Sanzinia: Madagascan Tree Boas

[Hypancistrus]

Saw one at a show last year and really liked it. Just now stumbled upon the name again and found out for sure what it was.

Anyone on here keeping them? What are they like?

[Benjy]

The one I have experience with wouldn't hurt a fly, stays a good five or so feet and is not problematic. I don't know how others behave but this one's only hassle is misting it every day.

[Vypyrz]

I wish I had one. They are even harder to come by than Madagascar Ground Boas. The Sanzinia is on my list of Targets of Opportunity. I don't plan on having one, but, if the opportunity presents itself...

[bioteacher]

I don't keep any, but from what I know they stay fairly small (7 ft max I think) and are fairly calm. Everyone that I know that has had them, provides a lot of space (think 2 ft deep 4ft long and 4 ft. high) since they like to stretch and climb. They also need high humidity and hides/climbing branches. They also get fairly thick bodied for an arboreal - similar to a blood python I think.

[John1982]

I'm not sure the OP is still around but I thought I'd chime in all the same since some seem interested in sanzinia. These snakes like it cooler than you might expect(mid 60s to mid 70s) with a basking spot in the low to mid 80s. This makes them a great "most any room" display as this fits in well with the average temps of most homes and little extra effort will be needed to maintain the desired range. Their metabolism is fairly slow too, an appropriately sized meal every 2-3 weeks is more than adequate. They don't really need all that much misting, I never misted mine and didn't have any problems with stuck sheds. I did however provide a damp hide 100% of the time and it was utilized maybe 1/2 of the time as the daily retreat. An interesting and quite calm species to work with, hopefully more captive breeding will be done in the future so CBB babies can be more readily available.

[Alexandra V]

I don't have experience keeping them, but this is the first I've ever heard of them and they're so cool looking! If they're this easy to keep... Well, I may just have to get one if I ever come across it

They almost look like a bit of a mix of a green anaconda and a BCI to me, in a strange way.