is crushed walnut aright for a Kenyan sand boa?

[Hannibalcanibal]

Hello, well, i'm really not sure what to say to introduce myself, so i'll just say this: my name is mitchell, i am thirteen years old, and i love herps. i have a ball python, eating well and acting like a king, and, the herp i got today, a kenyan sand boa- witch brings me to my question- is zilla desert bedding (crushed walnut shells) ok for kenyan sand boas? i got it today from a local reptile shop, and the guy there knew alot about these guys (he was smiling when we asked for info), and he says he uses it for them and that he is planning on breeding in the future, so i got the walnut bedding. now, the research i've done has yeiled people who say that they use it and that it is fine, but i wanted to double check with the snake experts. now, i will be feeding him (sexed for male), out of the enclosure, so i'm not worried too much, but i thought it would be best to ask you guys, as i have browsed this fourm before and found lots of useful info. thanks for any help, i really appreciate it! :yes:

[Hannibalcanibal]

anyone????

[Hannibalcanibal]

if it is not o.k, what would you recommend?

[Ivalynfyre]

Not sure about walnut shells, but aspen holds burrows, and sand boas burrow so I'd use that.. and feeding outside of the enclosure is unnecessary. Just feed inside his cage and avoid the stress of moving him with a full stomach.

[totheend]

I prefer aspen chip.

[mark24]

im not sure about kenyan sand boas but i get zoo med forest floor beding (its cypress mulch) my bullsnake an my gater nakes seem to love it

[KORBIN5895]

How far are you from Canadian Tire? I just picked up two cubic feet of plantation soil for $2.39 taxes in. I am unsure of how that would work for the ksb but it would be easy to burrow in.

[Hannibalcanibal]

cool, i think i'll switch to aspen (the plantation soil gets wet too easy for me to use, and if i use it wet the ksb might be uncomfortable because of the high humidity), but just one more question- is there any way i could make some kind of soil that naturally holds burrows and the ksb hunting pit? to make it more natural- looking?

[KORBIN5895]

How will it get wet? That makes no sense. Just curious.

[Wildside]

cool, i think i'll switch to aspen (the plantation soil gets wet too easy for me to use, and if i use it wet the ksb might be uncomfortable because of the high humidity), but just one more question- is there any way i could make some kind of soil that naturally holds burrows and the ksb hunting pit? to make it more natural- looking?

I think Rzilla actually makes a sandy substrate that will hold burrows...

[Hannibalcanibal]

all my animals seem to love knocking over their home- made water dishes, splashing the water everywhere, and the ones at the pet shop seem to be too much money for a little container- when i can just cut the bottom off of a water bottle after i drink all the water and use that instead... don't know why, but even if they dont knock it over andd there is no leak, the water still ends up on the floor, somehow...

[Hannibalcanibal]

I think Rzilla actually makes a sandy substrate that will hold burrows...

yeah, that excavator stuff.. .the only thing is, i used that for my leopard geckos, and when you let them dig on their own, you get them covered in clay witch is ugly and i think can cause shedding problems, and if you use it dry, the animal cannot burrow in it because it is rock hard- this stuff, i think, is more for uromastyx lizards and beardies that will retreat to a pre-made burrow...

[Wildside]

I think Rzilla actually makes a sandy substrate that will hold burrows...

It's actually zoo med

Excavator Clay Burrowing Substrate (http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=188&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=1&SearchContext=YTo3OntzOjg6IlNlYXJjaElEIjtzOjE6IjEi O3M6MTA6IkRhdGFiYXNlSUQiO3M6MToiMiI7czo3OiJLZXl3b3 JkIjtzOjE1OiJDYWdlIFN1YnN0cmF0ZXMiO3M6MTU6IlByb2R1 Y3RDYXRlZ29yeSI7czoxNToiQ2FnZSBTdWJzdHJhdGVzIjtzOj c6IkhlYWRpbmciO3M6OToiVGVycmFyaXVtIjtzOjg6IlNlYXJj aF94IjtzOjE6IjAiO3M6ODoiU2VhcmNoX3kiO3M6MToiMCI7fQ ==)

I used this on a couple of burrowers I had, it may be just the thing you're looking for.

[Hannibalcanibal]

awesome! if i may ask, how did you use it? did the little guys dig their own burrows, or did you do to for them?

[Wildside]

awesome! if i may ask, how did you use it? did the little guys dig their own burrows, or did you do to for them?

Depends on what animal it is. If I remember correctly I think you are supposed to make burrows for them according to the package directions. My whipsnake seemed to dig his own burrows though.

[Hannibalcanibal]

well, the thing is , kenyan sand boas dig their own, sometimes very elaborate burrows- so anything preformed is not going to be as natural and stimulating as digging on their own.... how exactly did the whipsnakes dig in that? did you leave it a bit moist, or did they dig straight through it? lol sorry for the questions...

[Wildside]

well, the thing is , kenyan sand boas dig their own, sometimes very elaborate burrows- so anything preformed is not going to be as natural and stimulating as digging on their own.... how exactly did the whipsnakes dig in that? did you leave it a bit moist, or did they dig straight through it? lol sorry for the questions...

It's ok but it's been a really long time and I was such a noob at this back then. He would dump his water bowl all the time so that might've been how he did it. You're really just gonna have to trial and error it. On my kenyans I used calci-sand. Now that absolutely may not have been the best thing for them but in the shop when someone wanted to see them it was easy to run my fingers through the sand to find them. They never seemed to mind just submersing in the sand. Maybe KKgal could help you more :hmm:

[mykee]

I keep all my Kenyans on Beta Chip.

[bigsnakegirl785]

You should get a heavier water bowl if you don't want it to fall over. The bottom of a water bottle is very flimsy, use an old dip bowl, etc. That's what I do, and I've never had the bowl tipped over.

[CK SandBoas]

I use shredded aspen for all my Kenyans. Before i truly knew better, i used the calci-sand, which was just horrible. It was extremely dusty, it literally stuck to my snakes, and it was just not the best substrate at all for Kenyans.

As for the crushed walnut, i've never used it myself, so i can't say how good or how appropriate it is, but my vote is used Shredded Aspen :)

[Richtenhoffen]

Hello,

This is my first post on this web site and I just bought my second snake a wee Kenyan sand boa and I can tell its going to be a great snake (I dont know its gender yet people at the pet shop said its to small at the moment to check).

I have a question about humidity boxes in the cage and what kind of substrate I can use. Currently I have cypress mulch and plantation soil. Will any of these substrates work in a humidity box for the little guy?

Thanks

[jausi]

Hello,

This is my first post on this web site and I just bought my second snake a wee Kenyan sand boa and I can tell its going to be a great snake (I dont know its gender yet people at the pet shop said its to small at the moment to check).

I have a question about humidity boxes in the cage and what kind of substrate I can use. Currently I have cypress mulch and plantation soil. Will any of these substrates work in a humidity box for the little guy?

Thanks


Kenya sand boas are desert type snake, they dont need to much humidity, I good Idea is to put a hinding place with tons of spagnum moss, make sure to completly sock in in water then trow the extra water, sand boas will love to hide there specially in sheding time, I would not recommend using crushed walnut, niether mulch (mulch is good for tropical type snakes, since will hold humidity well, but there is the risk of mold too, not good for your snake skin) or aspen chip, Ill said aspen works fine.

you guys should check this web:
www.sandboamorphs.com (http://www.sandboamorphs.com)

that guy has tones of good looking sand boas and care sheets as well

[jaleely]

there is a good group on facebook about kenyan sand boas, and another website called sand boa keepers.
I know some people on there do well with crushed walnut.

I actually use Sand, for my...sand boas : )
blasting sand, grain 20 or 30, kiln dried, pre-washed "dust free" which means, dusty, but less dusty.

It's far less dusty than dirt, or soil, and it's meant to be dry, where as soil dries out and gets powdery.

Clay is not recommended for any snake. IT's horrible when it's too dry, and it's horrible when it's too wet. It's also hard to keep...when it's baked dry, it firms up...and what if the snake poops in there? then you're breaking it apart, it's soaked into the hard clay, it's a mess.

Also, sand boas actually DO prefer higher humidity. It's a myth that they need less. If you do provide a humid hide, or tupperware with moist moss in it...they will get into it, and spend most of their time in it.
They should be provided with a water dish at all times.

i don't like aspin, but a lot of people do well with it for their sand boas.

Good luck!

[mykee]

Missy hits on a great point; humidity. I keep my KSB in the exact same conditions as my ball pythons; 95 hot spot, 80-ish cool spot and about an inch and a half of Beta Chip.
60% humidity all the time.

[Pareeeee]

I, myself, would not use Crushed Walnut. I had it once and hated it. It was so dusty - you couldn't move it around or scoop poop out of it, or big clouds of fine dust would *poof* into the air...usually there was walnut "sediment" on anything near the cage.

Plus, I'm allergic to it...

[jaleely]

I always hit on great points, mykee. Thank you for noticing.

how are your critters doing, hannibal?

[Pareeeee]

I had to google "beta chip" since I have never seen or even heard of it before. It's lab-quality hardwood bedding (maple, beech, birch, poplar), in case anyone else doesn't know.