Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey
I got poision ivy, and i was wondering if my snakes are in any danger of getting it, i would asume they cant. but id rather be safe then sorry. thanks for help.

Poison ivy triggers an allergic reaction in people. Most people are allergic to the oils of the plant which is why most people develop the rash. Some people arent affected by it at all. It would be my guess that your snakes arent at any risk of developing a reaction to it. Ive never heard anything about reptile allergies but I could be mistaken. I would guess that the reptile would need to have histamine in their system to develope a reaction the way we do. If they do or not is something I don't know.
Another thing to consider is the fact that a reptiles skin doesnt absorb a lot of water or other fluids. Ive seen snakes that live in junkyards that crawl through grease, oil, etc and dont show much signs of poisoning but if you were to place a frog in the same situation it would perish almost immediately because it would absorb the toxins directly through its skin. With this in mind I wouldnt suspect that the oils from your rash would do anything but sit on top of the snakes scales until it eventually rubbed off. I suppose if it got into the snakes mouth it might be different.
I feel for you though, poison ivy sucks. The curse of the outdoor snake hunter. That and mosquitos. lol

Good luck,
friend

Neither poison ivy or oak affects me at all. The only thing I have a reaction to is white sumec and I have to get the sappy white oils in a cut for anythignt o happen butif it does do that I am in the hospital.
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Justin