Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering if anyone has ever caught any wild snakes that have a mite infestation? I am going herping this weekend and mostly just going to take pictures but in case I happen to run across a fine looking animal I may have an impluse to add him to my collection. Now I read that mites like to hide in the snakes throat area and behind the snakes eyes. I have never personally seen any WC animals that have had mites at all. I have seen a tick or two but never any mites.I caught a few northern black racers around my house and checked them out and did not see any mites(Of course these guys are pitch black and make mites a lot harder to see! That plus these snakes being super aggressive doesn't help!)

I know that 'snake mites' are an exotic and do not live in the United States. Are there any other types of mites that would infest a snake in the wild? I use to catch a lot of snakes when I was a kid and never had any problems with mites.Granted I was YOUNG and not really looking for them either but I never noticed any on any garter snakes that I would keep.(Mom never use to let me keep anything else besides garters until I was older).

If I do keep any I would be sure to take it to a vet to have a fecal sample,have it sexed and checked for overall good health. Also if I do keep any I wouldn't keep any adults,just yearlings or hatchlings.Again I am not going out to keep any,just take pictures and enjoy a walk in the woods but like I said a nicely colored corn/milk or hatchling black rat snake might make me consider keeping one.

I would worry a lot more about getting mites, bugs, whatever-else from introducing somebody else's snake into my collection than in bringing in a snake I caught myself. At least when you catch it yourself, you have a pretty good idea of what it will have. I'm kidding, but not really, when I say that mites and Cryptosporidiosis only exist in captivity. I have no qualms about bringing a freshly caught snake into the snake room. Honestly, as long as the keeper practices good hygiene, whatever the snake has will never leave its cage. However, I am always very cautious about bringing somebody else's snake into the collection because anytime I've ever had mites or crypto, it happened that way.

Sullman:
I have no experience with the snakes on the east coast (you mentione black racer) as I live in Oregon. I study the Rubber Boa and all populations I have examined from B.C. to S. Calif. and east to Utah invariably have a native species of mite most easily observed beneath the ventral scales. I do not examine our other native species but assume they too may have similar parasites.

I have never concerned myself with these mites on my captive boas as I maintain my specimens under conditions that generally mimic what exists in the wild. It is my impression that when snakes are maintained under totally artifical conditions that some of the native parasites and pathogens can then proliferate into densities that can cause problems for captive specimens.

Richard F. Hoyer

It's funny. I never see mites on snakes anywhere in Michigan, but I have seen mites on snakes in Ohio, just a little further south of us. The mites I got off an Ohio snake were not the same species as the common snake mite we see in the hobby. They were a little larger and slightly darker color, I think. They all died with one application of Provent a Mite.

TC

Thanks for the replies! I am headed to Tyler state park in PA. It's over 1700 acres and has a mix of hardwood forest and wetlands. Should definately see some herps out there. Even if I don't find any snakes I know I'll see a lot of turtles in the wetlands and various other wild life.

I herp in tyler every once in a while.I have only found garters in there.They have some huge softshell turtles though.
Tom

Thanks Tom.Any other good spots in PA around the Bucks county area you know of?

Other than tyler I dont know any.I usually go to the jersey pine barrons.
Tom

Yeah I usually head to the pine barrens also.... Went out yesterday to tyler... seen a lot of garter snakes,a few bull frogs,american toads and a LOT of huge turtles...and a bunch of ticks..lol