Frequently Asked Questions

No.

Burrowing is normal behavior for the species. Every study animal will be provided enough substrate to completely bury itself.

We are selecting for voluntary differences in surface activity, not removing the opportunity to hide.

No. This is traditional selective breeding.

We will observe naturally occurring behavioral variation and, if appropriate, breed unrelated animals that consistently show the traits being studied.

No. That is part of the question.

Behavior is influenced by genetics, environment, development, experience, and other factors.

The project exists to see whether surface activity responds to selective breeding under standardized conditions.

We publish that too.

A lack of response to selection is still useful information. The project is not dependent on proving the original hypothesis correct.

We want enough animals to observe meaningful individual variation while keeping the project practical and allowing multiple independent source lines.

The plan is 21 study founders covering 20 unrelated lines, plus 3 control animals. The controls are half-siblings (same father, different mothers), so we can see how much surfacing varies within one family before comparing lines.

The original plan was about two animals from each of roughly ten breeders. In October 2026 we changed it, because several breeders could supply multiple unrelated lines each. The change is documented under Protocol Version History on the Methods page.

Because then we would be changing the animal’s environment to manufacture the behavior we want to measure. That would defeat the purpose.

Yes. The study will use standardized appropriately sized hides along with burrowing substrate.

Routine disturbance will be minimized and standardized.

A weekly feeding and health procedure is planned, with additional intervention only as necessary for normal husbandry, safety, or health.

Yes. Our first founders are live in quarantine on the Live Cams page, and every founder gets a live view on its own page once it is on camera. The rack cameras already record around the clock.

The same camera system is used for behavioral observation and public viewing.

No. The project is primarily educational and experimental.

Animals active in the study are never sold. Backing, sponsoring, or naming an animal does not buy it; it stays in the study.

Some animals will leave the study: a founder removed for health or welfare reasons, or offspring that are not kept for the next generation. In those cases the animal may be placed with a suitable keeper, sometimes for a price. Every placement is logged in the open books on our support page, and every dollar from it goes back to the project.

The project is funded through the Founders’ Fund and monthly support on this site, and that money goes to project costs.

Not unless and until the project is legally organized as one.

Using a .org domain does not by itself mean the project is a registered nonprofit.

Years. The initial plan is 10 years, which carries the study to about the time Breathitt, who attends a Cambridge International college-prep school, is ready for college. Over that time we expect to follow the animals through as many as six generations (F1 to F6).

If she chooses to take it further, in veterinary school, a PhD, or a research career, the project goes with her.

Kenyan sand boas need time to mature, and meaningful selective breeding requires multiple generations. There is no scientifically honest shortcut.

It is currently an aspirational concept, not an established classification.

If we eventually use a designation such as "80% Surface" or "Surface Line," the exact observation requirements and calculation will be publicly defined before animals are classified under it.