I work at a pet shop, and we've had this baby burm for about a month, in apparent good health. I went on vacation for 2 weeks and shortly after I got back, the poor thing had bugs ALL over him! They seemed to come out of nowhere. He was soaking in his water bowl and it looked like someone sprinkled pepper in it, there were hundreds of the things drowned in the bowl. I cleaned/disinfected the bowl and the cage and gave him a bath, but I looked in there later and they're still there! They are little black things probably around 1/8 of an inch... maybe a bit bigger. They're too big to be mites, and they really don't look/act like ticks. Any idea what they might be? I gave him a thorough look-over when we first got him and he was perfectly clean, and we've never had this problem before, so I've no idea where they came from... I'm going to treat them like mites and probably be battling them most of the day... just wanted to know what I was dealing with...
2006-07-14 04:34:46 · 6 answers · asked by snake_girl85 5 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
It may be a larger species of mite. Many mites can lie dormant beneath a snake's scales or in its eye cavity, rendering them undetectable for several days. You can spray a flea spray (for dogs and cats) on paper towel and wipe your snake down at least twice a day for several days, or I use Repti-ease which seems to work very well and keeps their scales in top condition. Just spray that on a paper towel and wipe the snake, or let it slither through the towel while you hold it. My other suggestion is to put a No-Pest strip in the cage, or buy a flea collar and cut it into about an inch long strip, and put it in a small condiment cup, poking holes in the lid. This should prevent any further infestations.
Be sure that you clean the cage throughly and replace the bedding. Also, you may want to check and see if the bedding itself has been infested, you may be putting more mites into the cage rather than cleaning them out.
Hope this helps a bit.
2006-07-14 05:24:50 · answer #1 · answered by bibliophile_1976 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mites can be quite large, the other option is lice, although they're rare in snakes. If you have a microscope you can put some on a slide to differentiate. To be on the safe side it's best to choose a product that will work on both. A bath won't get them all off, you probably need a powder or liquid that will kill them. Some mites can live off the snake and are good at lodging in cracks in wood, etc, and can be quite difficult to eradicate. Good luck, though.
2006-07-14 04:41:59 · answer #2 · answered by JadeDragonMage 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i don't think fleas are attracted to snakes. i honestly have no idea, i'm not sure what your pet shop's policy is, but i would consider taking the python to a vet and have him checked out. i'm sure you've noticed (as i have) that a lot of people on here answer questions without any knowledge of the subject(no offense to those of you that do know your reptile ifno.). i would say that in a situation like this just take him to a vet and don't rely on somebody on here to come up with a good answer. good luck!
2006-07-14 04:41:09 · answer #3 · answered by kid_A 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being that this animal resides in a pet shop, the owner of that shop should take it to the vet. It is their responsibility to sell healthy animals.
2006-07-15 13:46:21 · answer #4 · answered by american_angel068 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i hope someone knows because last night i noticed the same thing on our boa. we have a boa and a pyhton and i don't want it to spread.
2006-07-14 04:43:50 · answer #5 · answered by KAREN A 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
fleas
2006-07-14 04:37:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋