# Kenyan sand boa help



## mistachicken (10 mo ago)

Hello, I am a new reptile owner and have 1 baby Kenyan sand boa who I've had for about 3 months. She's only eaten a few times and Ive been getting more and more worried. I feed her small pinkies, thawed, and whenever I feed her she seems to nip it and kind of kiss it but she has only striked once out of tens of times I've tried to feed her. She is about 8 inches long and getting very skinny. 
An Issue I think could be related is her shedding. About a month ago she shedded and failed to shed her tail, this has remained on her even untill after the next shed, which was about a week ago. She's still struggling to shed many parts of her and I worry this could not only be contributing to her appetite issues but also be an issue in itself.
Issues im looking into
-temperature- I've noticed the temperature is a few degrees too low and I am shortly going to increase the thermostat.
-humidity- I don't have a hydrometer and I'm looking into getting one, the substrate is snake sand and she has a small water bowl.
thanks!


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

You need to give us a LOT more to help here.
What is she kept in, what heat source do you have, how you are measuring the temperature.
That's for starters!


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## mistachicken (10 mo ago)

oh ok, heres the information on how she's kept:
-a 20 × 16 inch ish vivarium with a glass ceiling and window on the front (opening top).
-heat mat on the left side of the Viv
-im measuring the temp with a small metal thermometer in the hottest corner of the Viv, which is still only about 28 degrees C (I'm going to increase the temp shortly)
-the light is a decorative lamp on the glass ceiling of the Viv, which I turn on during the day
there's a generally consistent 1-2 inch covering of sand substrate
-props: 1 driftwood log that serves as a climbing place for her, the small water bowl, a rock hide (exoterra), and a smaller coconut hide that came with the viv
Hope this helps.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Heating is the issue. A heat mat simply does not work on its own. In a heated room, to provide a local hotspot, great. But not as you have it.
You need to be providing a warm end of 32C, and a basking spot of about 35.
To do this you need to completely rethink your husbandry. An overhead heater is essential. I would recommend a halogen bulb or spot lamp. You will need a dimming thermostat to control the temperature, and a digital thermometer to check the temperature. This will also need a different viv, as 16 inches is too low for such a heater, unless you are quite good with DIY, so that you can cut a hole in the roof.
Overnight heating isn't needed.
I would strongly suggest rehoming this snake, sand boas are not suitable as a first snake, they do have a lot of finicky behaviours. They are not handleable, and are almost never seen.
They also appreciate a good depth of substrate, several inches not 1 or 2.


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## TheHouseofReptilez (Sep 26, 2021)

I don't get why stores advertise Sand Boas as a good first snake, My local reptile store has one on there website and they have the keeper experience level down as Intermediate, I've seen multiple videos of people handling them without any issues but just because said snake behaved for one 12 minute video doesn't mean to say it's always going to be like that off camera,

As Ian said I'd rehome the snake to someone with more experience and maybe look into getting a Corn Snake, Hognose snake or a Royal Python if you can accept the fact that the snake may go on hunger strike at some point.


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