Ball Python vs Kenyan Sand Boa

The same axes for both animals, taken from the same care guides, so this is a like-for-like comparison rather than two articles written months apart. Neither animal is the right answer on its own. The question is which one fits the space, the budget and the routine you actually have.

Reptiles
Ball Python
Python regius
Difficulty
Intermediate
Lifespan
20-30 years
Adult size
39-59 in
Minimum space
17 sq ft floor
Company
Must live alone
Daily time
Low-Medium; weekly feed, humidity checks
Running cost
Medium-High
Habitat
Vivarium 6 x 3 x 4 ft+
Diet
Carnivore (frozen-thawed rodents)
Suits you if
Keepers wanting a calm, handleable snake. Those prepared for a 25+ year commitment. People who can maintain steady humidity
Watch out for
Low humidity causing stuck shed. Sparse enclosures causing stress and food refusal. Panicking over normal winter fasts

Full Ball Python guide

Reptiles
Kenyan Sand Boa
Eryx colubrinus
Difficulty
Beginner
Lifespan
15-20 years
Adult size
Males 12-18 in, females 24-35 in
Minimum space
6 sq ft floor
Company
Must live alone
Daily time
Low - feed every 1-4 weeks
Running cost
Low to Medium
Habitat
Vivarium 36 x 24 x 30 in+
Diet
Carnivore - frozen/thawed rodents
Suits you if
Beginners wanting a low-maintenance snake. Keepers with room for a 3 ft enclosure. Those who enjoy a fossorial, ambush species
Watch out for
Strong feeding response - use tongs. High humidity causes respiratory illness. Spends most time buried, less handling

Full Kenyan Sand Boa guide

How to read this

Every row is filled from the same field of the same care guide for both animals, so nothing here is cherry-picked to favour one of them.

Minimum space is the figure from each species' housing guidance, converted to one unit: the smallest space that gives the animal good conditions, not a legal minimum. It is a floor, not a target.

What this does not tell you: your experience, your household, your climate, or which animal you will actually enjoy. Difficulty is our judgement, not a measurement. Read both full guides before deciding, and if the honest answer is neither, that is a good outcome too.