Kenyan Sand Boa

A single adult does well in a secure, front-opening enclosure of at least 90 x 45 x 30 cm; height is unimportant as they rarely climb. The key feature is a deep, dry, diggable substrate such as aspen, a topsoil and sand mix or fine coco chips at least 8 to 15 cm deep so the boa can burrow completely, which is its main natural behaviour. Add a hide or two on the surface, a low basking area and a small water bowl. A secure lid matters, but so does providing enough loose substrate to disappear into.

A carnivore fed whole rodents. Offer an appropriately sized frozen-then-thawed mouse (about the width of the snake's body) rather than live prey. Feed juveniles every 5 to 7 days and adults every 10 to 14 days, adjusting to keep good body condition, as sand boas gain weight easily. Being ambush predators, they often strike from beneath the substrate, so offer prey with tongs at the surface and avoid loose substrate being swallowed. Always thaw and warm prey thoroughly.

Provide a warm basking zone of 32 to 35 C at one end and a cool end of 24 to 27 C, with a night drop to about 22 C; control all heat with a thermostat, using an overhead source or a carefully regulated mat given their burrowing habit. UVB is not required but a low-output tube can benefit welfare. Keep this arid species dry at around 30 to 50 percent humidity with good ventilation, providing a slightly damp hide only during shedding. Run a 12-hour light cycle. Chronic damp quickly causes scale rot in sand boas.

Best kept singly. While sand boas are sometimes cohoused, solitary housing avoids feeding competition, accidental cannibalism and the difficulty of monitoring a hidden animal's health, and is safest overall. They are placid and tolerate gentle, occasional handling, but as a fossorial species they are most comfortable buried, so keep handling short and support the body fully.

The most important enrichment is a deep, loose substrate the boa can burrow and hunt within, mimicking its natural buried lifestyle. Add surface hides, a low warm basking spot and occasional rearranging of the terrain, and offer prey so it can ambush from below. Watching a sand boa surface, strike and vanish again is the reward for providing proper diggable depth.