I"m very new to Rosy (Desert) Boas, although I have decades of King, Milk & Rat snake experience. As a keeper of reptiles, I'm uncommon in several ways:

1. I keep animals as Animal Companions, not as Pets, and I handle & interact with them often.

2. I set up vivariums to match natural habitat as closely as possible. My focus is on animal well being, as opposed to a focus on convenience or sales. In each vivarium I use a large salad bowl as a soak pool, concealed & covered, with purified water. I"ve NEVER had mite problems.

Vivarium Features: Three levels of usable space. Design is precisely engineered to simulate nature, while maximizing accessories & space. Branches are highly strung to leave a clear view of the bottom accessories & rock wall. Water pool in left corner > open space with cacti > boulder pile in right corner covers 33% of the space.

Branches: Nine - forming full-circle, front & rear loop. Basking spot is open, warming rocks below. Three levels of thermal graduation.
Driftwood: Two, Ironwood, Hidden Canyon root.
Plants: Fourteen fake species, two live species (moss & lichens).
Hide Spots: Two, one at each end.
Rocks: Twelve - mostly basalt & volcanic rocks of dark brown, gray & black.

3. I feed live. My snakes all prefer to be hunters, not scavengers. (Just curious: How many of YOU prefer frozen foods over live, fresh food??)

4. I don't breed, so I can focus on just two snakes with two setups.

When I got my Rosy Boa, I worried about Regurgitation rumors, too, but my common sense told me that in the wild, most snakes live near a water source. Why then, should I take out my water?? I left my soak pool in her vivarium to experiment. She has fed once so far, on a small hopper, with no regurgitation.

My Rosy Boa also seems to be quite uncommon in several ways:

1. She is often daytime-active. In only one month, I've seen her active during all hours.
2. She LOVES to climb! With 9 branches in her setup, I *seldom* see her on the ground.
3. She prefers to bask under an overhead basking bulb - day or night. If not directly under it, she is usually partially concealed near it.

Although there are many categorical truths regarding animal species, the Individual matters. There have always been individuals that defy typical behavior and are very unique, and I suspect that there always will be if Nature is allowed her normal evolutionary course.

Don in Vancouver, WA
Network Engineer, 55 (Explorer, Discoverer, Herpetologist, Naturalist, Writer)

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