I know, giving them time to settle in before handling is probably the hardest part of getting a new reptile for me, haha. But once he eats and has been given a little time to digest, I think you’ll be good to start taking him out. I hope he’s a good eater for you!
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Yup Binder clips are great for sterilite tubs. I have SIX on my sneaky noodle’s bin. A little annoying to get into the bin but at least he probably can’t get OUT.
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Yeah, I care about that lol 
. I am a huge fan of pvc enclosures that have locks on them.
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On Saturday my sand boa had his first mouse. He ate a large pinky. I tried feeding with tongs but I don’t think he saw it so I left it on a paper towel and it was gone in the morning. Does anybody have any tips on how to handle sand boas? I feel like just picking them up would be too stressful, I would like to try training but I don’t think he would be active enough to get that to work. Also, should I add hides and cover or won’t it make a difference? I see a lot of mixed opinions about that.
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Some of mine feed off tongs, some still eat off a “plate” and prefer to be left alone. Out of personal preference, I avoid using a paper towel to put the thawed mouse on though. I’ve had one juvenile sand boa catch her teeth on the paper towel when striking the mouse that was resting there and continued trying to eat, so I had to intervene and remove the paper towel before she got carried away swallowing it. I now use a piece of a notecard or a bottle cap as a “plate” for smaller feeders like pinks/fuzzies.
At the size yours is, he’s likely going to be a bit jumpy, so I would suggest handling close to a surface like the floor. Keep in mind that being held up in the air is a very foreign experience to them but most will grow to tolerate it quite well. Supporting their underneath is important and avoid grabbing by the tail as they can be quite reactive to that. When picking up, I locate the middle of their body and attempt to scoop from underneath. A baby may kind of thrash at first but if you provide support underneath them or even let them get a bit of that out of their system by placing them on a safe surface while watching them, they will generally calm down.
In the enclosure? I suggest adding something, yes. I prefer lightweight clutter/cover. I usually put a TP roll or two in there along with a loose piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, among other things. Mine are in a rack though, so I understand that wouldn’t be the most appealing in a display set-up, but there are plenty of better looking options that accomplish the same thing.
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Thank you! When I get home I’ll cut a piece of paper to use as a plate instead of paper towel. I had thought of that problem but I didn’t think it was much of a risk. I’m going to try handling later when I get home and see what happens, hopefully it works out well. I’ll also add some lightweight hides. I’m thinking I’ll add a few toilet paper/paper towel rolls and hides (the hides are similar to reptile basics except a bit flimsier).
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Yay, glad he ate for you! I’ve never been able to get my sand boa to strike feed off tongs, she completely ignores me when I wiggle a mouse in front of her. She won’t even flick her tongue until I just leave it on a plate or paper towel and close up her enclosure (though after reading about @scissortailscales experience using paper towels, I think I’m going to stop using them for feeding all together, that issue is something that hadn’t occurred to me).
I don’t use any sort of hook or anything to get my sand boa out. I tried a couple times, but she’d just slide right off the hook every time I managed to hook her (sand boas won’t really “ride the hook” the way many other snakes will, it seems), so it seemed safer for her for me to just use my hands. She will usually try to burrow away from me at first, so I just try to gently but efficiently get one hand underneath her body near her mid-section and scoop her out. Once I’ve lifted her out of the substrate, I’ll get my other hand under her to give her more support, at which point she usually settles down and stops trying to escape. Once she’s out, she’s very calm and docile. Just be aware that they won’t hang onto you at all, and they’re very clumsy climbers (though that won’t necessarily stop them from trying to climb anyway), so make sure you’re ready to catch him if he starts to try to move up onto your shoulder or something. Handling while sitting on the floor, a bed, sofa, or at a table is probably the safest, just so they don’t have a long way to fall if they slip while attempting to explore.
I’d recommend putting in a hide or two and some decor. My sand boa has a hide, a low grapevine branch, some fake plants, and a hollow plastic “log” that’s slightly too small to be a real hide (though she can get part of her body under it), and she seems to enjoy using all those things. She hangs out on the surface under the hide quite often, and even basks on top of it, and climbs on the branch and likes to slither through the fake plants and the small fake log. I actually found that she started spending more time on top of the substrate once I put that stuff in there. Though from what I’ve read, adults tend to spend more time on top of the substrate than babies and juveniles, who seem to spend most of their time buried. Still, I think it’s nice to give them some enrichment on the surface anyway, just so they have the option. It also gives them something to rub against while shedding. Just make sure you don’t use anything too heavy that could injure them if they knock it over while burrowing around. And know that their burrowing activities will rearrange whatever you put in there, so don’t be surprised if you have to fix stuff fairly often, haha (I’ve basically given up trying to keep her fake cactus and succulent upright).
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This is very informative, thank you! Now that you mention that I’m going to try handling over a bed.
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I added some toilet paper/paper towel rolls and I’ve seen him out a few times. I think I might try to make a snake hook out of a coat hanger or something similar (making sure it isn’t sharp of course) so he hopefully isn’t as bothered by me trying to pick him up.
Here’s a picture of him from today.
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Just look at that face!! I so happy that you finally got a snake!
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Thank you! I’m still super excited about him! I’ve been regularly petting him and he’s gotten a lot more used to me touching him. It used to be where he jumped and quickly moved away whenever I touched him and now I can pet him and he will only move a little bit or not at all. I’m hoping that I will be able to pick him up by next week but I’ll just move at whatever pace he does well at.
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I have been wanting sand boas for a long time as i actually prefer smaller breed snakes over the giants. Maybe if i go to the reptile show in July someone may have a sand boa i cant pass up. Im definitely open to the possibility.
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I haven’t had mine for very long but they are a great species. From what I’ve read (I don’t think my one sand boa is enough to say this is true for the species) they are hardy, good eaters, usually calm/easy to handle, and they are easy to breed if you wanted to try that. I also love their faces and think they are super cute.
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Omg that face is precious! Sounds like you’re making great progress getting him comfortable with you.
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They’re awesome snakes! Definitely a good choice if you want something that doesn’t get so big. My girl is large by sand boa standards, and she only measures roughly 34" long. Males and young females are significantly smaller. They’re also hardy, docile (usually), and have, in my opinion, one of the most vibrant and beautiful wild-type colourations out there (though they also have several lovely morphs).
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He is super cute. I really love the faces of sand boas and western hognoses (which look pretty similar). I’d rather take taming slower so he trusts me than forcing him to be picked up, which I think would be worse in the long-run.
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I was able to hold him yesterday! He was really calm so I tried to pick him up and he only moved a little bit, and he wasn’t jumping or trying to escape. It was awesome just to be able to hold him and have him move around my hands. I only handled him for about a minute and I think he’s getting a lot more used to me.
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That’s so awesome!
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He’s the largest snake I’ve held and it was awesome to be able to feel his muscles and see his movement. The only other two snakes I’ve held were tiny (one baby snake I found on a bike ride, and a much smaller sand boa at an expo). I’m going to handle him next on Thursday since I’m feeding him tonight.
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Last night I went to feed him and he struck from the tongs! It was super cool to watch him consume the mouse (which might seem boring to people who see it all the time but it was the first time I saw this). I had to pull a piece of bedding out of his mouth but I think that was just from when he struck, he picked some up on his way out of the substrate. I also realized that I couldn’t even see the food bulge and I’m going to get the next size up at an expo Saturday.
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