How to set up a Kenyan Sand Boa BioActive Enclosure with the Dude

[@lifeofbru8929]

Not sure If you already do this, or what your store is like, but you should offer a service where kids can set their terrarium up with you before they take it home. Could charge a decent price for the experience. I know as a kid I would have loved something like that.

[@zsworld6609]

I love this. You never hardly see the sand boas but when you do it's a treat. I put a small bowl down where i lay their weekly pinky mouse at night. The next day its always gone.

[@mrabelone31]

You just defrost it and lay it on top? We just got a sand boa and we've been holding the pinky with tongs in front of it till it strikes and takes it. Are we doing it wrong? According to the pet store, the sand boa is now 7 months

[@zsworld6609]

@@mrabelone31 no, you're not doing it wrong at all. It's just what i choose to do.

[@mrabelone31]

@@zsworld6609 cool. Ok. Thank you for replying. I appreciate it.

[@zsworld6609]

@@mrabelone31 no problem. Enjoy!

[@DayDreamSounds]

My sand boa loves just taking it off of the ground/bowl too haha. Tried tongs before and she weren't interested! Strange how they work sometimes

[@mack596]

Absolutely love this setup! That is for sure one happy sand boa!! I'm thinking of trying out a bioactive enclosure for my own sand boa, but I plan to do A LOT more research first! Thanks for the video, I'll be sure to check out some more!

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

That is wonderful to hear! glad it was helpful, please let us know if you have any questions! - www.thebiodude.com/blogs/reptile-and-amphibian-caresheets-with-cited-veterinary-and-herpetology-sources/kenyan-sand-boa-care-and-bioactive-maintenance

[@KUROSHINJA]

Do the bugs interfere with the snake in any way?

[@samr917]

Ive been looking for a video like this for FOREVER! Congrats on your baby!!

[@drewwoody9]

Please can you do a Garter setup at some point? ☺️

[@finndrennan541]

I agree

[@eliberdinner4808]

Check out Snake Discovery's garter snake videos

[@brockstremmell2583]

@@eliberdinner4808 yeah they are the king and queen of garter snakes haha

[@jacksong.alford116]

Sand boas are neat. I just wish they were more visible in their setups.

[@mckenzieirene17]

Thank you! I’m upgrading my sand boa soon!

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Awesome, show us updates!

[@SohiHien]

I'm running a deep heat projector for my kenyan. That way I can have heat night and day since my place gets cold at night so I need to provide some form of heat source at night.

[@vi0letgreen]

Hi! Really helpful video. I’m just curious how you keep the substrate moist enough for springtails while maintaining the mostly arid habitat for the KSB? This is the one thing keeping me from building this setup for my 19 year old KSB. Any insight would be great. Thank you!

[@ricemunchrr69]

im doing a bioactive enclosure for my sand boa pearl next month, shes about 7 years old and ive had her since i was 7. i want the best for my sweetheart.

[@bobkob]

Congrats to You and Your Wife on Your Child!

[@TheRealL4dsharks1]

did you put a UVB light in both solar grow housings?

[@morgantreece5523]

They’re the best snake, but they are super picky. It took my little Anery girl 4 months to finally eat. Her temps and humidity were good and she had enough enrichment she was just sooo picky. I’m very excited to finally handle her because I’ve been waiting so long for her to eat

[@jmckie18]

Great video! Question: are the spring tails and isopods necessary? I live in a condo and I am just concerned I might start an infestation if they get out of the terrarium. My terrarium has a front door that is only a little higher than the substrate

[@brewkeepyr4647]

I've never been big on sand boas or rosy boas...but I gotta say, after watching both of your builds I want one of each or maybe even pairs! Beautiful little one! Beautiful set up! 👍

[@bobkob]

I would like to see a video stating specifically the “ pros & cons or limits ” of the Solar Grow T5 vs Green glo LED and what specifics and what live plant sustaining range as well as distance,temperature ,etc between the two excellent plant lighting ? I liked the excellent uvb review/ Analysis video You did with Reptifiles Mariah Healey , so I was curious about the t5 and led, if You may have a future Video about the Solar Grow T5 in more detail =( pros/ cons) as I have both the Green Glo Led and Solar Glow and I was curious on how to use them more efficiently as they’re My favorite plant lights.)

[@keithhughes9362]

My KSB poops underground so how do you clean this kind of setup without completely dismantling it? I assume the cleanup crew wouldn't get to everything.

[@jadeviper1290]

Free fertilizer I guess

[@jerrydease1459]

Can you do more paludariums, please, Sir Dude Sir?... for Frogs?... I’d love to see Leopard, Pickerel & American Bullfrog and American, Fowler’s Toad and Blue-Tailed Skink setups! I have all local Maryland species! Nothing exotic. Anything?...😋🤪😂

[@Trickz579]

Very cool, ya I had a rosy tail boa in the day that would be loving that enclosure!

[@paranorman1646]

if someone buys a bioactive kit from you at the store can someone at the store set the tank for them???

[@OkNoBigDeal]

Congrats on the paternity, you’ll be the person who you’re meant to be.

[@jordanchapmam656]

Hey Josh do u have any plans on setting up a terrapin enclosure with ur products would love to see a natural enclosure from u for them and also will u be doing a update on the ackine monitors???

[@finndrennan541]

What snakes would you recommend for beginners. That don’t get very big and live between 0-10 years. I would really appreciate if you gave me as many options as possible. Thanks

[@reganoliver7083]

I would say get an older rescue snake. Probably a corn snake, they are pretty easy or a ball python, but they can be scary for beginners because of food strikes and stuff. Corns are super good eaters and are pretty docile and are fun to watch explore

[@Crayoneatinmofo]

I have 4 older fish tanks varying in size from 5 gallon to 75 gallon gave up the fish hobby could I repurpose those tanks into enclosures for snakes ? I would have to order or make the mess lids but I think that's a task I can undertake

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Certainly, you can repurpose those enclosures for your reptiles. Just make sure to consider the specific needs and appropriate size requirements of the species you plan to house in each enclosure.

[@maverickbeezley1311]

I was wondering will a normal led with red and blue diodes provide uvb or just plant growth or neither just light

[@clarnus3712]

Just for the record, it's sPHAGnum, like with an 'F'. Very important correction I know :)

[@cole_thatsall]

No it’s not

[@stella9868]

my sister got what she was told was a KSB but some people have told her its a Saharan sand boa but i cant seem to find the differences in them

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there, you can send the facebook page a photo and we should be able to tell you.

[@joeymiller9673]

how do you make sure that the sandboa does not destroy the plants? have always wanted to use plants in my sandboas enclosure but that has always detrerred me from it

[@finndrennan541]

Hey josh. You did a western hog nose setup abt 3 years ago. It would be really cool if you did another one in an exo tank or something like that. Love your videos btw

[@lightningwolf788]

I'm just curious, but would this kind of setup work for a sandfish skink, since they're pretty similar with how they live?

[@terraaquaria1823]

Would you recommend terra firma or terra Sahara for a northern blu tongue skink?

[@bongwater1885]

YEAHHHHH LETS GO NEW BIODUDE VID HELL YEAH

[@Pebbles-sw8si]

Do you feed right in the enclosure?

[@matthewwittman6703]

Do you have/can you show how you would build a ball python bioactive vivarium

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/npfGpHicjdWXmdk

[@edwardfernandez2439]

You mentioned that this enclosure is available for sale. How much might something like this go?

[@brockstremmell2583]

I have a sand boa named buddy, because he looks like a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. His full name is peanut buddy

[@siberwolf26]

I would LOVE to go bioactive for all my reptiles but I do not have the money 😕 i have 12 reptiles so I’d need a lot of supplies.

[@OkNoBigDeal]

How is a Kenyan sand boa a “new world” snake?? Other than being a small constricting live bearer? Genuinely an honest question, not a trap or gotcha question.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

It’s a great question. Old world snakes are egg layers while new world are live bearers

[@OkNoBigDeal]

Divergent evolution or?

[@nathanrupley]

So he is correct, but it is weird that they draw that distinction, because a lot of "new world" snakes are not from the new world. To complicate matters, when it comes to sand boas, various species live in Africa, Asia, and Europe, with most of them bearing live young, but a couple species laying eggs. There are some interesting academic papers on sand boas and their egg laying and live bearing.

[@georgemargaritis2392]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter dude.... it's not a new world snake

[@georgemargaritis2392]

@@nathanrupley it still has eggs like all snakes, you just don't see them. They are ovoviviparous

[@finndrennan541]

Do you have any information on chameleon geckos ?

[@haydenlucas2986]

New Caledonian gecko so there care would be similar to a crested gecko or a leachianus gecko care so a vertical humid enclosure preferably bio active but I have heard they are a very rewarding species to work with its definitely not for beginners but a overall good species

[@finndrennan541]

Hayden Lucas Why would you not recommend for beginners

[@bobkob]

They love vines ,lots of them,mine crawls all over like a mini “ train” on his vines, but the vines have to be the same width as the gecko as they like to “ hug” grasp their vines.

[@finndrennan541]

Bob Kob Thanks for responding. Are they easy to care for

[@haydenlucas2986]

@@finndrennan541 there’s not a lot of information out there and they’re kind of just hard to keep alive

[@mathieuguenette4323]

Is your dog a Scottish Deerhound?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

He is an Irish Wolfhound! His name is Padfoot and he’s usually the star here at The Bio Dude.

[@kdub0325]

Mr. BioDude pls hellpp. I'm looking to buy a pvc Kage for my adult female ball python but another bp keeper said that heating mats don't work well with Kages. She's a 4 foot adult that was given to me by a very inexperienced owner. I'm not sure how a radiant heat panel from ProProducts works which I saw as a suggestion on the Kages website. So my questions are, how does a standard heat mat work compared to a radiant heat panel? Would a heat mat be good enough for the Kage? And if it was the only kind of belly heat source I could get, how would I go about using it with a pvc Kage? I've only dealt with glass tanks before. I'm short on money bc I'm a full time student and not currently employed, but I'm willing to spend everything I've got to get this girl a top notch enclosure.

[@Icefrostcat]

I highly suggest using a halogen! They're super effective and replicate the sun's wavelengths pretty well. Mine is flourishing since I've switched from a heat mat. I see mine basking quite often, even if it's just cryptic basking. You can get halogens at a hardware store for fairly cheap. You would just need to put a heat guard around the bulb. Since halogens do produce light, for night time heat you can use a deep heat projector, a ceramic heat emitter, or have no heat as long as your room temp is not below 75 degrees F. Night drops to that temperature are completely natural and safe. I put slate rocks underneath my halogens so they can absorb some heat and still release a bit at night. This seems to work amazingly for my sand boa

[@Icefrostcat]

Oh and another very important thing, a thermostat. For a halogen you would want to use a dimming thermostat. If you're on a budget, you can use a lamp dimmer, just be sure to check your temperatures often and adjust it when needed since it won't do it for you. An IR gun is VERY useful and very much recommended to have

[@kyshaeasley6930]

How long should i wait between set up to introduce my girl to this new bioactive substrate?

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Hey there Kysha! you can add the animal in right away.

[@nathanmccray2907]

I’m trying to buy something

[@the_shire_critters6587]

Will isopods eat/bite your reptiles? I read somewhere that they could and now I’m alittle worried to go bioactive!

[@georgemargaritis2392]

Be freeeee And he goes into a cage 😂😂😂

[@lesliemiller1161]

FYI: It is not necessary to brumate or cool sand boas over the winter. They also don't have to have UVB. They need humidity around 50-60%. Belly heat is typically best with temps 92-94°. Being a fossoreal species they will eventually dig up the plants due to their burrowing. Depending on the sex of the snake a 20 long could be a bit too big especially if it's a smaller male. Females can grow into a 20 long though. Could you please PM me regarding your sources of info on care for Kenyans? Thanks

[@safetyzone2962]

No such thing as too big, because they have unlimited space where they are from. They just need a lot of stuff in their enclosure to make them feel secure. They are from Northeast and East parts of Africa. Those areas are usually below 50%, and literally any care guide will tell you to keep the enclosure below 50%. Belly heat is a myth. The newest heating source to the hobby, the deep heat projector, is an overhead heat lamp that emits no light is what is now recommended by every person who's used them. Heat penetrates surfaces, so overhead heating could still work. DHP's emit IR-A, IR-B, and IR-C, just like the sun. Heat mats and CHE's only produce IR-C, which doesn't mimic the sun. Also, consider the fact that these reptiles have been around for MILLIONS of years and have never had a heat source from the bottom, it always comes from the sun heating up the surfaces. Heat mats also don't do as well for creating a gradient compared to a DHP or even a CHE. Sources: www.reptilesmagazine.com/kenyan-sand-boa-care-sheet/ www.goherping.com/kenyansandboas www.reptilerange.com/kenyan-sand-boa-care-sheet/ www.mysnakepet.com/kenyan-sand-boa/#Humidity kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnjQqKOLqK6ggtE kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5aUfXmeqsR_etU

[@Tir3dWarLock]

I understand cause of the time that this was filmed, but the mask makes it hard to tell what you are saying. Otherwise good video.

[@picktheblueone]

iBooks cool but you will never see your sand boa in that setup

[@Angel.7.62]

my moms scared shitless of reptiles and i want a blue tonged skink anyone go tips on how to ask her

[@moshack]

I have 2 Sand Boas and they never come up long enough to use any of the cage furniture so why bother to put it in there? And when they do use the water bowl they like to get their entire bodies in it and soak for hours. Then disappear again. I think all they really need is soil or substrate they can burrow down into completely, a heater and a big water dish.

[@Icefrostcat]

I see mine fairly often. She loves climbing around and exploring her tank at night. During the day I almost never see her except for sticking her nose out of the substrate. I also never see her when she's digesting. But after that, I see her at night pretty often. In my experience, they really need soil with some moisture (moisture gradients/pockets are great), overhead heating (highly recommend halogens), and things to climb around on and explore. Before I added that stuff, I NEVER saw her and had a very hard time feeding her. Since I've added them, she's much more active and it's a thousand times easier to feed her. I've never seen mine soak, though she does get her water bowl dirty very quickly. I'm wondering if maybe the reason yours soaks is that there's not enough moisture in the dirt you're using. When I fill up my sand boa's water bowl, I overflow it a bit so she can have a moisture pocket underneath the substrate if she needs it

[@moshack]

@@Icefrostcat I don't keep them in a Bio active set up. I am using a light dry substrate made from puffed sterile paper. They can dive into it very easily and it doesn't stick to them or the food items. So they get a big water dish they can get completely in. No shed problems. I lay 7 inch thin square, light wooden slabs over the substrate, and they hide under those. And they do come out most nights for a while. If I stay up late enough I get to see them.

[@Icefrostcat]

@@moshack You don't need to do bioactive to keep them in dirt. I noticed a BIG change going from aspen to dirt. At the time I actually had a humid hide in there and she spent 99% of her time in there. Without it she had horrible sheds despite my room humidity being around 50%. Since the winter, my room humidity is 10-30% and even with that, she has perfect sheds and have yet to see her soak

[@moshack]

@@Icefrostcat I am in Tokyo Japan and the humidity is 60% and up most of the time so mold is always a problem over here, even in winter. I use a Coco fiber, reptile soil mixture for my geckos. But the Sand Boas substrate is like they are swimming in Popcorn. They can move so easily with no chance of impaction. I can't speak to them, but they really seem to be doing well in it. They can even eat underneath the substrate. This is a new product that we use for our Ferrets litter that I just thought would work well with them.

[@Ruby-ci9ly]

They are from Africa and also from Pakistan and other places that are really hot I have two of them

[@alymobarak2057]

Bro that is not sahara at all

[@sirwoogie1987]

I’m just confused on why this guy is wearing a mask in a video

[@alymobarak2057]

Just a mess!

[@DawgcityClev]

All this is cute, for humans, but I'm sorry.... Kenya is an unforgiving landscape. Much of this is unnecessary, other than overdoing it for video or showing how cool we can make an enclosure look.

[@TheBioDudeJoshHalter]

Very unforgiving. Does not mean we can't make it easier for them while providing enrichment. If a nice setup helps nurture the human/animal bond that is what we are hoping to accomplish!

[@DawgcityClev]

@@TheBioDudeJoshHalter I can dig that!

[@Myownsilk81]

Why in the heck is he wearing a mask

[@playmusic5978]

And when he touches it all the time, the whole point of the mask is gone..

[@evelyn-mt9cq]

I think it's so he doesn't give the person filming anything