A Snake

I got a snake. It's a Kenyan Sand Boa, with a different coloration than most. They are generally orange and brown, but breeders have taken recessive traits and bred them without the orange pigment, resulting in a white and brown snake. I haven't named the snake. It is currently under a foot long and about as big around as a finger. These are a small species and do not get much longer than a couple of feet. They do get pretty thick, though. One interesting thing about this species is that it burrows. I guess you could say that makes it a boring pet as the most you ever really see of it is a head poking out of the substrate, but they are rather fascinating to me.

In this picture you can see that the eyes are a little bit forward and high on the head. This helps them to see while sitting mostly under the ground. You also might be able to see that the snake has got a bit of an underbite. The pronounced upper jaw helps the snake avoid getting sand in its mouth when digging into the ground.

This photo was taken from the Vida Preciosa International, Inc. website gallery. It shows a large female with normal coloring. You can see that the Kenyan Sand Boa is very thick with a relatively small head.


I am hoping that my snake will get acclimated quickly and begin eating soon. I saw it waiting at the surface this evening, but it didn't take the pre-killed pinky mouse that I offered to it. I imagine the snake was just checking things out rather than exhibiting hunger.