Need Help

[kenyaboa]

i have a kenya sand boa
whom has strange behaviors and i am unsure if his habitat is accurate

We have him in an 18x18x18 tank
with eco earth he can burrow into
we are keeping it moist and humid so far
using a red ultra violte light 100watt
and a heating pad

he only unburrows at night and then its to do this strange little dance against the glass in one corner of his tank. then right back under ground he goes

i'm wondering if we are doing something wrong
how do we tell it is a boy? he has sprus?
and what is the east african/kenya sand boas estimated temperment with being handled?

[Dani33]

He needs it dry. Try using aspen.

[sungazer]

what about sand??

[original rtb]

get rid of the eco earth.. het some aspen.. doesnt need all that humidity. and 100watt butlb sounds like alot for a 18 inch tank.. whats the temps

[kenyaboa]

its a fairly large tank actually
and i've read tons of websites.. but nothing is really constant.. was hoping someone whom actually owned one could give me some pointers..
some sites suggest a sand/dirt mix wetten so the burrows he creates will stay..
the light should be fine its red and heats the tank very well

i was more curious of humidty and enviorment..
a few sites have suggested a humidty box..

[marz]

hi kenya...fist ,hes a sand boa, he needs sand. calci sand is the best ,its 100 percent digestable [no impaction] . no need to worry about humid conditions, just make sure his temp is rite. sand at least three inchs deep. the deeper the better. with that set up he will NEVER have mites. and always a bowl of water handy...

[foman]

Don't use sand, use aspen shavings it works great for sandboas and it's super cheap, Check your temps and make sure you have a cool side in the low-mid 80's and warm side in the mid 90's. measure the temps under the substrate.

[marz]

hi foman...why not sand, its a kenyan sand boa. they live in sand. we have had our sand boas for ten years plus and thats all they have ever had ,including breeding. the good sand can cost a little more sure, but getting rid of a mite infestation can be...pricless...lol...if you want your sand boas to be the best they can be spring for the few extra bucks and keep them in the bedding their named after...

[Dani33]

They actually aren't found in sand - lol. They are usually found in animal burroughs(taken from the following site) This is the best Eryx site - http://www.kingsnake.com/sandboa/sandboa.html

Please, do some research on that "digestible" sand (calci sand). Even do a search on this site. Just because pet stores sell it and market it doesn't make it a superior substrate. It isn't actually digestable at all. Quite frankly, it's crap. I've kept sand boas and feel that sand isn't a great substrate. It also scratches the eyes etc. Use either aspen, beta chip or alpha chip. Keep it dry. Use a moist hide during shed. Keep the hot spot 90 and the cool side 80.

[AZpythonDude]

I use a product called "Carefresh" for my KSB's. Its a recycled paper product, what's neat about it is that it holds the shape of the tunels the snake creates. I first used sand, but whenever the snake took a drink, the residual water on the snake's snout would cause sand to impact their nostrils. Altough I know many people use sand with no problems.

[kenyaboa]

I've read several sites that say a sand and dirt mix.. wetten so the burrows he makes remain stable and he cause use them over again instead of the stuff collapsing behind and on him..

Has anyone tried this or would it be worth a try? I've read several articels suggessting the substrate must be weight enough for them to feel secue.

Also suggesstions on feeding and perhaps temeperment... are they easily handled? i've had him out twice, he seemed kinda edgy "assuming he is a he"

[Dani33]

They are the easiest to handle of snakes. I'm sure that some are a little flighty, but I found them to be very easily handled.

I wouldn't use the sand/soil mix. I would use aspen, beta chip, alpha chip or even carefresh as AZpython Dude uses. That's a good substrate as well. I've used that as well.

[marz]

hi danni...i checked out that site you mentioned, been there, exellent site, one of the best ive been on. that being said, even they admit to knowing several people who have kept their boas in sand for several years with no ill effects. sand boas are built for burrowing, shovel shaped head, tiny eyes and nostrils, under shot mouth, of course they will use other animal holes, as will any other snake will. a sand boa that gets his nose plugged and eyes scratched by a bit of sand isint going to have a very nice life crawling threw all the different kinds of stratas in the wild lol. anyways ,sand is just one choice. people are going to use what they have the most luck with and thats all you can do...to foman best of luck with your boa...

[kenyaboa]

lol
Okay this is the issue i've had constantly.. Everyone has their own opinions.. my question was what has.. people whom have had.. had the best luck in.. as far as substrate. Please take no offense to those giving advice it is appericated, as it seems i'm owning a snake not many people know much about.

I understand alot of this is going to be trail an erorr, but i dont want my snake dieing as a result of my ignorance upon his kind.

So those whom own one.. please any advice or knowledge you can pass out about ANYTHING about him is greatly needed

Thanks

[Dani33]

Read the website provided. I have SUCCESSFULLY kept this species.

[diablos]

Hey all,Well we have our Antheristic, Kenyan on Repti-sand, with a top ceramic heater that is a 100 watt,got a nice mid size water bowl,(of course on the cool side!)and some rocks and some fake plants for her to chill with.Most of the time she likes to hide under the sand,and poke her head out enough to just check things out.(it is an ambush thing. they seem to like to do that.)and she is doing great.

[kenyaboa]

We've done the eco earth but were keeping it much to humid for him, think he has a bit of a cold, but it has been dry and very well heated the last few days.. Am gonna change the bedding from the eco earth but again have mixed opinions.. i've read 30 or so sites that say sand... sand and dirt mix for stable reuseable burrows and aspen.
i want something natural and pleasing for him.
he's a little over 18 inches it looks, but i dont think he's very old..

we have the ultraviolet red light to.. he seems to fair under it better than he did the black light..

[pythonmdk]

Betta chips are the best substrate for kenyans, Roy Stockwell who is one of the most respected kenyan breeders in canada, or at least ontario, swears by it. If you can't get betta chips, than go with aspin or carefresh. I've used sand and had no problems but why take any chance when you can go with a substate which is much safer and easer to change. With betta chips you can actually feed them in the enclosure without worying about ingestion. Sand of any kind can cause impaction. And ya that calci sand is actually worse for impaction from what I have heard from people that used it.
John

[marz]

this will be my last post on this subject. im not putting a damn gun to anybodies head to make them use sand. i said its what i have used for over ten years with no problems at all. and ive seen snakes get impactions from all kinds of SAFE bedding. this is getting rediculous. no offence was intended. problem is theres too many goddamn online experts...

[kenyaboa]

I changed my snakes bedding to apsen.. two days later.. he died.. a vet that here that has been breeding suggested the extereme change from eco or sand to the light apsen stressed him and since it was heavy enough to feel secure in he didnt go to the warm side of his tank and he froze himself......

[bassteck76]

I have a Kenyan.....have had for some time now.....I used aspen for a little bit then back to Reptilite Sand. The behavior is different on Aspen then sand. I like the sand and so does my Kenyan. Easy to clean, the snake can burrow around and build the "trap" they use in the wild.....they cannot on aspen. They will come out at night to look around for a while.....they will see if there is an opening to get out and check around the tank for a bit then go back under to setup the "trap" and sleep. Humidity needs to be very low. They are a desert species. They eat on top of the sand and the prey is dry so very very little sand is ever ingested. I keep one piece of slate rock in one corner for sunning and or feeding. medium water dish and a 40w bulb for light and warmth. The sand holds heat very well and stays a good temp. Mine is in a 20gallon long tank with a screen top. I have good sheds, good weight, and good temperment with mine. Good luck to you with your Kenyan!

[bassteck76]

Just seen that it died.....sorry to hear that.

[kenyaboa]

Thank You.... I'm not sure whether or not to get another.. or maybe try something different...

[marz]

hi kenya...realy sorry to hear about your boa. unfortunatly it happens from time to time. knowin that dont make it any easier. i wouldnt give up on the littles guys tho. we have everything from giants to little sand boas and those little sandys are a joy to watch. good luck with your next one...

[drewlowe]

Sorry about your loss, But you said earler in a post is seemed he had a cold and you kept it in moisten eco earth. Is your vet sure it couldn't have been an upper respitory infection and not the change of substrate???

I have 2 kenyans and have only kept them for about 3 months, so i'm no expert on kenyans (i do have other species of snakes and lizards), but i keep mine on dry Sani-Chips and haven't had an issue yet and thier burrows stay unless i dig through to find the snake.

Jamie

[kenyaboa]

I saw a rubber boa??.. They seem really neat but the only one i can find is a breeding pair is Las Vegas.. 300 and a addition 44 to ship.. Not bad but its a long haul for a snake i dont live anywhere close to la.. so i'll wait until they become more popular in my side of the world.. of course if anyone else is interested i can give them the addy might be more to ship depending on your location but who knows...

[kenyaboa]

drewlowe

he did an autopsy to be sure.. for the pet store mainly because it was within the time limit of refund or exchange, the vet record says there is no signs of a cold, infection or maultreatment to the snake..
So
in his opinion it was stress and or shock that weakened him and not feeling quite right in his bedding froze him at the low end of his tank :(