You do bring up some interesting questions. Hopefully it really is too late in the mite cycle to answer them.

1. Are there really more mites on the albinos for some reason or is it just that you can see them better?

Maybe you could develop a more scientific test like wiping down similar age species and caged albinos and non down weekly with a white cloth and counting the mites on the cloth rather than on the snake.

If there are more on the albinos does it have to do with:

a. The texture of the albino skin?

b. The color of the albino skin?

Some insects are more attracted to certain colors than others for no doubt good and interesting reasons. It would be hard to prove which but maybe you could develop colored mite traps to test the color theory.

2. If 1a above are both true could it be changed by diet?

BUT it's hard to get past the seriousness of the mites. Years ago when I raised boas and Burmese pythons I got mites in with an order somewhere and they where hard to get rid of. I ended up doing it with the dilute Ivomectin spray, 7 dust, and the pest strips. Given what I've heard now about boas and IBD (that they can live for years with it and it’s prevalent in boa collections) I'm very cautious about even getting a python from someone with boas much less someone with boas and mites. I guess the good news is that if your pythons live more than a few months past the end of your mite infestation then you can probably have more confidence than most that your boa doesn't have IBD.

[ Hide Replies ]

• Anyone else noticed this? - wRobio, Fri May 22 12:16:20 2009
• RE: Anyone else noticed this? - rosaleesmommy, Fri May 22 12:31:32 2009
• RE: Anyone else noticed this? - chongorojo, Fri May 22 14:11:49 2009
• RE: Anyone else noticed this? - wRobio, Fri May 22 14:34:40 2009
• RE: Anyone else noticed this? - toshamc, Fri May 22 14:33:29 2009
• RE: Anyone else noticed this? - wRobio, Fri May 22 14:37:56 2009
• waste of time? yes. - robyn@ProExotics, Fri May 22 16:25:17 2009
• RE: waste of time? yes. - wRobio, Fri May 22 17:21:42 2009
• RE: waste of time? yes. - Pitoon, Fri May 22 18:00:57 2009
• RE: waste of time? yes. - wRobio, Fri May 22 19:08:37 2009
• RE: waste of time? yes. - ssnakes, Fri May 22 20:31:16 2009
• RE: waste of time? yes. - RandyRemington, Fri May 22 21:34:38 2009
• RE: waste of time? yes. - wRobio, Sat May 23 00:58:46 2009