Kenyan Sand Boa Substrate

Discussion in 'Boas' started by Sylorna, Sep 16, 2009.

  1. Sylorna

    Sylorna Embryo

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    Hi there!
    I got my first sand boa about a month ago, and Dig Doug has burrowed his way into my heart :D
    He is currently in a small exo-terra (12X12X12) in "natural desert sand" and has a water dish. He eats well, and seems to be generally happy.
    In about a month's time he will be acquiring my 20gal fish tank (the fish may meet some untimely demise). I plan to get him an undertank heater and upgrade his water dish to a larger one at that time. I'm having a hard time deciding on substrates though. He seems to like the sand he's in, and that is certainly an option. An owner at another store told me today that she would use calci-sand, but I've heard such bad things about it that I'm hesitant to use it. I've also heard of people using play sand, but the guy who sold me Dig Doug said that it can be too rough for their skin :( I'd rather have something with some weight to it for him, as that's what makes sense to me....but are the aspen shavings/carefresh really that much better?
    He's being fed outside of his tank, which might influence some opinions.
    Thanks for any advice
     
  2. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  3. jeffg46

    jeffg46 New Member

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    My son has a Rosy Boa and we keep it in aspen and corn cob. I layered the corn cob about 1-2 inches, then placed about 3/4-1 inch of aspen on that. he digs through it just fine, and now it's mostly mixed up. I use the same layered mix for my 2 ball pythons and 2 Bredlis. Obviously they don't dig the way the Rosy does. It cleans up easily, and is fairly inexpensive. I haven't done it yet, but when I am out of the fine aspen I am probably going to use the course stuff they sell for rodent cages. It's the same stuff, just not shredded as fine, and much cheaper. I really don't think the snakes will care.

    Good luck with whatever you decide on.

    Jeff
     
  4. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  5. Gloryhound

    Gloryhound Embryo

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    We currently have 7 Kenyan Sand Boas. (3 adults and 4 babies) We now keep them all in Aspen. We had at first kept the first two in sand and they did fine, but when we got our third (a Paradox Albino) and tried to keep her in sand she kept regurging her food. Since the breeder we got her from had always kept her on Aspen we thought that might have something to do with it and swapped her back to Aspen. No more regurging! Not sure if the change in substrate was stressing her out or something about the weight of sand compared to Aspen was having an affect. Since then we have swapped all of them to aspen and they have all been doing very well.
     
  6. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  7. SandBoaMorphs

    SandBoaMorphs Embryo

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    I worry about impaction when I hear loose sand and corn cob. I have about 40 or so KSBs and keep all of them in Aspen. I have a display tank in my living room that I use the burrowing sand that you wet and form so there's nothing to get on their food or for them to ingest. However, if you put them in it before it dries they will burrow in deep and you'll have to dig them out or you'll never see them. I just put small plastic plants and realistic looking logs and stuff for them to hide around and under instead.
     
  8. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  9. Jacob Krafft

    Jacob Krafft Embryo

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    I have a Kenyan he is 17 inches and he seems to like the calci-sand, but I ve never tried the aspen, nor have I heard anything bad about it. I feed mine pre killed in his tank, not sure if that would matter.
     
  10. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  11. Don Glaittli

    Don Glaittli Embryo

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    Best substrate for KSBs would be shredded aspen, as it holds their burrows nicely and there is a lot less of a risk for impaction. Despite their name, they dont actually live on sand for the most part and it can be extremely hazardous for their health. Hope this helps
     
  12. dogking

    dogking HOTM Winner September

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    Almost all types of sand are bad for most of the reptiles we keep as pets. Most people think that just because the reptile lives on sand in the wild, they should give it sand in captivity. The truth is that sand can cause sever impactions and that it is very dangerous for most reptiles. I would also suggest using the aspen, but I have also heard of people using millet as a bedding for sand boas. This at least looks like sand, and it is digestible so if the snake accidentally swallows a piece it will not cause impaction. Also, I would suggest putting the snake in a different tank to feed. This drastically reduces the chances of it swallowing the substrate, and It also helps the snake to distinguish between feeding time and handling time. The snake will figure out that when he is in the "special" tank, a meal is about to go into the tank with him. I hope this has been helpful to you, and that you are able to find a substrate that you like!
     

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