Do constrictors usually burrow?

Question

i have a 6-7ft red tail boa constrictor who usually does snakey stuff, like eating rats and drinking water and moving around. but me and my sister woke up this morning to find him nosing the sand around in his aquarium and it lookes like he is burrowing a hole. could some one please tell me if this is average snake/ constrictor behavior and why he would want to burrow a hole?

Answer 1

Ok we have discovered from others that sand is a BAD substrate for ared tail.  aspen bedding is also bad for red tails...you need cypress mulch (forest floor) for red tails.  red tails like to burrow .  i had 2 blood pythons (also large burrowing snakes) and i put enough substrate down for them to burrow in and they loved it.  they never went into their hides so i eventually took the hides out and just let them burrow.

Answer 2

i dot know but my boa does exactly the same thing and is constantly trying to burrow xD

Answer 3

always use a chip chip sub for any snake even if its a sand boa as the conditions in captivity aint the same to wild so al lot more thing will go wrong with them also most sands burrow because of either being to hot or the viv needs to be made more like the wild such as wood, rocks, fake plants etc.

Answer 4

Yeah get him out of the sand as soon as possible! I cant even begin to tell you how many things could go wrong with a boa on sand...unless its a sand boa and im sayin its not since you said its 6 or 7 ft....

I would put a hide box for sure...or he may be cold..check your temps.....

he may be beginning to shed and trying to scratch the skin away....or it could be mites.....check under the scales and around the eyes for small black bugs...they look kinda like pepper...but with legs!....

If its none of those bad things then....he prolly just wants to hide out.....

BUT FOR REAL...please get him off sand...it cant hold the humidity you need without stinking! If you need anything else let me know

Answer 5

First off you should NEVER house a snake in sand. go out as soon as you can and buy a lovely bag of aspen bedding at your local pet store and install it as soon as possible.

next, its completely normal for your snake to burrow.

I have a corn snake and she burrows all the time. it makes them feel safe and protected.

Also, if you have a heat source at the bottom of the tank the snake is probably trying to get warm.

but please switch its bedding as soon as possible.

Aspen is much easier to burrow in.. it probably just started now because it has been desperate to burrow for a while.

besides...... if it burrows in sand the sane just collapses on itself and that will make your snake sad. :(

please please PLEASE change the bedding.

he will be lots happier!!!! XD

Answer 6

One your snake should not be on sand PERIOD it does not even begin to be in the realm of an appropriate substrate.

Burrowing however is a common behaviour in many snakes including red tails. I would ask though if you had an appropriate sized hide for the snake? It seems that your snake wants to get out of view hence why it is trying to get under the sand.

Answer 7

sand is not a good substrate for boa contrictors go with aspen bedding of like newspaper