Epicrates maurus (Bruine regenboog boa)

Origin: Central & South America
Length: 1.5 to 2.2 meters
Lifespan: 15 to 20 years
The body is brown and covered with a dark brown circular pattern, with five dark brown stripes on the head. The body is covered with a pearlescent layer that creates a rainbow glow. This glow is comparable to the sheen of gasoline floating on water and is most visible after molting. Hence the name "rainbow boa."

Care
Experience: Average snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey. The main prey items are mice and rats.
Feeding adults: every 14 days.
Feeding young: Every 7 days
Water dish: Yes
Water changes: 3 times a week
Food
You can choose to offer the prey live or dead. However, it is recommended to offer your brown rainbow boa dead prey. This is more practical and prevents the prey item from injuring your snake. It is also recommended to offer the prey item with feeding tongs and to feed your snake outside its enclosure. This ensures that your hand is not associated with the food and prevents the snake from grabbing your hand during feeding. If you do choose to offer live food, you must supervise feeding. If you keep your brown rainbow boa with other snakes, you will need to separate them before feeding. This prevents the snakes from injuring each other during feeding.

Brown rainbow boas often suffer from obesity in captivity, so it's important to weigh your snake regularly and adjust feeding accordingly. Obesity can lead to various health problems.

Water
The water dish will serve as both a source of water and a bath. Therefore, make sure the dish is large enough for the snake to lie down in with its entire body. Because the snake uses its water dish for bathing, the water becomes contaminated more quickly. Therefore, changing the water more often isn't a problem if it becomes dirty.

Cleaning
A hygienic living environment is important for keeping your snake healthy. To achieve this, the enclosure must be cleaned regularly. Cleaning once a week is sufficient. In addition, the entire enclosure should be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year to prevent bacteria buildup.

Handling
To feed the brown rainbow boa and clean the enclosure, you will need to handle the snake. When handling your snake, use a snake hook or lift it with both hands. Don't hang your snake around your neck, as this will cause it to clamp down if it falls. There are some important things to keep in mind when handling a brown rainbow boa. First, make sure your snake understands that you are handling it and move slowly while handling it. Also, make sure your hands are washed and free of food odors. Finally, don't handle your snake while it is shedding, and don't handle it in the dark.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for one snake: 120 x 50 x 50 cm
Daytime temperature (warm): 30-32°C
Daytime temperature (cool): 24-29°C
Nighttime temperature: 20-23°C
Daylight hours: 12 hours
Humidity: 75%-80%
Substrate: Bark or peat moss
Equipment
The brown rainbow boa needs a variety of things in its enclosure. They love to bathe and need a large water dish to facilitate this behavior. The water dish should be large enough for the snake to lie down in with its entire body. The brown rainbow boa spends most of its time on the ground, but will also climb occasionally. To achieve this, climbing opportunities should be provided, such as a few climbing branches. Finally, they like to hide and therefore need a hiding place. This can be created by upending a flowerpot or using an artificial cave.

There are a few additional things to consider regarding the enclosure. Brown rainbow boas, for example, are quite adept at escaping, so care must be taken to prevent them from simply opening their door. Ventilation is also necessary to keep the air fresh, and it's recommended to position the enclosure out of direct sunlight and as vibration-free as possible.

Behavior
Hunting Mode: Constrictor.
Life Style: Terrestrial & Nocturnal
Temperament
The brown rainbow boa is one of the calmer and more well-tempered rainbow boas, making it easy to tame.
Points of Attention
The brown rainbow boa is capable of eating prey larger than its head.

Costs and Purchase
Legislation: The Brown Rainbow Boa is covered by CITES II. To own this snake, you need CITES or transfer papers. You should receive these upon purchase.
One-time costs: These include the costs of the enclosure, lighting, heating, water tank, and decorations. This can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the cost of food, which amounts to several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: There are costs incurred if your snake accidentally becomes ill or your equipment breaks down.