Latin name: Eryx colubrinus (Kenyan), / Eryx conicus (Rough scaled)

Common name(s): Kenyan sand boa, East African sand boa, / Rough scaled sand boa

Native to: Tanzania, Kenya, much of Ethiopia, Sudan, northern Somalia, northern Chad, western Niger, Egypt, and western Lybia. / The Rough scaled sand boa is native to India and Pakistan.

Adult size: Male sand boas reach about 15 inches in length and 70-90 grams in weight. The females will generally reach 18-26 inches and will weigh 200-300 grams.

Life span: The average life span is about 15 to 20 years.

Eggs and young:
Sexual maturity is reached in the first 3 to 4 years. Breeding season for Kenyan sand boas is usually June or July and for Rough scaled sand boas its usually mid-February to April. Sand boas should have the right amount of weight and be established before any breeding is attempted. Kenyan sand boas have 6 to 20 live young in October or November and Rough scaled sand boas have 3 to 12 young in late June early July.

Appearance: The Kenyan sand boa is orange or yellow with chocolate-brown to black splotches. The belly is white or cream. However, there are different colours and patterns. The Rough Scaled's body is a shade of tan or grey and patterned with brown or reddish brown markings that usually forms a zig-zag stripe down the back

Feeding: They should be fed pre-killed prey, make sure to use tongs to feed with. The general rule of thumb is that the snake shouldn't eat anything bigger that the widest part of its body. Sand boas are relatively easy to feed. Hatchlings should be fed small thawed pinkie mice. When they are young they should feed on pinkies every 4 to 5 days. As they get older feed them small fuzzies every week. Adults can eat small or full grown adult mice every 1 and a half to 2 weeks. Avoid handling after a sizable meal, as this is stressful and may cause regurgitation. Never leave a live rodent in the snake's cage without supervision. It is a good idea to track when your snake has fed to maintain a proper system. Reluctant feeders may be more apt to eat with the lights off.

Handling: When you dig your sand boa out of its cage you should slide your hand through the substrate so that you lift the snake from underneath. If your sand boa does snap at you it generally won't hang and will frequently not even break the skin.

Temperament: Most sand boas are very docile and therefore make great beginner snakes. However, there are the occasional ones that can have a bad temperament.

Cage set up: Enclosures should be at least as long as the reptile's body and width at least a third of their length. These small snakes can be housed in a 10 gallon enclosure, but the larger the better. Males can live their lives in a 10 gallon aquarium, and for a female a 20 gallon long is quite sufficient. If you have the room a larger terrarium can be nicely decorated to give your sand boas plenty of room. Be aware that these little guys are great escape artists, and you should make sure that you have a secure lid. A dish of water can be provided if you have an open tank. If the dish of water will bring up the humidity then it should only have water in it once or twice a week or after they eat.

Substrate: Sand boas typically do well on aspen shavings, playsand or reptile sand (calci-sand). Never use cedar or pine shavings, which are toxic to reptiles. Sand boas spend most of their time below the substrate, poking their heads out occasionally for food and water. Decorative rocks, logs and fake plants may also be nice in your enclosure as long as they are not placed on top of the substrate and therefore can possibly squish your snake. A depth of one-and-a half to two times the thickness of the snake is fine. Playground sand is a reasonable substrate, but it tends to be a bit dusty. If you rinse it with water for a while to get the dust out this helps. It is best to feed your snake in an empty container so that they cannot ingest the substrate and get impaction.

Lighting: An incandescent light can be used during the day but doesn't put off much heat. Heat lamps can also be used; just make sure that it is out of reach so the snake cannot burn itself. Red lights may be used for heating during the night since this type of light does not disrupt the snakes.

Heating: Temperatures should be 87 to 90 F on the warm end and 77 to 80 F on the cool end. Use a thermometer put into the substrate, as things like sand can heat up more and spread the temperature.

Humidity: You should provide a humid hide made out of a plastic container with an entry hole and put sphagnum moss or paper towel inside. This will greatly assist them in shedding properly, and they may even enjoy it even when not in shed. Check it frequently for mold or droppings.