moving around, think of it kinda like heroin addicts sharing needles. mite feeds on 1 diseased snake then walks over and feeds on a completely healthy snake blood is swapped now the healthy snake is at high risk for disease. This is where quarantine comes into play. Whenever I get a new snake in I immediatly place it on a WHITE damp paper towel and leave it for about an hour or 2 you will see if you are having any external parasite problem rather quickly. Mites look like poppy seeds with legs (think about that next time your eating a bagel)

The way you presented your ? leads me to believe that you are asking, could the animal possibly have a disease like IBD (I AM NOT SAYING YOUR SNAKE HAS IBD BY ANY MEANS AT ALL) From information I have gathered in the past. There have been SOME collections wiped out by IBD that DID have mite infestations, but also SOME that did not. The really big ? that is trying to get figured out is if IBD can possibly be spread through the air. if anyone has any info to this ? please let us know. I have 2 snakes currently in quarantine in 2 different rooms of the house. I am getting a 3rd snake today and I have to find a 3rd quarantine room. it gets to be a hassle but worth it.

one more note. mites feed on blood , I would imagine that such an infestation could cause anemia in the snake which could cause it to die also. IF I AM WRONG SOMEONE PLEASE CORRECT ME.

[ Hide Replies ]

• if a snake has mites? - ballfreak, Mon Nov 27 19:44:39 2006
• RE: if a snake has mites? - toshamc, Mon Nov 27 20:31:09 2006
• Mites are like mini hyperdermic needles - XtremeXteriors, Tue Nov 28 07:07:16 2006