SpeciesJavelin sand boa
Javelin sand boa
Eryx jaculus
Small, burrowing and inconspicuous. With this species, origin and subspecies determine how warm and how dry it is kept.
- Group
- Snake
- Level
- Intermediate
- Origin
- Southeastern Europe, North Africa and the Near East
Where the species comes from
- World region
- Southeastern Europe, North Africa and the Near East
- Countries
- Balkans, Turkey, Caucasus, Egypt and Libya
- Habitat
- Dry, sandy and stony ground in steppe and semi-desert
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- A ground-oriented enclosure with deep, diggable substrate.
- Temperature
- Basking spot 30–33 °C, cool side 20–24 °C.
- Humidity
- Around 35–55 %.
- Lighting
- Daylight; UVB is advisable.
- Substrate
- A deep, diggable soil and sand mix.
- Furnishings
- Low hides, cork and securely placed stones.
- Water
- A small water bowl.
- Feeding
- Thawed rodents.
- Behaviour
- Burrowing and secretive.
- Handling
- Calmly and briefly.
- Cohabitation
- Keep singly.
- Health
- Shedding, breathing and body weight.
- Seasonal cycle
- Two to three months of winter rest at 12–16 °C. The javelin sand boa lives from south-eastern Europe to the Near East and experiences real winters there. The substrate stays dry; the animals spend the rest buried.
- Safety
- Take subspecies and origin into account.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The species does not belong to any of the groups listed in Art. 89 of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
Species protection applies
CITES Appendix II: Import and transfer only with papers. When buying, ask for proof of origin and captive breeding
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not prescribe centimetres but multiples of body length. For this species, item 43a (Small and medium pythons and boas): floor area 1 × 0.5 body lengths, height 0.75 body lengths. The floor area applies to at most two animals; each further animal requires an additional 0.5 × 0.2 body lengths.
For this group, body length means the total length, from snout to tail tip. The largest animal in the enclosure is what counts. The enclosure may not be smaller even if fewer animals live in it than the table names.
| Total length | At least |
|---|---|
| 40 cm | 40 × 20 × 30 cm |
| 50 cm | 50 × 25 × 38 cm |
| 60 cm | 60 × 30 × 45 cm |
| 70 cm | 70 × 35 × 53 cm |
| 80 cm | 80 × 40 × 60 cm |
Animals may temporarily be kept in smaller enclosures: for quarantine, for the treatment of illness and injury, for acclimatisation, for breeding and rearing, and for winter or cold dormancy or aestivation (preliminary remark D on reptiles).
This is the legal lower limit, not a recommendation. An enclosure that meets exactly these dimensions is permitted, but not good for that reason. The details under “Husbandry at a glance” describe how the enclosure should be furnished, not how small it may be.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
