I bet he wasn't expecting to have his own web page!
I am doing my report on the East African Sand Boa. The sand boa's scientific name is Eryx colubrinus , which means that it is a burrowing boa. This boa usually lives in East Africa around the areas of Kenya, Egypt, Chad, and other areas nearby. It's habitat is in very sandy areas and it is even sometimes under the nests of it's prey. Most of them are found in the sand, but some are even found in grassy land areas such as savannas.
The food that the sand boa eats is mainly determined by where it is at and if it is in captivity or not. When in the wild, the sand boa feeds on small lizards and little rodents, but when it is in captivity it feeds on baby mice and it is always necessary to have plenty of water.
Sand boas do not really have any predators, just snake predators in general. Actually the truth is that there is a higher chance of the boa to be eaten by a human than anything else. Yuck ,huh!
The male sand boa is smaller than the female. The male will get to about two feet long and weigh about 150 grams. The female on the other hand can get to at least four feet long and can weigh up to 350 grams! That is a big difference, but lucky for the males they both have the same life span which is about 30 years.
When the sand boa has young, it lays eggs and it is not a very good parent. Like most other snakes, it does not take care of the babies. It takes off and they are left to fend on their own.
Other information about the sand boa is that is part of three different animals groups. Joined with the pythons, it is part of the constrictor group. This group is made up of snakes that wrap around their prey and suffocate them. The next group that they are in is the Eryx group. Being in this group means that it is a burrowing boa. With the Rosy Boas in southwest U.S. and northern Mexico, they make up the Erycrine group.
If you think that you would be interested in having a sand boa for a pet, here are a few things that would be helpful to know. Sand boas, like other snakes can carry salmonella. To prevent spreading this if your snake is a carrier, be sure always to use good disinfectants and clean up all the places your snake slithers, never kiss your snake and always, always wash your hands after handling.
He is really enjoying himself here.