You may start to think after reading this blog and the previous blog that all we have in our education building is creepy crawlies. Well, you’re sort of on the right track. Our next animal is more of a slithery one and her name is appropriately-Sandi.
Our Kenyan Sand Boa, Sandi, about to dig herself underneath the sand
Sandi is our Kenyan Sand Boa that just moved to our building a couple weeks ago. As you may guess, her species is found in East Africa in desert regions and scrub savannas.
Sandi is well adapted for living in these habitats. Her shovel-like nose helps her dig her entire body under the sand so she is barely visible. Watching her as she burrows underneath the sand is quite the show! She uses the tip of her nose to push the sand away and make room for her body to go under the sand.
Check out her shovel-like nose!
Along with her helpful nose, her brown and orange coloration helps her camouflage and sneak up on prey. As is the case with most snakes, Sandi loves to eat rodents. Her main diet in the wild is small rodents and small lizards but at the Zoo she is mainly fed mice.
Don’t be fooled by her ‘boa’ name though…she is much smaller than most boa constrictors. Female sand boas can reach lengths of up to 24 inches, while males can only reach about 15 inches in length. Their small size helps them hide underneath sand and rocky areas.
Sandi-excited to be out of her home and visiting with staff!
Their size also makes them easy to handle and present to the public. Here at the Zoo Sandi is getting accustomed to being held by lots of staff members! She is very calm and loves the attention she gets when she’s taken out. If you happen to join us in the Brown Education Center for a program you might get to meet her too!
