"The Cootie" was the name given to this fungus by a good buddy. In `06 I received snakes from a well known breeder... weeks later about 95% of my `06 hatchlings had this disgusting fungal infection.



There were blisters all over the snakes' body and they seemed to crave water (no drinking it... "sitting" in it for days). sadly the water seemed to accelerate the spread of the fungi (catch-22).



Frustrated with it all I culled (removal/killing by way of freezing) every snake that had any of this stuff on it's body.



It later popped up in a few I did not freeze initially so I froze those as well and I haven't seen it since (THANK GOD). needless to say, I had no profit in `06 and to make it worst the snake that gave this to my collection was a hi-end animal (that I paid for...no freebies!) and it died as well!



The Fungi





After this snake died I peeled back the infected area on the head and the snakes was "perfect" under there!







The worst part of my ordeal was that the breeder acknowledged the infection started with his stock (because others were having the same issue)... but that breeder turned around and said that I should've had a better handling procedure and washed my hands between snakes as to not infect all my hatchlings, some how implying that I'd be stupid enough to touch an infected snake and then go handle other snakes????



Overall I learned how to implement what I've been hearing for years! QUARANTINE EVERYTHING!!!!!



~ZF

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