Kenyan Sand Boa
Gongylophis colubrinus
- Habitat: Semi-arid environments to scrub savannah
- Range: Egypt, Niger, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, and northern Tanzania
- Natural Diet: Small mammals
- Status in the Wild: Not evaluated
All about the
Kenyan Sand Boa
Kenyan Sand Boas are considered to be one of the largest
species of day Geckoes. Their bodies are covered with scales and
their color is a mottled bright green to turquoise and black. Their
body sides and underbelly are pale brown in color. Their heads and
bodies are bright green to turquoise in color. Their eyes are
encircled with black. They have unique feet that have their
undersurface lined with lamellae, a thin-plate tissue. Lamellae help
day geckoes walk vertically and inverted on smooth surfaces such as
glass. Lamellae also help geckoes in respiration.
Males and females look
different from one another (sexually dimorphic). Males have
distinguishable sex organs in their anal area. Females have chalk
sacs on either side of their necks in which they store calcium that
they use to build their eggs. They are 10 inches in length and they
are very light (50 to 70 grams in weight).
Diet/ Habitat/ Range
Kenyan Sand Boas are native
to and only found in Madagascar living in dry forests and
thornbrush. They are omnivores feeding on insects, other
invertebrates, fruits, pollen, and nectar.
Behavior
Kenyan Sand Boas are active
during the day (diurnal) and live in trees (arboreal). Unlike
mammals, geckoes cannot thermoregulate. They are often seen basking
in the sun to warm up. Their body color helps them hide from
predators in their natural habitat (camouflage). Males are highly
territorial and they will fight with other males to protect their
food resources and their females. Uniquely, it has been observed
that females tend to display territorial displays against other
females, an uncommon behavior for female geckoes.
Reproduction
Female Kenyan Sand Boas lay
eggs that hatch in two months. They sexually mature at one year of
age.
Conservation/Status
Kenyan Sand Boas are
categorized as Vulnerable by the World Conservation Union because of
depleting population numbers mainly due to loss, degradation, and
fragmentation of their habitat due to livestock grazing and
slash-and-burn agriculture practices, collection for the
international wildlife (pet) trade, and bushfires.
The Kenyan sand boa spends a considerable proportion of time buried in the soil
He has been habituated to human presence and has participated in
enumerous education programs as an ambassador snake
Distributional range in Africa
They have tapering heads with their eyes positioned almost on top of
their heads to give them a perfect view of what is above them when
they are buried in the soil