Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I was just wondering...are kenyan sand boas and saharan sand boas different species, or are they just different color variants? I saw one for the first time the other day, and got interested in them.

Thanks!

they are different species. the saharan lays eggs and is from west africa, the kenyan is a live bearer and from east africa. thanks, scott erycine1@aol.com

Even the "kenyan" is divided into different subspecies. Although they are so interbred in the pet trade that its impossible to tell the difference now.
-----
Travis Rose
0.1 Normal Kenyan
2.3 High Orange Kenyans
0.2 High Orange Albino Kenyans
0.1 Anery Kenyan
1.2 High White Anery Kenyans
1.0 Yellow Snow Kenyan
1.2 Indian sand boas
X.X Nervous Rats
X.X Paranoid Mice
0.3 Dogs
0.1 Cat
X.X Fish
0.1 Very understanding wife
2.0 Future Snake Lovers

technically not anymore. in i believe 2005 tokar reclassified the genus and eliminated loveridgei and rufescens, as well as a few other subspecies. thanks, scott erycine1@aol.com

I think its even more complicated. Tokar suggested based on some pretty complicated morphological details that they were all the same and formally proposed to group the three into a single species. But, I dont think that the governing body of nomenclature (ICZN) has officially accepted his proposal yet. So, they may be both the same species and different. Ah, taxonomy

Vinny
-----
“There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that whilst this planet has gone on cycling according to the fixed laws of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.” -C. Darwin, 1859

Natural Selection Reptiles

For HappyHerps,
That was saying that the subspecies of "Kenyan" sand boas may or may not be subspecies or just one standardized species with different morphological genetics throughout ranges. "Kenyan" (East African) sand boas and Saharan (West African) sand boas are definitely different species. There is no question about that. "Kenyan" sand boa subspecies may never be completely be agreed upon, so long as people continue to think independently and keep pushing the edges of the box, we'll always have a new way to look at it.

I wish they would make up their minds....drives my filing system nuts.

-----
Travis Rose
0.1 Normal Kenyan
2.3 High Orange Kenyans
0.2 High Orange Albino Kenyans
0.1 Anery Kenyan
1.2 High White Anery Kenyans
1.1 Yellow Snow Kenyan
0.1 Paradox Snow Kenyan
0.1 Paradox Albino Kenyan
2.3 Rough Scale Sand Boas
1.2 Indian sand boas
X.X Nervous Rats
X.X Paranoid Mice
0.3 Dogs
0.2 Cats
X.X Fish
0.1 Very understanding wife
2.0 Future Snake Lovers

ahh, well I went to the OKC show and ended up with:

One 2 year old Snow female
Three 1 year old anery females
One 1 year old anery male
One 1 year old normal male (the norms are my favorite color.)

I just love them, and have been reading everything about them I can get my hands on.

Thanks yall! I think the kenyans are so neat. I have ball pythons, and was considering a kenyan.