Kenyan Sand Boa — care sheet

Beginner. A small, hardy, low-drama snake with genuinely simple care — as long as you understand it is a BURROWER. It wants deep, loose, sandy substrate to submerge in and a mostly-dry, warm setup, not the hides-and-humidity approach of a ball python. Get the substrate right and it is one of the easiest snakes there is.

Carnivore fed whole prey — an ambush hunter that strikes from under the sand. Feed appropriately-sized prey (roughly the width of the snake’s thickest point): juveniles every 1–2 weeks, adults every 2–4 weeks. Mice are the staple, but variety (young rats, quail, chicks) makes for a healthier, less picky snake. Offer frozen/thawed, warmed to ~90°F.

Minimum 24×12×12 in (60×30×30 cm) for an average sand boa — floor space matters far more than height, since they burrow rather than climb. A secure lid still matters. House ONE per enclosure.

Warm/basking surface 93–95°F (34–35°C) from an overhead halogen (two low-wattage bulbs heat a coiled body more evenly). Put the warm hide directly under the basking spot so it can thermoregulate while staying buried.

Cool zone 78–83°F (26–28°C), giving a full warm-to-cool gradient.

Heating off at night; a natural room-temperature drop is fine. No coloured night bulbs.

UVB isn’t strictly required but is beneficial (they’re crepuscular): a low-output T5 HO bulb (about half the enclosure length, warm side) giving UVI 2.0–3.0 at the basking spot. Replace every 12 months.

An ARID species — keep it mostly dry, and humidity is generally not something to fuss over. Provide ONE humid hide (a box of lightly moist substrate or sphagnum on the cool side) for shedding, and mist occasionally, but otherwise let the enclosure stay dry. Chronic damp causes scale and respiratory problems.

The heart of the setup: at least 3–4 in (deeper is better) of loose, burrowable sand or sandy soil (a 60% topsoil / 40% play-sand mix works well). They submerge and travel through it, so it must be deep and loose enough to disappear into. Spot-clean daily; full refresh every few months.

None needed — a varied whole-prey diet is nutritionally complete.

12–24 in (30–60 cm); females much larger than males (exceptional females reach ~36 in)

15–30 years — a long-lived little snake

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Open-mouth breathing, wheezing, or mucus/bubbles (possible respiratory infection — often from being kept too damp or too cool).; Repeated stuck sheds or retained eye caps (offer the humid hide; persistent problems need a vet).; Cheesy matter in the mouth (possible mouth rot), or mites (tiny moving dots).; Regurgitating meals, or a firm swollen belly with no droppings (possible impaction — sometimes from swallowed substrate on a hard surface).; Any tissue protruding from the vent (prolapse) — keep it moist and go now..