Origin: New Guinea

Length: up to 75 centimeters
Age: up to 20 years
The viperboa owes its name to its resemblance to a death vein. This is a form of mimicry that is used to scare its prey. The body is brown / yellow colored and has a striped pattern from head to tail. In addition, the tail is very short (7 to 8% of the length) and the body is coarse and stocky

Care
Experience: Experienced snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey.
Adult feeding: Every 15 to 20 days
Feeding young: Every 7 to 10 days
Water basin: Yes
Change water: 3 times a week

Food
The viperboa eats a diet of reptiles and amphibians in the wild and will occasionally catch a small rodent. This makes viperboas that are not used to rodents more difficult to eat. If an viperboa is used to eating rodents, they are good in terms of food. One way to get the animals used to rodents is to coat the rodents with a lizard or frog. The other option is assist or coercion. Make sure that you and the animal's safety are at the forefront. The fist rules for prey large is the prey is as thick as thickest part of the snake. These prey animals can be offered alive or dead. Although for convenience's sake it is recommended to offer dead prey. This is more practical and sometimes live prey can injure the snake. We advise you to provide the feed animals with a pair of tongs and to feed your snake outside the accommodation. This has the advantage that your hand is not associated with food.

If you go for live food, you must supervise it during feeding. If you hold the boa together with other snakes, you will have to take them apart for feeding, as it sometimes happens that the snakes injure each other while feeding.

Water
Like other boas, this boa is a true water lover. In addition to drinking, they also bathe in it. The water basin must therefore be large enough for the snake to be able to bathe in with its entire body. This soaking can cause the water to get dirty, so it is not a problem if the water is changed more than 3 times a week.

Cleaning
To prevent diseases and bacterial accumulation, the accommodation must be kept clean. This can be done by doing this on a weekly basis, and it is also advisable to thoroughly clean and disinfect the accommodation a few times a year. This prevents the build-up of bacteria. When cleaning, make sure that you also clean the climbing branches and elevations.

Handling
To feed the viperboa and to clean the accommodation your snake will have to be handled. This must of course be done well, so that you and the snake are safe. Handle the snake with a snake hook or lift it with both hands. Do not hang your snake around your neck, because if the snake falls that will soon clamp around your neck. In addition, there are some important things to look out for when handeling a viperboa. First make sure that your snake understands that you are going to handle it and move gently when you handle it. Also make sure your hands are washed and do not smell like food. Finally, do not handle your snake when it is peeling and do not handle it in the dark.

Housing
Minimum size of stay for 1 snake: 60 x 45 x 45
Lying area: 1.2 m2
Day temperature: 26-28C
Night temperature: 22-24C
Hours of light: 12 hours
Humidity degree: 70% -80%
Ground cover: Coco peat, soil or peat litter
Interieur
The New Guinea land boa is, as the name says, a real land resident. A high stay or climbing possibilities are therefore not necessary. The accommodation must have a good soil layer of 5 to 10 centimeters (the rule is the more the better). This boa likes to dig themselves. To stimulate this behavior it is important to keep the soil as loose as possible. This boa doesn't just hide in the ground. There will also have to be offered various hiding places. This can be in the form of a cave, rock or piece of wood. Bear in mind that the hiding place is large enough for the snake to be completely covered. Finally, like other boas, they need to be able to bathe. To be able to do this, they need a water bowl that is large enough for the snake to be able to lie in with its entire body.

For the stay there are some extra things to pay attention to. The viperboa, for example, are quite good at escaping and it will have to be ensured that they cannot simply open their doors. You can do this by putting a lock on the residence. In addition, ventilation is required to keep the air fresh and it is advisable to set up the stay away from the bright sun and as vibration-free as possible.

Behaviour
Hunting method: Constricting snake
Lifestyle: Testrial & Night active
Character:The viperboa is a shy snake that, when used to it, will not be aggressive soon. However, it is noticeable that the majority of the snakes do not like being used. In the case of game specimens, the snakes themselves are very defensive in handling or disruption. This property is less evident in the offspring specimens
Points of attention: Note that this is not a suitable snake for enthusiasts who like to handle their animals.

Costs and Purchase
Legislation: The Viperboa falls under CITES II, to own this snake you need CITES or transfer papers. You should get this when purchasing.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. This can together cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, this is several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs have been incurred if your snake happens to fall ill or your equipment breaks down.