species of snake.
If you are holding a snake such as a Boa Constrictor, you will notice that they are very good at gripping onto you and won’t fall. This is because they are a muscular snake who is used to climbing.
A Kenyan Sand Boa does not possess this trait and can easily fall if you don’t sufficiently support them. It is also important not to handle your snake for 24 hours after they have eaten.
Breeding Kenyan Sand Boas
You need to make sure your Kenyan Sand Boa is old enough to breed before pairing them. It generally takes females around two years to reach breeding age while males are usually ready after one.
Another factor to look at is the snake’s weight. Females should be at least 300 grams while males should be at least 80 grams. Both conditions should be met before you breed your Kenyan Sand Boa.
This means that a female should be at least two years old AND weight at least 300 grams before you attempt to breed her. Depending on how well the snakes feed, you may need to wait until the third year for a female and second for a male.
These snakes are generally paired once winter is over. Around the start of February, introduce the male into the female’s enclosure. You should continue to cycle the male through females until you are sure the job is done.
Kenyan Sand Boas are a Viviparous species. This means that they give birth to a litter of live babies as opposed to laying eggs. This is similar to other Boa species such as the Brazilian Rainbow Boa.
It takes around 4 months after fertilisation for your female to give birth. But in the early stages, it can be difficult to tell if your Kenyan Sand Boa is gravid. Many people estimate the expected date as 4 to 5 months after the male was introduced.
However, there are a few different signs that you can look out for. When gravid, the female will spend most of her time in her hotspot. You may also notice an increase in her appetite.
After around two months you will begin to notice a bulge in the lower third of her body. Another thing to look out for is the separation of her scales. This occurs as the snake’s body expands to accommodate her growing babies.
You can continue to feed your female at this time, but you should be offering rodents that are much smaller than she usually eats. Consider offering two small items every 5 days as opposed to one large meal a week.
After around 4 months the babies will arrive. Litter size can vary greatly but will generally consist of 6-25 babies. Younger, first time females will generally produce a smaller clutch.
