is crushed walnut aright for a Kenyan sand boa? - Page 2

Hannibalcanibal · 08-03-12, 08:09 AM

well, the thing is , kenyan sand boas dig their own, sometimes very elaborate burrows- so anything preformed is not going to be as natural and stimulating as digging on their own.... how exactly did the whipsnakes dig in that? did you leave it a bit moist, or did they dig straight through it? lol sorry for the questions...

Wildside · 08-03-12, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hannibalcanibal

well, the thing is , kenyan sand boas dig their own, sometimes very elaborate burrows- so anything preformed is not going to be as natural and stimulating as digging on their own.... how exactly did the whipsnakes dig in that? did you leave it a bit moist, or did they dig straight through it? lol sorry for the questions...

It's ok but it's been a really long time and I was such a noob at this back then. He would dump his water bowl all the time so that might've been how he did it. You're really just gonna have to trial and error it. On my kenyans I used calci-sand. Now that absolutely may not have been the best thing for them but in the shop when someone wanted to see them it was easy to run my fingers through the sand to find them. They never seemed to mind just submersing in the sand. Maybe KKgal could help you more

mykee · 08-03-12, 08:16 AM

I keep all my Kenyans on Beta Chip.

bigsnakegirl785 · 08-04-12, 01:41 AM

You should get a heavier water bowl if you don't want it to fall over. The bottom of a water bottle is very flimsy, use an old dip bowl, etc. That's what I do, and I've never had the bowl tipped over.

CK SandBoas · 08-12-12, 07:18 AM

I use shredded aspen for all my Kenyans. Before i truly knew better, i used the calci-sand, which was just horrible. It was extremely dusty, it literally stuck to my snakes, and it was just not the best substrate at all for Kenyans.

As for the crushed walnut, i've never used it myself, so i can't say how good or how appropriate it is, but my vote is used Shredded Aspen

Richtenhoffen · 11-05-12, 07:57 PM

Hello,

This is my first post on this web site and I just bought my second snake a wee Kenyan sand boa and I can tell its going to be a great snake (I dont know its gender yet people at the pet shop said its to small at the moment to check).

I have a question about humidity boxes in the cage and what kind of substrate I can use. Currently I have cypress mulch and plantation soil. Will any of these substrates work in a humidity box for the little guy?

Thanks

jausi · 11-05-12, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richtenhoffen

Hello,

This is my first post on this web site and I just bought my second snake a wee Kenyan sand boa and I can tell its going to be a great snake (I dont know its gender yet people at the pet shop said its to small at the moment to check).

I have a question about humidity boxes in the cage and what kind of substrate I can use. Currently I have cypress mulch and plantation soil. Will any of these substrates work in a humidity box for the little guy?

Thanks

Kenya sand boas are desert type snake, they dont need to much humidity, I good Idea is to put a hinding place with tons of spagnum moss, make sure to completly sock in in water then trow the extra water, sand boas will love to hide there specially in sheding time, I would not recommend using crushed walnut, niether mulch (mulch is good for tropical type snakes, since will hold humidity well, but there is the risk of mold too, not good for your snake skin) or aspen chip, Ill said aspen works fine.

you guys should check this web:
www.sandboamorphs.com

that guy has tones of good looking sand boas and care sheets as well

jaleely · 11-05-12, 10:37 PM

there is a good group on facebook about kenyan sand boas, and another website called sand boa keepers.
I know some people on there do well with crushed walnut.

I actually use Sand, for my...sand boas : )
blasting sand, grain 20 or 30, kiln dried, pre-washed "dust free" which means, dusty, but less dusty.

It's far less dusty than dirt, or soil, and it's meant to be dry, where as soil dries out and gets powdery.

Clay is not recommended for any snake. IT's horrible when it's too dry, and it's horrible when it's too wet. It's also hard to keep...when it's baked dry, it firms up...and what if the snake poops in there? then you're breaking it apart, it's soaked into the hard clay, it's a mess.

Also, sand boas actually DO prefer higher humidity. It's a myth that they need less. If you do provide a humid hide, or tupperware with moist moss in it...they will get into it, and spend most of their time in it.
They should be provided with a water dish at all times.

i don't like aspin, but a lot of people do well with it for their sand boas.

Good luck!

mykee · 11-06-12, 08:19 AM

Missy hits on a great point; humidity. I keep my KSB in the exact same conditions as my ball pythons; 95 hot spot, 80-ish cool spot and about an inch and a half of Beta Chip.
60% humidity all the time.

**Pareeeee** · 11-12-12, 10:26 AM

I, myself, would not use Crushed Walnut. I had it once and hated it. It was so dusty - you couldn't move it around or scoop poop out of it, or big clouds of fine dust would *poof* into the air...usually there was walnut "sediment" on anything near the cage.

Plus, I'm allergic to it...

jaleely · 11-12-12, 09:40 PM

I always hit on great points, mykee. Thank you for noticing.

how are your critters doing, hannibal?

**Pareeeee** · 11-13-12, 07:57 AM

I had to google "beta chip" since I have never seen or even heard of it before. It's lab-quality hardwood bedding (maple, beech, birch, poplar), in case anyone else doesn't know.