Boa species that I keep

[fredsmith]

LOL!!
Thats one for the memory bank.

[Buck Rogers]

suppose that's why they call it the 'pinky' finger

LOL

[Boadicea]

Really nice selection of snakes froot. Are you going to be breeding the roughscaled boas anytime soon? I like them and came across one for sale a couple of months back but it was just the one and, I think, a male. Didn't buy it because I wasn't sure if there were any others around. What made you decide on boas?

[froot]

Thanks Boadicea. Yes I want to breed the roughscaleds when they are ready to breed. When I started collecting boas it was because of the amazing range of species there are and because I didn't need to hassle with eggs and incubators when breeding them, apart form that I just find them amazing.

[Bjorn]

I agree with froot. They are really amazing and the live birth just tops it off.

[Burmbuddy]

Nice Froot.
Those are some stunning boas!
Kenyans are on my list to. How is their feeding response?
Cheers
DAN

[froot]

The female eats like a dustbin, the male on the other hand is a bit more figure conscious and only eats once in a while.

[froot]

Took these while feeding this afternoon. I have posted pics of this snake before but hell why not post some more, just because I find this species fascinating.

Madagascan tree boa, mandarin phase (Sanzinia madagascariensis):



Probably the most unusual boa out there IMO and one of my prize species. This animal is a female mandarin phase, she has a 2 toned brown and light cream colour, the inside of her mouth is black like D. polypepis with a set of enormous teeth that somehow fit in her mouth so that it can close. You DO NOT want to take a bite from this species. Their strength is incredible, stronger than any other boa I've handled, even Dumerils boas. She is approaching 2 meters long with a girth reaching about 50mm which is rather misleading when it comes to estimating her strength.

[Mitton]

I love those Tree Boas and you know I am 1st on the list when you breed them hey?
How's the Rainbows, does it look like the female might be preggies again?

[uncutdiamonds]

A few years ago I decided to collect boa species from around the world and hopefully breed them. I'm not really interested in morphs although it would make my day if one of my females gave birth to an albino or something like that. I'm more interested in keeping a range of species and to date I have a few. Here are a few pics of some of the species I keep:

An egg laying boa species, Mullers Sand Boa (Eryx muelleri).


Rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata), not sure of the locality though.


Nice red Kenyan sand boa (Eryx colubrinus), don't see these often here.

...

Can you tell us more about the character of these animals? How are they as pets and of course how are they to keep (requirements and optimum conditions)?

[rolandslf]

Awesome little Boa's there Froot.

I am looking at getting into the Sand Boas from next year. If you don't mind I will have to bug you regarding info when that happens.

[uncutdiamonds]

Awesome little Boa's there Froot.

I am looking at getting into the Sand Boas from next year. If you don't mind I will have to bug you regarding info when that happens.

Do you plan to go big? I'd like to know what the requirements are to start with one sand boa?

[froot]

Sand boas are pretty easy to keep. I keep them in small enclosures and use fine bark chips as a substrate that they can burrow in, sometimes mixed with sterile dirt from the garden that is somewhat clotty but free from compost as opposed to loose desert type sand. I do not use a heat pad under the substrate. For heating I use small 15 watt oven globes that hang from the top in the corners of the enclosures that run on a 12 hour timer cycle. A waterbowl sits somewhere in the middle of the thermal gradient.
When it comes to feeding it's pretty straight forward. These snakes ambush their prey and I feed them in situ, either by dragging a food item with forceps around their heads as they lie buried in the substrate or by simply leaving the food in there for them to find and eat.
The only thing with sand boas as with any fossorial creatures, your cage always looks uninhabited and you will have to dig around to find the buggers every time you get asked "What's in here?"

[uncutdiamonds]

...
The only thing with sand boas as with any fossorial creatures, your cage always looks uninhabited and you will have to dig around to find the buggers every time you get asked "What's in here?"

So this means it's a pretty unactive species? Or at least unactive to people viewing.

I'd just like to know, is there a way to get them more (inter)active?