Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have five smooth scaled sand boas for three years. Three females and two males. I cooled them down to 60 degrees with water but no food for two months I warmed them to 80 degrees and fed them all mice. Time to breed, hopefully. Put them together in a large cage today. See what happens.

I would give them basking temps a little warmer than that (90-95F).

Good luck!
-Chris
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Christopher E. Smith
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Captive Bred Herps
Wildlife Research & Consulting Services, LLC

Thanks for the info. I am increasing the temperature.

I agree with CBH on the temps.

Sounds like you are trying to keep these snakes with the "standard colubrid formula". I would read up on these snakes and ask questions to breeders (like you are doing). I think for these snakes and sandboas in general, there is a more optimum regimen for keeping and breeding them in terms of temps. 80 deg may not cut it for a gestating female. It might be OK simply to maintain a snake, but not to support successful baby production.

I agree with the others that have posted above on the warmer basking temps, but make sure you supply a gradient across the cage floor. A warmer basking spot is needed for proper embryo development, however a cooler area will be needed for female ovulation and proper spermatozoa development with the male. If the entire cage substrate is close to 90 or above you will end up sterilizing the male, or kill sperm within the female after copulation. The gradient for this species should typically run from 80 at one end of the cage to 90 to 95 at the warm end during breeding trials. Your cooling them to 60 for a couple of months was good and will definitely increase your chances of success.

Kelly