Here is a Kenyan sand boa showing off its colourful head

Today I want to write about a really fascinating species of snake, the Kenyan sand boa.

Here are five interesting facts about them:

1. These little snakes grow up to 90 cm long.  Males are much smaller than females.
2. Kenyan sand boas hide in shallow burrows in the sand with only their small heads showing.  They mainly catch small mammals, but also eat small reptiles and birds, killing their prey by constriction.
3. Their eyes and nostrils are on the top of their head so that they can hide in the sand whilst still breathing and looking out for prey.
4. At breeding time, the males sometimes have to dig the females out of the sand to mate with them.  Females give birth to 4-20 live young.  The babies are about 20 cm long.
5. Kenyan sand boas are found in sandy areas throughout northern and eastern Africa, where they are reasonably common.

I hope that you found these facts interesting and learned something new.

Are there any other interesting facts that you would like to share about Kenyan sand boas?