Viper Boas adalah ular cukup tenang, tapi ketika ditangani secara
tidak benar maka dia berontak dan akan mencoba mengigit dari sisi kiri
dan kanan badannya.Warna viper boa cukup indah tetapi dapat berubah2
sesuai dengan musim,suhu dan "suasana hatinya".
Betinanya bisa
lebih besar dan panjang di bandingkan dengan jantannya.Betina bisa
mencapai 100 cm sedangkan jantan bisa mencapai 70 cm.
Habitat
asli dari Aspera adalah semak-semak lebat, tanah penuh dengan daun,
selokan berlumpur dengan air dangkal.Biasanya Aspera menunggu mangsa di
tempat seperti itu.Aspera mempunyai strategi yaitu "Melihat dan
Menunggu" jadi di habitat aslinya Aspera jarang ada yang berjalan
mengejar mangsanya.
Di habitat aslinya Aspera memangsa burung, tikus dan binatang kecil
Aspera bisa di pelihara di pethome atau di aquarium dengan ukuran ideal 60cm Length x 45cm Width x 45cm Height. Aspera tidak membutuhkan lampu dan sebaiknya kandangnya di tempatkan di tempat yg tidak terlalu ramai.
Care Sheet (English Version)
Common Name(s): Viper Boa, New Guinea Ground Boa
Latin Name: Candoia aspera aspera
Ease of Care: Moderate
Native To: Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya, and hundreds of offshore Indonesian islands
Adult Size: 22-36 inches and there is sexual dimorphism in the species with the females growing to twice the size of the males.
Life Span: 20 years or more in captivity
Brood Size: 5-40 live young
Appearance: Aspera are not the flashiest snakes in a collection, but their subtle patterns and variable colors make them very interesting snakes to observe. They feature blotched saddles or bands across their backs. Not all viper boas are a dull brown though, many can be a golden, high orange, or red colors and are beautiful specimens to add to anybody’s collection. Many specimens actually feature a variety of these colors all on the same snake. When they are first acquired from an importer they are almost all a dull, muddy brown but the first shed often reveals just beautiful snakes. It’s a very intriguing and amazing thing to experience. Another interesting aspect is that these snakes make subtle color changes during different times of the year with the changing temperatures. Their most defining characteristic, however, is that they have the thickest keeled scales of any of the Candoia species. Their texture is very different, and if you are used to handling colubrids and ball pythons it can be a very cool experience to handle an Aspera. Like all old world boas, Aspera have an elongated head with matching facial characteristics. Their eyes are almost unnoticeable until a closer inspection because they blend into the contour of the face so well.
Temperament: This species has a very well known reputation for being very nasty little snakes and I think a lot of this derives from the fact that most in captivity right now are imports. I personally have never had any problem with mine and have experienced no aggression at all except the normal amount any snake shows during feeding. Mean or not, the personality of these interesting little snakes varies from one individual to the next and each one is a new experience.
In The Wild: Where viper boas are present they are quite common. They are most commonly found lying in leaf litter or coconut husk piles patiently waiting along game trails. They are named viper boa because in the area they are present they try to mimic the death adder, a venomous species also present in the same areas, and this is their best defense. They also seem to love to spend a lot of time in shallow mud or water cooling themselves off from the tropical sun.
Caging: Caging this species is extremely simple. They are relatively small, thick bodied animals that don’t truly need a lot of space. In fact, a lot of the time new imports do better in smaller, darker enclosures because it is more calming and feels safer. A substrate that they can bury themselves in is great, but I keep mine on newspaper and they do just fine. A hide is needed at both the warm and cool end of the tank if you go this route, and humidity must be checked regularly. Wet newspaper must be changed as soon as possible and it will get wet QUICK. These little guys love to bask in their water bowls and I have witnessed them staying in them for extended periods of time happy as a lark. Make sure water bowls are the proper size and somewhat shallow just to make sure they don’t have an accidental drowning (plus, they’re not that big). As for cage furniture, Aspera don’t really need a darn thing. They spend their whole life on the ground so branches and plants are unnecessary. Although, if you are wanting to go with a natural looking environment a low, broad-leafed plant is great if you want to witness them relaxing in the shade during the day.
Lighting: No real lighting is needed although there is never any harm in providing a UVB bulb for a 10-12 hour period during the day to simulate daytime. This could also prove to be helpful in preparing Aspera for breeding by shortening the lighting while they are in brumation (a period of cooling down).
Temperature & Humidity: Being a tropical species from the South Pacific, they need the typical temperatures and humidity for that area. I have had the most success so far with a temperature of around 80-85 degrees F although they seem to be a little more stressed at the upper ends of this range. I normally keep a warm side at about 82 degrees and they seem to fair best with this set-up. As for humidity, the ideal range for this species is 50-80%. I am able to keep this up with a properly sized water bowl placed at the warm end of the tub, but an occasional spraying is always good.
Feeding: Viper boas are the most willing to eat rodents of the entire Candoia family. After importation or acquisition, they may be reluctant to eat for a while, but unless they are losing weight no worry is necessary. These little snakes have such a slow metabolism that they don’t need to eat very often at all. I’ve heard of Aspera lasting up to 9 months without eating and maintaining their health just fine. A full sized snake will eat a large mouse or rat pups, although they prefer the slow-moving rat pups. I, personally, have 3 imported snakes that I have not been able to move to F/T but I haven’t experienced any bad feedings so far and I monitor them very carefully when the mice are in their feeding enclosure. Juvenile Aspera can eat every 7-10 days and full grown adults can usually be fed one good sized mouse every 2-3 weeks. Just make sure you keep an eye out for obesity because this is a disease that plagues these slow-moving snakes. IF these stubborn little snakes won’t take a mouse, their natural prey is probably much more likely to be lizards or frogs. Try scenting with a lizard, and if that doesn’t work and the snake is in dire need of feeding, try feeding the lizard or a frog to the starving bugger.
Sexing: Sexing Aspera, as well as all Candoia, is extremely easy. They males have predominant spurs protruding from either side of the cloaca. If these are present then you have a male although some females will have very small spurs too. The females also have a slightly shorter tail, but popping is almost never necessary to sex the snake properly. Of course, as all of you well know, the only 100% way to know the sex of a snake is to probe it properly.
Breeding: Candoia are much like other snakes in that it is necessary for them to have a period of brumation if reproduction is going to be successful. They do differ, however, in how it is done. They need to be cooled for a period of 6-8 weeks. I cool mine down over a 1-2 week process by bringing the night temperature down from 82 to 75 for a few nights, then down to 70 and so forth. When I am ready for brumation my night temperature is right around 60 degrees. The temperature during the day can still come back up to 80 degrees and should not be left at 60 for the entire 6-8 week period. During this time the snakes should not have anything sitting in their stomach because it can decay and cause serious infection without the warmth needed to digest. They should not be fed for the whole period and should be left alone as much as possible. Just change the water and bedding as needed. After brumation I bring them out over the same amount of time as I cooled them down until I’m back to a constant temperature of about 82 degrees. They should be offered a food item to help put a little weight back on and the female should still be in good shape if breeding is to occur. During breeding the tactic that is the most effective is a breeding group. The males will “wrestle” to see who gets to breed with a female, and this shouldn’t last very long. After the males and females pair up they can be split up into pairs and breeding can last from 2 weeks to 2 months. When the females are pregnant they will gestate for 7-9 months, and during this time they should be kept warm and offered a food item every so often. Many will not eat, but some will and 9 months can be very difficult on them so items should be very passive (no live adult mice) and should still be offered. At the end of the 7-9 months if everything has gone well the female will give birth to up to 40 slimy new viper boas.
Care of Young: This is THE MOST difficult part to Aspera care. First, viper boas are known to be VERY nippy little buggers as neonates until they become accustomed to your smell and presence so don’t fret about having 30 little horrors. The reason they are not bred in captivity very widely is because of the difficulty of getting young to survive. Luckily, viper boas are the easiest of the Candoia to get eating pinks. After birth it is important to separate them into individualized deli cup or shoebox compartments that are not too big, but have enough room to allow for somewhat of a temperature gradient. The only thing they need is a small, shallow water bowl; a small hide; and paper towels as substrate. Then it is necessary to wait for at least 2 weeks before offering a food item to the neonatal snakes. The reason for this is because they should shed immediately upon birth and they have a reserve yolk sack that nourishes them during this time. So, ultimately the little tykes just aren’t hungry. When the 2 weeks are up it is best to try and use the most tempting prey, a live pink. Place it in their deli cup with them right before night and leave it in their overnight. MAKE SURE THAT YOU USE TONGS TO HANDLE THE PINKS!!! Your smell could completely deter them from eating! The next morning check and see how many neonates have eaten and separate the feeders from the non-feeders. Take the remaining pinks out and try offering them to a different snake the following night. Repeat this process for 4-6 weeks or until all of the babies have eaten. At this point about 50% of the babies should have eaten. This is where the time consuming part of their care begins. These little babies are going to be difficult and you are going to want to force feed them instinctively but don’t. This is very stressful on the snakes and is probably why most end up dying within the first 6 months. It is better to try scenting with a frog or anole first, allowing the pink to really absorb the scent of the lizard/frog. Try offering this to the snakes, once again taking good care not to touch the pink, and see what happens. Try this for about 1-2 weeks with the same sort of rotation as before. If this does not work then try actual frogs or lizards since this is their natural prey and they may react better to the swift moving animal. If all else fails try force feeding, but take care and be cautious because this tends to lead down a road that unfortunately ends in death. When force feeding the best thing to try are mouse tails or pinky-parts because of the minute size of the snakes you are feeding.