Kenyan Sand Boa (Gonglyophis colubrinus) Caresheet

Housing

Kenyans do well in relatively small housing, with a juvenile able to start off in an enclosure approximately the size of a 5-10 gallon tank. A male is able to live comfortably for his entire life in a 10 gallon sized enclosure, while a female will be happy in something closer to a 15 or 20 gallon. At Earthbound Exotics all of our adults are kept in 24”x17” enclosures which are only 6” high, while the juveniles-yearlings are kept in 12”x7” enclosures. Be it a glass tank or Rubbermaid, this species does well in either.

Kenyan Sand boas are from arid regions, and so they like things hot and dry. They should have a hot side of 88 to 95*F, and mid to high-70s on the cool side. These temperatures allow them to thermoregulate and digest properly, and can be obtained by the use of a reptile heating pad or heat tape connected to a dimmer switch or thermostat. Check the temperature of the hot side occasionally to ensure that the temperature is right. This is done by placing the thermometer directly over the heat source. Carefully monitor the temperature if you make any adjustments! If it’s too hot, they can burn themselves. Too cold, and they will not be able to digest their meals properly.

The substrate should be dry, except one corner of the tank when shedding. Since sand boas like to burrow, the substrate should be at least 2 inches deep. Acceptable substrates include aspen shavings, beta chip, or Desert Snow. Unacceptable substrates include pine and cedar shavings (they emit a toxic gas), and sand (though they are called "sand boas", they do not actually live in loose sand. Sand is very difficult to clean, gets smelly very fast, and there is a risk of impaction).

Cleaning is a fairly simple task. Make sure the water bowl is clean and full at all times, and remove feces 1-2 times weekly or as you see it. Once a week, usually on feeding days, take her water dish out and clean it. If using shavings as substrate, remove all the wet shavings and discard. Approximately once every 3-6 months, remove all shavings from the tank and discard. The tank can be cleaned with hot water and dish soap or vinegar. A safe sterilizing agent is Peroxiguard. Be sure to rinse thoroughly!

Handling

Sand boas rarely try to bite. Sometimes they will flail about if scared, but they rarely make contact with your skin. If the snake does manage to bite, try not to jerk back. This can injure the snake. If necessary, a small dab of alcohol near the mouth should cause it to release.

Feeding

Feed juveniles every 5-7 days and adults every 7-10 days. This species is nocturnal, so feed in the evenings. We recommend feeding outside of the tank to avoid the risk of impaction from ingesting substrate. A Rubbermaid container (it doesn't have to be very big) with holes punched into the lid or side for ventilation works well. Be sure that whatever feeding container you purchase has a very tight-fitting lid! Thaw an appropriately sized mouse (should be about 1.5 times the snake's largest girth) in hot water. Be sure that the mouse is completely thawed before feeding. To check, gently squeeze the mouse between your fingers. If it feels warm all the way through, it is ready!

When you are ready to feed, remove the snake from the tank and place in the Rubbermaid. Drop the mouse into the Rubbermaid. Be sure to tightly replace the lid! The first couple times that you feed, the snake should be left alone because any movement or light in the room might scare it. You'll be able to watch more when the snake settles into its new surroundings in the coming weeks. When finished eating, place the snake back in the tank. Do it gently; the snake will still be having feeding responses, so it may try to bite you (especially if you forgot to wash your hands after you touched the mouse!).

Don't worry if the snake doesn't eat on the first try. Sand boas sometimes skip meals. If you want, the snake can stay in the Rubbermaid overnight, providing ambient temperatures aren’t below 75-78 degrees. If the snake hasn’t eaten after this time, it probably won’t, so you can put it back in its tank. Throw any uneaten mice away. Do not refreeze. Some sand boas respond better to moving prey, so wiggling the mouse a little off of some tweezers or tongs may entice feeding.

After feeding, do not handle the snake for 36 to 48 hours. If you handle too soon after eating, the snake may regurgitate their meal. This will look (and smell) like vomit, and the meal may or may not be digested. If the snake regurgitates, do not feed again for 2 weeks, as its body will need to replenish the stomach acids. Feeding too soon after regurgitation can lead to more regurgitation, and eventually death. If she regurgitates a second time, it's time to call a vet. Regurgitation also occurs when the animal’s environment isn’t correct, so if the snake regurgitates without handling, please check your husbandry.

Shedding

If the snake starts to get dull and milky, it means it will soon shed. Often snakes will refuse to eat at this time, so do not attempt to feed. Spray a little bit of water into one corner of the tank to create a damp (but not wet) area. This provides a place to go to hydrate the old skin so it is easier to shed. The snake will be dull for a few days, and its eyes will appear blue. A few days later the snake will appear normal again, but will not have shed yet. About one week after first turning milky, the snake will shed.

If the shed skin is all in one piece (or a couple large pieces), it means that conditions were perfect. Be sure to inspect the shed to see that the very tip of the tail came off, as well as the eye caps (snakes do shed the scales that cover their eyeballs!) If pieces of skin are still stuck to the body after shedding, try adding a bit more moisture and give another day to work it off. If this doesn't work, take a clean sock, pillowcase, or snake bag (depending on size of the animal), run it under warm (not hot) water, wring it out, and then place the snake inside and CAREFULLY tie it closed. Place the ‘bag’ inside the tank and leave the snake like that overnight. Rubbing against the cloth material should cause the rest of the skin to be shed.