Scaly friends count too.
Kenyan Sand Boa
Eryx colubrinus
Also called East African sand boa, Egyptian sand boa, Kenya sand boa, Ostafrikanische Sandboa
From North-east and East Africa: Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, northern Tanzania, Chad and Niger. The pet-trade 'Kenyan' form comes from the dry areas of Kenya and north-east Tanzania.12
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Small, smooth scales; stocky burrower with a short tail
A compact, thick little boa built for life under the sand, with small eyes set high on the head. It is yellow or orange with irregular dark brown patches and a pale cream or white belly.1
Personality what they are like
Placid and easygoing. Kenyan sand boas very seldom bite and settle well with short, regular handling. They are mostly active at night but may surface at odd times during the day.13
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A burrower that spends most of its time under the surface waiting for prey to pass. Needs a deep, loose substrate to dig through rather than tall climbing space, although wild ones occasionally climb.13
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Handle weekly but no more than daily, starting with about 5-minute sessions. Provide a humid hide with moistened substrate on the cool side.3
Home where they are happiest
Minimum enclosure about 60 x 30 x 30 cm (24 x 12 x 12 in); more room is better. Basking surface 34-35 °C, cool zone 26-28 °C, heat off at night. Mostly dry enclosure with one humid hide. Substrate at least 8-10 cm deep, deeper is welcome.3
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Whole prey about as wide as the snake's widest point: mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, quail or chicks. Juveniles eat every 1-2 weeks, adults every 2-4 weeks. Wild sand boas also take lizards and birds.31
Company who they like around
Solitary; house one per enclosure.3
The story where it all began
Linnaeus described the species in 1758, and the Kenyan form was named as subspecies loveridgei by Stull in 1932. Its small size, gentle nature and simple care have made it a fixture of the pet trade, with a growing list of captive-bred morphs.21
Fun facts for the dinner table
Recognised by the official bits
- The Reptile Database
- Accepted species Eryx colubrinus (Linnaeus, 1758); subspecies colubrinus and loveridgei, though some authors do not split it.2
- IUCN Red List (as reported by Wikipedia)
- Least Concern.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Kenyan Sand Boa. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh waterevery day
- Temperature checkCheck the warm and cool endsevery day
- Humidity checkevery 2 days
- Spot cleanevery 2 days
- FeedingHow often depends on species, age and sizevaries
- Shed checkNote each shed in the diary; a complete shed is a good signvaries
- Weigh inevery month
- Full cleanevery month
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees exotic petsevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Eryx colubrinus - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for names, range, size, colours, morphs, temperament, diet, behaviour, conservation, fun facts
- Eryx colubrinus - The Reptile Database reptile-database.reptarium.czused for accepted name, distribution, subspecies, history
- Kenyan Sand Boa Care Sheet - ReptiFiles reptifiles.comused for enclosure, temperatures, humidity, substrate, diet, handling, lifespan, length
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.