Caatinga rainbow boa (Epicrates assisi)

Short answers

Caatinga rainbow boa: How big does the enclosure need to be?

From 120×75×115 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, E. angulifer over 1.5 m).

Caatinga rainbow boa: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 27–32 °C, basking spot 33 °C, at night 21–24 °C.

Caatinga rainbow boa: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended (UVB 5.0).

Caatinga rainbow boa: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–25 years.

Caatinga rainbow boa: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

27–32 °C

Night temperature

21–24 °C

Basking spot

33 °C

Humidity

55–70 %

UVB

Recommended (UVB 5.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 120×75×115 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, E. angulifer over 1.5 m)

Substrate

Coco humus and bark mulch, a cork hide, climbing branches, a water dish

Feeding

Food

Frozen-thawed mice of a suitable size

Feeding interval

every 10–14 days

Key facts

Adult size

100–150 cm

Life expectancy

15–25 years

Origin

North-eastern Brazil – the Caatinga

Protection status

CITES II

Brumation

A dry spell of 8–10 weeks

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Snakes are solitary and do not seek company — a shared hide is competition for the best spot, not social behaviour. The concrete reason is the feeding accident: if two animals grab the same food item, one can swallow the other along with it. On top of that, once they are kept together you can no longer tell which animal has eaten and which is losing weight. For breeding, put them together under supervision and separate them again afterwards.

Notes

From the driest part of Brazil – markedly lower humidity than the Amazonian forms, but a damp retreat box for shedding all the same. A strong red-brown colour.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Cerrado rainbow boa (Epicrates crassus) – Intermediate
• Colombian rainbow boa (Epicrates alvarezi) – Intermediate
• Colombian rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria cenchria) – Intermediate
• Colombian rainbow boa (Epicrates maurus) – Intermediate
• Egyptian sand boa (Eryx colubrinus colubrinus) – Beginner
• Arabian sand boa (Eryx jayakari) – Beginner to intermediate
• Red sand boa (Eryx johnii) – Intermediate
• Kenyan sand boa (Eryx colubrinus loveridgei) – Beginner

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Caatinga rainbow boa (Epicrates assisi) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 120×75×115 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, E. angulifer over 1.5 m)), substrate (Coco humus and bark mulch, a cork hide, climbing branches, a water dish), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.