Questions about Kenyan sand boas?

[AveonSnoot]

So, I've been looking into getting a ksb, and I have some questions because everything is conflicting at the moment. First, I'm looking into substrates, and noticed that 1, a lot of ksb owners use pine chips, and 2, my brother left a fairly big, unused/unopened bag of pine bedding for guinea pigs. Would that be a good substrate? And if so, about how deep should it be? Then, do you have to feed live pinkies, or could you use f/t? I have a ten gallon, from my baby bearded dragon who passed, and a 20 gallon from my brother. Which should I use? Final note, I plan for getting a baby ksb, should I go juvenile or stick with getting a baby? Thanks! (Also, shoutout to Twin Cities Reptile, they are the most reliable reptile store in the whole of MN, awnsered all of my questions about different snakes, breed in store, family chain, as well as carry live and f/t feeder mice AND insects! Check them out if you are in MN, its worth it!)

[andrewross8705]

So, I've been looking into getting a ksb, and I have some questions because everything is conflicting at the moment. First, I'm looking into substrates, and noticed that 1, a lot of ksb owners use pine chips, and 2, my brother left a fairly big, unused/unopened bag of pine bedding for guinea pigs. Would that be a good substrate? And if so, about how deep should it be?

Stay away from pine. It can be toxic for snakes. I use sani chips because it's easy to spot clean and find that my sand boas enjoy it more than shredded aspen. You can pick up a bag from Amazon or most other online stores. I myself buy it in bulk because of how many sand boas and hognoses I keep. You'll get a variety of answers about the depth. I keep mine between 1.5 and 2 inches deep depending on the size. That may be too much for some but in my experience it is what works best.

Then, do you have to feed live pinkies, or could you use f/t?

Find out what the breeder is currently feeding and stick to that. If they are on live, some breeders will transition them over to F/T for you. If they aren't willing to switch them over and you are set on F/T (understandable and that's how I feed) then look for a breeder that has them established on F/T.

I have a ten gallon, from my baby bearded dragon who passed, and a 20 gallon from my brother. Which should I use? Final note, I plan for getting a baby ksb, should I go juvenile or stick with getting a baby? Thanks!

You can keep them in a 10g as adults with the lid secured but when they are still growing I would stick to a 6qt sterilite tub. Make sure the lid latches because even though you may only see them above the bedding a few times, they will escape if given the chance much like any other snake. As for the baby vs juvie, that's entirely personal preference. I have a baby who is currently feeding on XS pinkies and will be moving up to small pinkies within the month. Downside is I'll have a good amount of XS pinks that nobody else will eat.