kenyan Sand Boa

Kenyan sand boa are one of the easier snakes to breed in captivity. This is because females are viviparous, meaning they give live birth. Breeders don’t have to incubate eggs for months, and within a few weeks of being born, baby Kenyan sand boas can be sold. This species is also one of the smallest boas in the world, so feeding them is not overly expensive.

Normal Kenyan sand boas are found with dark brown saddles, dusky orange scales, and a pale white belly. A line-bred morph has resulted in the nuclear morph, where these natural colors are incredibly bright and vivid. Other morphs alter the saddles of this snake. The stripe morph, the splash, and the Dodoma morph all alter, or remove, the saddles. Crossbreeding Kenyan sand boa morphs has resulted in an attractive, although relatively small, range of affordable snakes.

kenyan Sand Boa

These snakes are native to parts of Northern Africa. The first specimens were imported from Kenya to the U.S. in the 1970s. Today, there are specific laws that prevent wild-caught snakes from being exported. All Kenyan sand boas in the U.S. will almost certainly be captive-bred snakes. When bred in captivity, Kenyan sand boas make good pets.

A normal Kenyan sand boa is a snake without morphs, called a wild-type. It is thick-bodied and quite small. Its belly scales are pale, usually white or cream-colored. The rest of its body, from the blunt head to the stubby tail, is usually orange or yellow with dark brown saddles.

kenyan sand boa morphs

The Kenyan sand boa morphs is a heavy-looking reptile with a blunt head, small eyes, and a thick, short body. Its belly is white or cream colored and its back has orange or yellow coloration with dark brown splotches. The tail is very short and tapers quickly to a dull point and can’t be coiled. The boa’s eyes and nostrils are placed on the head so that they remain free of debris when the snake’s body is hidden below the sand.