2021 0.1 Candoia paulsoni, Solomon Island ground boa, white phase - Inej

Been scouting for a smaller species of boa for a while and landed on Candoia paulsoni sometime last year, but things didn't line up to acquire one until this month. So without further ado, I introduce Inej.

Pictures the breeder sent me before shipping:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach.../boa1jpeg.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...38/image1.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...08/image2.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...30/image3.jpeg

And then the ones I've taken since she came home:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...630_101842.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...630_101917.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...630_104332.jpg

She was born 3/31, and as of today she weighs 12 grams. So small!

What is she eating? She's so tiny & cute! :love:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

What is she eating? She's so tiny & cute! :love:

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The breeder had her on F/T mouse pinkies for 10 feedings in a row, which sounds fairly promising.

What an awesome critter. I was looking into these last year but couldn’t find one. I’ve heard they can be hard to get going on food but it sounds like yours is pretty well established. I’m really excited to see your critter as it grows. Best wishes!

Very cool! I like the zipper or rose thorny-like back pattern.

So tiny. So beautiful. I would call her Thumbelina. But then again, I don’t know how big these beauties get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

What an awesome critter. I was looking into these last year but couldn’t find one. I’ve heard they can be hard to get going on food but it sounds like yours is pretty well established. I’m really excited to see your critter as it grows. Best wishes!

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They aren't easy to find, and I'm honestly surprised I found her. Was just scrolling through Morph Market, and I next to never do that lately. Too many pretty snakes I can't have, haha. And there she was. The breeder said that she's a "little piggy" when it comes to food; guess I'll find out for myself next week!

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Originally Posted by Trinityblood

Very cool! I like the zipper or rose thorny-like back pattern.

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Thank you! I like the ones that have the more uneven pattern down the back as opposed to straight lines. Makes things more visually interesting.

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Originally Posted by Kam

So tiny. So beautiful. I would call her Thumbelina. But then again, I don’t know how big these beauties get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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That's a good one! Males get about 2.5-3 feet. Females can get up to 5 feet, but usually stay under 4. Very similar size-wise to a ball python, seems like.

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Originally Posted by Kam

So tiny. So beautiful. I would call her Thumbelina. But then again, I don’t know how big these beauties get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Personally, I'd have to call her "Pat"...because I'm old enough to remember comedian Pat Paulsen, & he pops into my brain the minute I read her scientific name, lol. :D

Mini-update. Inej shed yesterday. She has yet to eat, but the breeder says that's fairly typical for this species while in shed. I generally don't feed during shed cycles anyways (only I never actually saw her in blue, as I was away), so I'll try offering a little later in the week. She is also so small I felt like I had to use a smaller water bowl. (pictured is the old one for comparison)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...630_111955.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...702_091454.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...710_140456.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...712_211956.jpg

The shed itself is perfect, other than a tear behind the head. Eye caps, nostrils, and tail tip all there.

She ate today! No pictures, as I've been leaving her alone and keeping things quiet since she shed. Was waiting for her to start exploring (mostly so I could even see her, she's so tiny), and she finally came out tonight! Enthusiastically wrapped and ate two day-old pinky mice.

That's awesome! :gj: :D

She eagerly took feed number two! Wrapped it tight in what I can't only describe as a mouse burrito.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...723_223125.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...723_225845.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...724_111315.jpg

"Mouse burrito"! :rofl: I like that-

Inej ate for a third time last week, and since I haven't noticed any problems, she has been upgraded to eco earth substrate from paper towels. Should she discover she can burrow, I may never see her again haha. I want to say she's gotten bigger, but with how tiny she is, it's really hard to tell.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...802_140438.jpg

What a cutie! But she's HUGE compared to some snakes I've raised. Corn snakes are tiny enough & I've raised quite a few, but the absolute smallest ones I've raised were a whole clutch of desert glossy snakes some years ago. They were only about 7" long, & really skinny. Anyway, enjoy your little one, they're only this "little" once. :D I really like her pattern (markings) too.

Looking good. What a cutie.

Keep us posted.

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Originally Posted by dakski

Looking good. What a cutie.

Keep us posted.

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Thank you! Will do!

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

What a cutie! But she's HUGE compared to some snakes I've raised. Corn snakes are tiny enough & I've raised quite a few, but the absolute smallest ones I've raised were a whole clutch of desert glossy snakes some years ago. They were only about 7" long, & really skinny. Anyway, enjoy your little one, they're only this "little" once. :D I really like her pattern (markings) too.

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She's the shortest snake I've had to date. Lan Fan weighed less on acquisition, but was already very long for such a tiny noodly thing. I think Inej is around 11 inches long, maybe? Not very big compared to Maze or Lan Fan. Can't imagine holding something 7 inches long, that is just so, so tiny.

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Originally Posted by Starscream

...She's the shortest snake I've had to date. Lan Fan weighed less on acquisition, but was already very long for such a tiny noodly thing. I think Inej is around 11 inches long, maybe? Not very big compared to Maze or Lan Fan. Can't imagine holding something 7 inches long, that is just so, so tiny.

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I've raised many corns & they're mostly about 9-10" when they hatch- & skinny- but you're right, those little glossy snakes weren't even .25" at the widest part- they were a huge challenge to get feeding too. But as adults, desert glossy snakes are really nice pets- graceful, sweet-natured & pretty in a natural (blending in with the desert) sort of way, not bright colors, but warm beiges with "freckles" & a glossy underside. When you're used to boas or BPs, hatchling colubrids do seem quite tiny. And they can be slippery escape artists also- no gaps allowed in caging. ;)

Inej has grown a whopping 4 grams since she came home. She is now 16 grams. I also noticed she's getting some light oranges coming in along her dorsal stripe, which I'm pretty excited about. It doesn't really show up well on camera, though.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...811_165624.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...811_165722.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...811_170050.jpg

She's a very nice-looking snake, & one we virtually never see around here otherwise, so I love your updates. :D

Only a 12 gram increase in roughly 2 months? Do they grow very slowly?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

She's a very nice-looking snake, & one we virtually never see around here otherwise, so I love your updates. :D

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Thanks! I have to admit, the uniqueness of the species was definitely a factor when I chose her. If you'd like to see more, her breeder's pretty active on Instagram, @stygianexotics !

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Only a 12 gram increase in roughly 2 months? Do they grow very slowly?

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There's been a bit of a misunderstanding - Inej was 12 grams when I aquired her. I dont't know how much she weighed at birth, so can't attest to that. But for a baby snake to gain what is essentially a third of her weight in a month and a half isn't exactly slow growth. She's just a small species, is all. She may never even attain 3 feet long, though we'll just have to see on that one.

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Originally Posted by Starscream

There's been a bit of a misunderstanding - Inej was 12 grams when I aquired her. I dont't know how much she weighed at birth, so can't attest to that. But for a baby snake to gain what is essentially a third of her weight in a month and a half isn't exactly slow growth. She's just a small species, is all. She may never even attain 3 feet long, though we'll just have to see on that one.

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I see. For the record I wasn't accusing you of bad husbandry or anything, was just genuinely curious since my only experience is with a ball python where he's gained about 100 grams every month or two. That and I'm at the point where I hear "boa" and still tend to think a 5+ foot minimum animal. Still learning. :oops:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

... I'm at the point where I hear "boa" and still tend to think a 5+ foot minimum animal. Still learning. :oops:

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Not all "pythons" are medium or large/giant size either. Look up the Antaresia family of snakes- they all stay quite small too. ;) My 13 year old Spotted python is roughly the size of an adult corn snake now, but when she was hatched she was just a tiny thing too, maybe 10"- and spotted pythons are one of the larger pythons in this family. Actually, my spotted python wasn't much over 10" when I got her as a yearling because the breeder kept trying to force her to eat live pinkies & she wanted only f/t, so she didn't eat or grow much until she moved in with me. Anyway, most people picture "pythons" as big snakes too. :cool:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

I see. For the record I wasn't accusing you of bad husbandry or anything, was just genuinely curious since my only experience is with a ball python where he's gained about 100 grams every month or two. That and I'm at the point where I hear "boa" and still tend to think a 5+ foot minimum animal. Still learning. :oops:

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I didn't think you were, sorry if my tone said otherwise. Something that's hard to get across via text. I appreciate your interest! And that's fair -- plenty of boas do get quite large. Not these guys. I like to stay a little on the small side so I can keep them in my standard of an adequately sized enclosure (aka too big according to most people lol).

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Not all "pythons" are medium or large/giant size either. Look up the Antaresia family of snakes- they all stay quite small too. ;) My 13 year old Spotted python is roughly the size of an adult corn snake now, but when she was hatched she was just a tiny thing too, maybe 10"- and spotted pythons are one of the larger pythons in this family. Actually, my spotted python wasn't much over 10" when I got her as a yearling because the breeder kept trying to force her to eat live pinkies & she wanted only f/t, so she didn't eat or grow much until she moved in with me. Anyway, most people picture "pythons" as big snakes too. :cool:

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True! And while generally not as heavy, some colubrids can get pretty big, too. Vietnamese blue beauties can get 11+ feet. Now that's a lot of noodly, pretty snake!

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Not all "pythons" are medium or large/giant size either. Look up the Antaresia family of snakes- they all stay quite small too. ;) My 13 year old Spotted python is roughly the size of an adult corn snake now, but when she was hatched she was just a tiny thing too, maybe 10"- and spotted pythons are one of the larger pythons in this family. Actually, my spotted python wasn't much over 10" when I got her as a yearling because the breeder kept trying to force her to eat live pinkies & she wanted only f/t, so she didn't eat or grow much until she moved in with me. Anyway, most people picture "pythons" as big snakes too. :cool:

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Oh believe me, I know all too well. I tell anybody I have a ball python and the immediate assumption is I have a 20 foot man-eater. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Oh believe me, I know all too well. I tell anybody I have a ball python and the immediate assumption is I have a 20 foot man-eater. :rolleyes:

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So you should have known better than to assume boas are BIG sneks, lol. BTW, I have a rosy boa- she's a whopping 3.5' @ 18 years of age. :snake: Another yuge one! ;)

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

So you should have known better than to assume boas are BIG sneks, lol. BTW, I have a rosy boa- she's a whopping 3.5' @ 18 years of age. :snake: Another yuge one! ;)

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...Ya know what, I'm just gonna take the L plain and simple on this one. I'm quite familiar with KSBs and I know they stay small. I know rosy and rubber boas aren't that big either. My best excuse is that SIGBs look superficially similar to a typical BCI/BCC at a glance and my brain forgot where the Solomon Islands were so I thought it was some offshoot subspecies/locality or something.

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Originally Posted by Starscream

True! And while generally not as heavy, some colubrids can get pretty big, too. Vietnamese blue beauties can get 11+ feet. Now that's a lot of noodly, pretty snake!

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11+? Most I've heard is 7-8, maybe 9 at the absolute most. A VBB is my dream snake so I've been researching them a lot.

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

...11+? Most I've heard is 7-8, maybe 9 at the absolute most. A VBB is my dream snake so I've been researching them a lot.

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That does sound like a more exceptional (max) length? I had the impression that Taiwan Beauty rat snakes get a little larger than the VBB, & sources said about 10' for max length, back when I kept some. I will say that mine quickly got to 7 1/2' in a few years though, so if they lived to their maximum lifespan of about 20, I don't think 10' would be a stretch at all. Also, since both are being captive-bred & well fed with few or no parasites (like wild snakes have to deal with), they tend to get more even more robust. Plan for the maximum size anyway, as they're active & restless.

Hey, we're getting off topic anyway- (sorry Starscream) :oops: Let's stick with Solomon Island ground boas...

Just bumping because I found this thread after searching Solomon Island ground boas after seeing several CBB listed on MM. There seem to be a few breeders active on there now, and the range of colors even in the same litter is really cool.
I'm not in the market right now but maybe someday, they seem like such cool little boas.

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Originally Posted by plateOfFlan

Just bumping because I found this thread after searching Solomon Island ground boas after seeing several CBB listed on MM. There seem to be a few breeders active on there now, and the range of colors even in the same litter is really cool.
I'm not in the market right now but maybe someday, they seem like such cool little boas.

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Mine's doing quite well! She came to me taking frozen/thawed day-old pinkies and is now taking multiple pinks per feeding. I don't recall if I mentioned who I acquired her from, but her breeder is Stygian Exotics based in Michigan. They have a good variety of both tree and ground boas that I like to admire on instagram.

She's bitten me once in what was very clearly a food-motivated way, but otherwise seems more interested in running than biting. She's pretty calm once in the hand, though.

A few pics, though they are kinda old. I keep forgetting to take pictures instead of just handling or admiring her lmao.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...010_123311.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...101_175642.jpg

She's coming along nicely! :) And her behavior sounds "par for the course" for most young snakes- a few "mistake"-nips can be anticipated while learning to feel safe in those soft warm hands.

Thanks for sharing your source, especially that yours was well-started to begin with- that helps snakes so much. I'm really happy to see more interest in ppl working with these- they've been over-looked for far too long.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

She's coming along nicely! :) And her behavior sounds "par for the course" for most young snakes- a few "mistake"-nips can be anticipated while learning to feel safe in those soft warm hands.

Thanks for sharing your source, especially that yours was well-started to begin with- that helps snakes so much. I'm really happy to see more interest in ppl working with these- they've been over-looked for far too long.

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Agreed on behavior -- she's a very little girl in a very big world. I can't fault her for thinking my finger looked like food.

I thought I had shared a link at some point but couldn't remember if I had actually named them. They were very clear on making sure their snakes were well started, and wouldn't even ship her until she had taken 6 f/t meals in a row. Mad respect for that, and it definitely made her transition to my house a lot easier.

Inej is coming up on 9 months and still so very tiny. She is huge compared to when I first acquired her, but she doesn't look it lol.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...122_135241.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...122_145325.jpg

Looking good.

Any more mistaking fingers for food? How's her temperament turning out?

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Originally Posted by dakski

Looking good.

Any more mistaking fingers for food? How's her temperament turning out?

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Thanks. She did actually bite me about an hour before I took this photo, but she's pretty food motivated so I expected it. Once she realizes there isn't food she's about as chill as my ball python with handling, so I think I'll start tap training her. Her everything is so tiny I do worry about accidentally hurting her...

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Originally Posted by Starscream

Thanks. She did actually bite me about an hour before I took this photo, but she's pretty food motivated so I expected it. Once she realizes there isn't food she's about as chill as my ball python with handling, so I think I'll start tap training her. Her everything is so tiny I do worry about accidentally hurting her...

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Then instead of "tapping her", just offer something soft that smells nothing like her food- it can be your worn clothing if you like- but either way, that often "changes the channel" sufficiently- it's just about letting them know that it's not food coming their way. You can also use a cardboard tube, that's softer than a hook, & she won't catch her teeth on it either. Most anything will work to signal a snake this way.

I'll think about it and what I have lying around the house that might be suitable. Thanks for the suggestions!

Caught her in her water bowl looking very fired up. You can see how much she's grown compared to the first pic on this page!
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...127_110510.jpg

Whatever you use, try to put your scent on the item too, so she'll learn that your incoming scent means "no risk- self defense not needed". ;)

The one advantage of using a snake hook though is that you can gently lift a snake- & for those determined biters, being able to lift them mid-body & then to set them onto your hand will minimize the risk, while they remember the feeling of being handled & that they're safe with you. You could cover the tip of your hook with something like a bit of soft rubber/plastic tubing or maybe silicone, in case they bite it.

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Originally Posted by Starscream

Been scouting for a smaller species of boa for a while and landed on Candoia paulsoni sometime last year, but things didn't line up to acquire one until this month. So without further ado, I introduce Inej.

Pictures the breeder sent me before shipping:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach.../boa1jpeg.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...38/image1.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...08/image2.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...30/image3.jpeg

And then the ones I've taken since she came home:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...630_101842.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...630_101917.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...630_104332.jpg

She was born 3/31, and as of today she weighs 12 grams. So small!

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Absolutely gorgeous! I hope mine looks that good in a few months (or more....). Still hasn't eaten for me. Your's has a nice girth. People say they can go months without eating, but if they are not girthy or had a few meals in them first, I wonder if that remains true.

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Originally Posted by vkahri

Absolutely gorgeous! I hope mine looks that good in a few months (or more....). Still hasn't eaten for me. Your's has a nice girth. People say they can go months without eating, but if they are not girthy or had a few meals in them first, I wonder if that remains true.

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That very first image was right after eating two pinkies (so said the breeder), so she looks a bit more chonk than normal there. And thank you! I really hope yours starts eating soon.

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Originally Posted by vkahri

Absolutely gorgeous! I hope mine looks that good in a few months (or more....). Still hasn't eaten for me. Your's has a nice girth. People say they can go months without eating, but if they are not girthy or had a few meals in them first, I wonder if that remains true.

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Vkhari, I wonder if since your breeder hasn't been very useful, if you could try contacting the breeder who produced Starscream's boa, since they seem to know how to get neonates feeding? Maybe they'd give you some tips even if they didn't produce the snake. It's a shame that they're so hard to get started, it's such a cool species. Hopefully someday they wind up like hognoses where the kinks seem to have been mostly worked out.

I would love to reach out to them, I don't know who they are?
Starscream, if you see this and wouldn't mind, maybe shoot me a PM?

I tried braining a pinky yesterday, no good. I also tried holding him up to my mourning geckos. Literally nose to gecko and no apparent interest. I thought about trying a feeder anole next, and or a feeder guppie if I can find one. Bout ready to search for a vet.

Almost time for a bigger water bowl :).
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...729_132936.jpg

@Starscream, I really enjoyed reading this thread. :)

Could you say a little about general husbandry for C. paulsoni? Enclosure size (currently and what you're anticipating as final adult housing), temps, moisture levels, optimum substrate, etc. Appreciate any info you'd share, as there seems to be little available.

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Originally Posted by Malum Argenteum

@Starscream, I really enjoyed reading this thread. :)

Could you say a little about general husbandry for C. paulsoni? Enclosure size (currently and what you're anticipating as final adult housing), temps, moisture levels, optimum substrate, etc. Appreciate any info you'd share, as there seems to be little available.

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Completely understand your pain there -- most of my research for this species was looking at what it's like in their natural habitat compared to what few accounts people have of keeping them.

Inej is currently in a 76 qt Sterlite stacker tote that I modified for a CHE/UVB setup and a front-opening sliding glass door. She spends more time climbing than you'd expect for a ground boa, so providing the height for the heat elements alone was worth it to me. For adult size, I'm wanting to us a 3 foot by 2 foot enclosure, as she may get up to four feet long but I expect she may stop at 3 feet.

Temps are between 82F and 86F with a hot spot of 92F under the CHE. She spends a lot of time in her humid hide and in her water bowl, so high humidity is a must for these guys. I'm currently using that coco coir stuff, but I honestly hate it. It's very dusty and a pain to clean, but it does let her burrow easily. I would switch to something like coco chip, but the pieces are bigger than she is.

Definitely look into temps and average humidity for their natural range, its really eye opening what they go through in the wild that was a good baseline for me. Please do not use my word alone to determine how to keep these guys, as there's a lot more complexity that I'm sure I'm forgetting to type in a forum post.

I took Inej out for a cage cleaning today, and she handles like a dream.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...016_165212.jpg
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...016_164232.jpg
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...016_164220.jpg
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...016_164033.jpg

She's a real gem! :love: And you've really put in the work for her- it shows.

Inej turned two a couple days ago. She's still pretty tiny, but she seems to be a good weight. I've heard slower is better for boas, so hopefully I'm doing this right. She's moving to fuzzies (finally) next feeding. Work's been incredibly hectic, so I haven't had time to handle or really do anything with her beyond feeding and cleaning up after her.

I really, really want to change her substrate to something that's less dusty.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...317_130628.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...328_175253.jpg

Wow, she's doing great, thanks to YOU. :gj: And what a beautiful little creature she is too.