Eryx colubrinus
Kenyan sand boa
A terrestrial cage with several centimetres of substrate to burrow in.
Legal status
- EU Annex B
- CITES II
Eryx colubrinus is CITES Appendix II because Boidae spp. is in Appendix II except species placed in Appendix I. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/966 places that family listing in Annex B except species in Annex A. It is recorded here as Annex B on that basis, the same way Python regius is recorded. Confirm the current annex before you rely on it. Not venomous. Not on the EU invasive-alien-species list. Not named in 50 CFR 16.15. Live-bearing. Incubation days are empty. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 26–32°C
- Basking
- 32–34°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 1. About 0.1–0.7
- Humidity
- 30–50%
- Minimum enclosure
- About 90 × 45 × 30 cm for an adult female
- Adult size
- Males often under 50 cm. Females often 60–90 cm.
- Lifespan
- Often 15–20 years.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Diet and feeding
Rodents. Every 5–7 days for juveniles. Every 7–14 days for adults.
Substrate
Aspen or a dry soil mix. Not soaking wet.
Health
Stuck shed if the cage is desert-dry with no humid retreat, and refusals when the animal is about to shed.
Handling
They spend their time buried. Short handling is enough.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.