The Backyard Zoo

by Jim Dunlap

"Kenyan Sand Boa"

A tiny lizard had discovered a small opening where sand met rock from which an ant had wandered. The tiny insect emerged only to be snatched up by small but strong jaws. Where there is one ant there might be another so the lizard, using a small-clawed foot, began to gently move the warm rock grains away from the crack.

The snake sensed a change in the tranquility of the sand. Even at a depth of two inches beneath the surface the movement caused him to rotate his head upwards. The vibrations were stronger now; the snake recognized prey and started to move. The sweeps of his tail began to quicken, thrusting the small serpentine body through the loose sand. The amazing speed created a small undulation that looked like a slow-motion ripple in water. The lizard felt only an upsurge of pressure caused by grains of sand that shifted only centimeters from his head. The snake’s nose broke the surface and only now did the lizard sense fear. The sand exploded, the tiny tooth-filled jaws closed on the lizard’s chest. An instant coil of scales, muscle, and vertebrae encircled his rib cage. A series of tremors shook the lizard’s body. He exhaled only once, submitting to the immense pressure. It was over in seconds. Nature’s picnic, is by no means, a picnic.

Dr. Randy Hickman, a veterinarian in McKinney, and a big fan of herpetology, donated a Kenyan sand boa to our collection. This diminutive, (dinky dude) African relative of the boa constrictor now taps the ruler at seven inches. When full grown it will be no more than twenty-four inches long. It is a beautifully colored, stout-bodied snake with bright patches of red, gold and orange. It has a habit of burying its body in the sand sometimes with only the eyes and nose exposed. It uses constriction to kill small prey such as lizards and rodents. The young are born alive and are five to seven inches in length. He will be an interesting addition to the collection.

There are times when it pays to boa one’s head in the sand.

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