Download Kenyan Sand Boa - Cincinnati Zoo

Gongylophis colubrinus loveridgei
Kenyan Sand Boa
Class: Reptilia. Order: Squamata. Family: Boidae.
Other names: Egyptian Sand Boa; East African Sand Boa
Physical Description: Sand boas have stout bodies and are competent
burrowers. They have small eyes and hard small scales to protect their
skin from the grit of sand. There is a great deal of sexual dimorphism,
females generally becoming much larger than males. Most grow
around 2 feet in length.
The boas are members of the family of snakes called Boidea which is represented by about 40 species of
snakes. The name boidea is derived from a traditional Brazilian language that described the anaconda as
mboi. Members of this family are found in the tropics of the Americas, Africa, Madagascar, Asia and a few
species on the West coast of North America. They range in size from sand boas which seldom grow more
than 3 feet in length to one of the largest snakes in the world, the anaconda, which has been recorded at
over 35 feet long!
Diet in the Wild: Their primary diet consists of rodents, but they have also been known to prey on lizards
and birds
Diet at the Zoo: mice
Habitat & Range: Found in eastern Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Niger,
Egypt and Lybia. They are only found in low altitude areas. The majority spend much of their time basking
below the surface of the sand, with only their eyes or head exposed on the surface. When a potential prey
approaches they erupt out of the sand, bite and subdue their prey by constriction.
Life Span: They live around 20 years or more in captivity.
Perils in the wild: Predators such as birds of prey, small mammals and other reptiles all can prey on young
snakes of any species. Human activity can also have a negative effect on snakes in the wild.
Physical Adaptations:
Sand boas have a Jacobson’s organ, pair of pit-like organs on the roof of the mouth that are lined
with olfactory cells and nerves that interpret chemical stimuli in an animal’s surroundings.
Their forked tongue, flickering through the air, picks up scent particles and conveys them to the roof
of their mouth
Behavioral Adaptations:
Sand boas are nocturnal.
Kenyan sand boas spend most of their time in shallow burrows with only its head exposed. The eyes
and nostrils of the snake are placed so that they are clear of debris when the snake is hidden
beneath the sand. Prey is seized when it passes within range and is killed by constriction. During the
hotter months, Kenyan sand boas seek refuge under clumps of vegetation, beneath stones, or in
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mammal burrows.
Reproduction and Development:
Sand boas are generally ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young, after the eggs hatch inside of the
maternal parent. Young will have dark distinctive bands that will disappear as they age.
Additional Information:
Fossil evidence of sand boas have been found in rock strata over 50 million years old and were
widespread in North American. Now, only 2 species remain in North America as well as the sand
boas in Africa, Asia and southeastern Europe.
Are boas or and python family?
Some herpetologists (a scientist who studies snakes) divide the pythons and boas into separate
families or subfamilies. Which ever classification scheme one adheres to, the boas and pythons are
closely related snakes. What is similar is that they are all primitive snakes with similar physical
characteristics. What is different is the New World boas are bear live young while the Old World
pythons are egg laying.
Conservation Status: (IUCN Status):
Not Assessed
Conservation Efforts:
N/A
boidea - The family level of classification snakes described as boas. Boidea is represented by about 40
species of snakes.
Jacobson’s organ- A pair of pit-like organs on the roof of the mouth that are lined with olfactory cells and
nerves that interpret chemical stimuli in an animal’s surroundings.
ovoviviparity. Adj. ovoviviparous – Reproduction where the eggs develop within the maternal body
without outside nourishment and hatch within the parent or immediately after laying.
Sources:
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens
http://www.rightpet.com/ReptileDetail/kenyan-sand-boa
Hickman, C.P. Roberts, L.S. 1994. Biology of Animals
Halliday, T. Adler, K. 1986. The Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians.
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