Reptile & Amphibian Forums

does that mean he has a possibility of worser promblems that can lead to death?

It would depend - if you received a snake that was clearly infested - it could have potential problems which mites are known to cause as well as disease which mites can transfer. But mites themselves are not necessarily an indicator of more serious underlying issues if that is your question.

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Tosha

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.